For one reason or another business meetings seem to have a ‘universally’ hated status. The moment the word meeting comes up, the sound of instant groans are almost audible. The problem with meetings is that they often aren’t as effective as they could be. Maybe this is because of the pressure that you face organising them? Or perhaps this is because you don’t know how to effectively head a meeting?
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Whatever the reason for your meetings going awry it’s important that you take steps to change that. If you aren’t achieving your objectives in meetings, then the long and the short of it is that they are a complete waste of time. Therefore if you want to make sure that everything that needs to be dealt with in meetings, is actually dealt with, it’s important that you take steps to hold more effective ones.
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The question is of course, how can you go about doing that?
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Choose the right location
When it comes to holding an effective meeting location really does matter. The truth is that a meeting at the pub or in your favourite coffee shop might seem cool but is it a good idea? The answer is probably not. These kinds of locations always have so many distractions.
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If you want to ensure that you and your team members can focus effectively, it’s important to find a meeting space that is designed for team meetings. Wherever you live in the UK, there are sure to be dedicated meeting venues, it’s just a case of Googling something like ‘meeting venues Birmingham’ to find local spaces.
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Have an objective
Don’t go into a meeting ‘blind’, be prepared for it. There’s no point organising a team meeting if you don’t have an objective for it. Meetings shouldn’t be held as a matter of routine, they should only be held as and when needed.
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Establish the purpose of each meeting, ask yourself what you are trying to achieve. Determine a set of goals that you want to tick off during your meeting. It’s also vital to prepare properly ,create an agenda and stick to it. Set a time period for each topic and do your best not to go over the limit set.
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Encourage participation
Want to prevent your team members getting bored? One of the best things that you can do is plan a hands-on meeting. Look at your agenda and get creative with how you approach every point on it. Think about which angle would hold your interest and come up with unique approaches that are quirky and interesting.
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Meetings are always more fun (and more effective) when the whole team is able to get involved. You will find that by encouraging your team members to share their thoughts and ideas that your meetings will become far more useful and more will be achieved.
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Hosting effective meetings is no easy task, but just because it’s not easy that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable. Hopefully, by taking note of the tips and advice above, you can make the process of hosting highly effective meetings easier and less stressful.
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