A process that will help you produce strong, productive meetings.

Purpose

Logistics

Structure

Agenda

Wrap Up

Participants

RSVP

Table of Contents.

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Introduction.

Professional meetings not only require thorough planning and attention to detail but a creative touch as well to make each meeting memorable in some degree. Putting in time and effort to your meeting will make the participants feel that you’ve made their meeting top priority and you plan to have each participant take something away from the meeting.

When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

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First and foremost, you should know why you are meeting. What kind of meeting are you trying to have? • Training? • Weekly meeting? • Quarterly?

What will you be trying to accomplish or gain? What information will be exchanged or decisions made? The more information you gather, the better idea you will have in determining how to set up the proper environment for this event. You have to make sure a meeting will be the best use of time and energy for all participants. Once the type of meeting is established, proceed with planning the meeting. Assign a primary point of contact that will book the meeting room or offsite location.

Purpose.

” “ Approximately 11 million

meetings occur in the U.S. each and every day.

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Logistics.

Make sure the meeting room is booked. If the meeting is offsite, make sure the location is booked and you have a map with directions for the facility. Make sure you know where the washrooms are and emergency exits are in the off site location. Room Setup - Make sure the temperature of the room is comfortable and also be sure to know which seating configuration to go with:

Offsite meetings could also be considered workshops. A new environment can spark creativity and communication.

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Logistics.

Also make sure you have any necessary handouts ready or any computers set up . If the room is quite large or the group is large, having a microphone available wouldn’t be a bad idea. Media – Make sure there is internet access if you have computers in the room. If you are using multimedia it’s always a good idea to test it before the meeting. Also, be sure to have an IT person ready via phone call or email just in case something goes wrong with any of the equipment.

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Agenda.

Your agenda will be the roadmap to your successful meeting. A couple of things to keep in mind when creating your agenda: 1. Are your objectives clear? 2. Will everyone understand your purpose and

task? 3. Does your agenda provide clear direction of

this meeting? 4. Is your contact information on the agenda? Once you have completed your agenda, make sure your attendees receive a copy at least two to three days prior to the meeting. This will allow the attendees to prepare for topics that will be discussed.

Best meeting times are: 9am (before being immersed in daily work) 3pm (after the grogginess of lunch)

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Structure.

In order to accomplish your purpose, you have to be organized. Lack of organization and structure could have your audience lose interest in your meeting and drift off. Some things to consider: Will there be a guest speaker? Will this meeting use videos or audio? Will there be brainstorming sessions or group discussions? Carefully evaluate to see which technique will increase your chances of obtaining the purpose and goal of your meeting. Most people like a combination of: visual – 30% spoken - 40% interactive presentations – 30% Be sure not to get caught speaking too much or letting the multi media do most of your presentation or you will lose your audience. Own the room!

” “ 91 % of professionals admit to be

daydreaming during regular meetings.

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Participants.

First off, who will lead this meeting? Will it be you? Will there be a speaker? If you are going to be the facilitator it is important that you follow some form of guidelines that will help you own the room and tone of the meeting. 1. Begin on time and END on time – Everyone’s time should be respected. Arrive early and start right

on time. Ending on time is great but sometimes ending early is ok. 2. Stick to your Agenda – Go over the agenda with your attendees and make sure it works with

everyone. During the meeting always refer to it to stay on track. 3. Establish some ground Rules – Everyone must agree on the ground rules. Write them on a board or

paper where it is easy for everyone to read but keep in mind if you need to change them, go ahead. 4. Control the room – Make sure everyone gets a chance to participate in discussions even the quiet

folks. Next step is to recognize your audience. The type of meeting you will be having will likely determine your audience. For example: If you are having a budget meeting, your participants may include managers and executive directors. This will help with scheduling as some attendees at this level may have assistants to book their meetings.

” “ Most professionals attend

a total of 61.8 meetings per Month.

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RSVP.

Always stay connected with the attendees. Whether it’s yourself or the appointed point of contact, make sure everyone is reminded 2-3 days prior to the meeting. Have an RSVP system in place where participants can respond to your meeting invitation letting you know if they will be attending or not. If any changes occur with the date make sure everyone is notified. It’s always nice to call the attendees for reminders or changes but sometimes using an RSVP software can help you keep track of attendance.

” “ 82% of executives share meeting notes

with colleagues. Technology is helping corporations organize their meetings.

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The Wrap Up.

At the end of a meeting you want to make sure everyone is leaving happy, enlightened, energized and glad they made the time to attend this meeting. Whether it’s scheduling a final surprise speaker or asking facility or event staff to provide special end-of-day refreshments for attendees, end your meeting on a positive note that will have attendees excited about the next one. Distribute evaluations well before the conclusion of your meeting (or at mid-morning if it’s a one-day event), so that you don’t lose anyone who may have to leave early. Try to communicate with the attendees a day or two after the meeting. Encourage feed back and see what some of the take-aways were.

” “ Sitting through a boring

meeting burns 88.5 calories. Same as watching paint dry.

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Pre-Meeting Checklist:

• Determine meeting goals and objectives

• Establish a specific standard by which you

will measure success or failure

• Choose a method of tracking attendance or

registration. (RSVP software)

• Identify possible dates for the meetings,

keeping in mind that flexibility will help in

locating the right space and getting the best

value (Us e a “poll” to have participants help

in deciding a date)

• Decide on space (general session, breakout

rooms, etc.), food and beverage, and

audiovisual requirements

• Confirm an speakers or special guests

• Establish a clear and appropriately detailed

agenda and include it in the RSVP invitation

email

• Confirm and finalize needs for audiovisual,

catering, and space

Meeting Day Checklist:

• Set up the conference headquarters and

information desk to handle last-minute

requests and details

• Confirm audiovisual, catering, equipment

rental, and attendee transportation to and

from events, if necessary

• If the meeting runs more than a day, meet

daily with staff and, if necessary, site

contacts to go over each day’s event details

and requirements

To further assist in your meeting plan, we have included a couple of checklists that can help you with your next meeting. Enjoy and good luck!

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Track “who’s in” for your group’s meetings or events From corporate meetings… to sports teams… to family gatherings. Ideal for recurring events! bcanales@thinkpuddle.com

References. 1. A network MCI Conferencing White Paper. Meetings in America: A study of trends, costs and attitudes toward business travel, teleconferencing, and their impact on productivity (Greenwich, CT: INFOCOMM, 1998), 3. 2. Ibid. 3. Robert B. Nelson and Peter Economy, Better Business Meetings (Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin Inc, 1995), 5. 4. A network MCI Conferencing White Paper, Meetings in America: A study of trends, costs and attitudes toward business travel, teleconferencing, and their impact on productivity (Greenwich, CT: INFOCOMM, 1998), 10. 5. Ibid., 8. 6. Eric Matson, "The Seven Sins of Deadly Meetings," in Fast Company, par. 11-13 [online magazine] (1996 [cited 14 April 1999]); available from World Wide Web at http://www.fastcompany.com/online/02/meetings.html 7. Elizabeth Church, "Fitness Tips." Globe and Mail, Management Briefs.