As a new employee in any organization, it is important to make a good impression among your superiors and peers. Chairing a meeting could be the beginning of making a change within the organization and showcasing how efficient you are. After establishing if a meeting is worth having, there are a few ways one cane sure that the meeting goes as planned. Here are a couple of tips to ensure heading your first meeting is a success.
1.Outline a clear agenda
Ensure the attendants to the meeting a 360 overview of what to expect from the meeting. Highlight the talking points, objectives and the potential outcomes from the meeting. No one wants to sit through a boring midmorning meeting, so ensure they know what to the goal and expected outcome is before entering the boardroom.
2.Invite Relevant Attendants
Do not invite those who will add anything to the meeting. To avoid wasting resources, ensure that you only have those who will provide great ideas, initiate problem-solving or provide useful information during the course of the meeting.
3.Provide Information Ahead Of Time
Time is a precious resource. To ensure there is no time wasted on prolonged, ineffective meetings, send information prior to a meeting. If you hope to hold a meaningful discussion to gain feedback or brainstorm on ideas, send the necessary information days ahead of the meeting. This allows the attendees to do their homework and contribute, resulting in a purposeful meeting that gets you great results.
4.Agree On The Followup Steps
A meeting is not worthwhile if it does not have follow-up steps. Always identify the next steps to be taken and assign action points to the meeting’s attendants. This ensures that the objectives set are met long after the meeting is adjourned.
5. Always Offer A Light Snack
A light snack of cookies or some fruit is a great way to beginning the meeting and encourage participation. It may seem like a trivial gesture, but it works.
