While many of us don’t like attending extended meetings, few organizations would be able to do without them. They are necessary for the smooth running of just about every company. However, a poorly run meeting has the potential to essentially sap the lifeblood of any organization. Not only would everyone end up being mentally drained but at the same time, many attendees will become demoralized and disengaged and just wish for the whole thing to be over.
However, it does not have to be this way at all. You can hold highly productive meetings provided that you follow a certain number of steps for clear-cut success. These steps include the following:
- Prepare yourself and your team
The motto of the boy scouts ‘be prepared’ applies here. You have to be absolutely clear about the core purpose of the meeting. You should also be well-aware of the desired outcome as well as the means of achieving the same. Always remember that the greater the prep time, the better the results. This is due to the fact that you would be well-prepared with the items of the agenda and place the same in front of the other participants. If it’s international make sure to have the proper translation service.
- It is always wise to print or email and send the agenda in advance
The best way to ensure a good discussion is to give everyone the time to subject the agenda, at least to a cursory perusal. This way everyone will know what is to be discussed and prepare their points accordingly. Once your team members and fellow attendees have had time to think over the issues to be discussed, they will come up with solutions beforehand and a lot of time will be spared.
- You should limit the total number of conference’s participants
Take this as a general rule of thumb. Lesser participants mean greater productivity. If there are dozens of people, and all of them are speaking at the same time, your precious conference would not be able to achieve much. According to experts, most productive conferences typically have eight or even less than eight participants. Too many participants would mean that not everyone would be able to have their say.
- Always make sure that you start and end on the allotted time
There is no need to basically punish people if they are punctual so that latecomers and stragglers join the meeting long after its start time. A conference requires discipline and fineness. Do not jump into the main points of the agenda from the first minute, but don’t also keep punctual people waiting. Finally, make sure that everyone gets to go home on time.
- All attendees should be able to participate
The trouble with many conferences and other meetings is that a few strong speakers tend to dominate the whole event. You can stop that by asking even soft-spoken and shy people to contribute their opinions too. This way, they too will feel needed and included and participate all the more.
- Avoid technological gimmicks
Multimedia presentations can be loud enough to effectively shut down all relevant dialogue. If you spend most of your time giving a presentation, there would be less time left for questions and answers. This means that the all-important brainstorming session might end up being rushed. Since these sessions are the heart and soul of the conference, it would defeat the whole purpose. It would be a great idea to start the conference with an immersive dialogue that gradually draws in everyone.
- Make sure that everyone understands everything
In case there are people from other parts of the world, you should consider setting up interpreting booths. In fact, you would really need them if you feel that there might be any errors in communication due to language-related barriers.
- Conclusion
It is a great idea to set up a conference with a smaller number of attendees. In fact, a really effective meeting would be well served where everyone can be heard and understood. You may use interpreting booths if you feel that not everyone would be able to understand the rapid transfer of ideas at the event.
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