55. Public Speaking Intermediate: 3. Module 2: Leading Team Meetings
Last week we looked at giving presentations. Today we want to focus on the times when you are given the task of leading team meetings. I am sure you have done so before. How was the experience?
If it was great, share with us in the comments below, what are some tips to ensure a good meeting experience?
If you felt it could have been run better, read on… I don’t claim to run meetings without hitches at all, but allow me to share some tips with you that may, I believe smoothen the experience.
Like giving presentations, I also believe in using a standard template. With standardisation comes repetition, comes familiarisation, comes automation, which makes it easier every time you do the same way.
This is a sample:
Welcome
Setting Objectives
Run through previous minutes / action points
Follow up previous actions
Go to new topics
Summarise current action points
Review objectives (met/not)
Closing remarks
Know your objectives: Being prepared beforehand will save you a lot of time and trouble trying to navigate the discussion.
Practice the agenda: Run through how you want the meeting to flow in your mind, anticipate questions, objections and plan for them in advance.
Read up before the meeting: Do background reading, study any details if you need to give a proposal or recommendation, and the least is read the previous minutes, so you remember what happened and what are things to be brought forward to the current meeting. Annotate your thoughts, ideas, points etc onto the paper used for the minutes etc.
After the meeting, always SUMMARISE!
Summarise the conclusions or decisions made.
Summarise the action points that need to be carried out by all parties.
After the meeting, remember to follow up closely on the action points to be completed before the next meeting.
Hope these tips help….
Share with us if you have any personal tips you found useful…
