Effective Business Meetings

Great things happen when people come together. Face-to-face interaction is the place where ideas are generated. Meetings come in all shapes and sizes. There are the everyday office meetings, board meetings, business meetings, seminars, conferences, conventions, trade shows and exhibitions. Meetings help to work on teams, share of ideas, and effectively coordinate. If communication is the lifeblood of any organization, then meetings are the heart and mind. Meeting is the place where we communicate our ideas; develop new understandings and new directions, where we engage with others.

Meetings are an important part of doing business. Executives on average spend 40%-50% of their working hours in business meetings. A successful meeting has no surprises. With proper preparation and careful organization, a meeting can run smoothly. Setting goals and time limits, keeping to the agenda are the key components of an effective meeting. Preparation also means attention to details including: room bookings, catering, equipment, etc.

Meetings can be announced by email or be posted on bulletin boards. The date, location, time, length, and purpose of the meeting should be included. In order to keep the meeting on task and within the set amount of time, it is important to have an agenda. The agenda is a list of matters to be discussed in the meeting, and indicates the order of items. The person in charge of the setting the agenda and running the meeting is the ‘chairperson’.

Whether you are holding the meeting or attending the meeting, it is polite to make small talk while you wait for the meeting to start. You should discuss things unrelated to the meeting, such as weather, family, or weekend plans.

At the beginning of the meeting the chairperson should formally welcome everyone and thank the attendees for coming. If anyone at the meeting is new to the group, or if there is a guest speaker, a person in charge of the meeting should introduce him or her. In order attendees can be able to follow the agenda it is better use an overhead projector. Before beginning the first main item on the agenda, the speaker should provide a brief outline of the objectives.

One of the most difficult things about holding an effective meeting is staying within the time limits. A good agenda will outline how long each item should take. A chairperson should stay within the limits.

When decisions cannot be easily made, they are often put to a vote. Most votes occur during meetings. Votes can be open, where people raise their hands in favour or in opposition of the issue, or closed (private), where attendees fill in ballots and place them in a box to be counted. When a motion is voted and agreed upon, it is carried. When it is voted and disagreed upon, it is failed. Votes are often put to a majority.

During the meeting, participants comment, provide feedback, or ask questions. A meeting comes to an end when time runs out, or all of the items on the agenda are checked off.