How to Lead Efficient and Engaging Meetings

Respect your own time and the time of others by practicing preparation, presence, and follow-through

Meetings are important platforms for aligning as a team, problem solving, and making collective decisions and resolutions. Though employees often dread meetings, leaders know that meetings are essential for progress. Why do so many employees dread meetings? When certain aspects of planning, execution, and follow-up are overlooked, meetings waste time and create more confusion than alignment and progress. How leaders prepare for, execute, and take action following a meeting impact the individuals involved as well as the collective organization.

Here are the steps and some essential tips for how to lead more productive and effective meetings.

Before the Meeting…

Clearly define the purpose and goal.

Meetings are directionless and fruitless without a clear purpose. If it occurs to you that a meeting is necessary, first spend time clearly defining the purpose and goal to yourself. Why must you schedule the meeting? What is the goal and how will it move the team and the…