How to Organize a Business Meeting

The business world appears to be centered around meetings – but not all meetings are productive and that is where learning how to organize a business meeting comes in handy.  Invest the time in planning a productive session to ensure your meetings get the job done.  Think carefully about what needs to be done and who should be involved

  Usage tools work on 3 Moms – money, notes and meetings.  Business meetings are essential for effective planning, project management, interdepartmental coordination and staff oversight.  These are just internal meetings!  Business meetings also include face-to-face attendance with people outside of your organization as well, whether clients, salespeople, investors, or regulators.

  Meetings are essential for management and communication.  Meetings work correctly to save time, increase motivation, productivity and problem solving.  Meetings create new ideas and initiatives.  Meetings are acceptable.  Meetings prevent the “not invented here” syndrome.  Meetings spread conflict in a way that emails and notes cannot.  Meetings are effective because the written word carries only 7% of the true meaning and feeling.  Meetings are better than phone conferences because only 38% of meaning and feeling are in the way things are said.  55% of meaning and feeling are conveyed in facial expressions and non-verbal cues.  This is why meetings are so useful and NewBalanceJobs has carefully crafted this article on how to organize a business meeting and make the best of it.

  Meetings must be held in time

  Meetings that occur on individual hours make the staff feel very sad.  It is the story of every organization that employees are invited to attend at lunchtime.  Management must realize that to make the meeting truly fruitful, they should organize the seminar at the right time.

  It is a good idea to hold it in the morning, ensuring the active participation of every attendee.  In the morning, every employee feels refreshed and energized that helps them generate creative and helpful ideas and suggestions that are needed to participate in the meetings.

  How To Organize A Business Meeting

·         Set an agenda

  If you decide that meeting is the only way to go, make sure to set an agenda before it.  This agenda should contain the main focus and topics you plan to discuss.

  It must also include the key information you need from your coworkers in order to get the full picture.  Distribute the agenda well in advance of the meeting.  This way, the participants will understand their roles and have time to prepare.

  All this contributes to a successful and effective business meeting.  The agenda should be written so that each participant understands the main idea behind the meeting.  It should also highlight the most important topics to be discussed.  This will help you to stay on the right track and avoid the less important topics.

·         Arrangement of materials

  If presentations are to be expected, make sure the room is equipped with a projector.  If not, make arrangements to bring a projector with you – and also make sure there is something you want to display on it, like a white screen or wall.  Don’t forget to keep in mind the availability of other prose items, such as dry-mark whiteboards, paper charts, and speaker phones for off-site participants.  For several-hour meetings, arrange for food and beverages so that participants remain focused on the topic rather than on their stomachs.

·         Notify the guests

  Notify guests of meeting goals, date, time, and location well in advance so that they can properly prepare.  In most cases, at least a week’s notice is preferred.  Use the on-site calendar program to send a meeting appointment to all guests.  Many programs will alert guests for a few minutes or a few days before the meeting, or customize alerts for your needs.

·         Speak and listen

  Although you may be a team leader, you are not the most important person in a business meeting.  Each team member is equally important.  This is why you should make sure everyone understands their role and give them enough time to prepare.

  Do not speak just to hear.  This means that you should try to convey simple and clear messages that everyone in the room can understand.  This is especially important when working with a multicultural team.

  Make short and accurate sentences and ask for notes to ensure your message is clear.  Each team member must be given an equal opportunity to speak.  Therefore, you need a schedule before the meeting.

  You can make it a part of the agenda or a separate document.  The broker also plays an important role here, coordinating the meeting and notifying everyone of the remaining time.  After the meeting, arrange the follow-up after some time.  This is to ensure that everyone understands the tasks assigned to them.  This is also to find out their progress since the meeting.

·         Circulate the minutes of the meeting

  For maximum effectiveness from meetings, it is necessary to take subtle notes and circulate meeting minutes without further ado.  A well-written MOM should be sent to all attendees as well as to absentees.  Ensure that everyone is clear about their responsibilities and agreed deadlines.

·         The topics discussed should be well concluded

  When you discuss each topic of your meeting agenda, summarize the discussion and get a nice conclusion.  Make sure to complete the discussion of each topic before moving to the next topic.