A Quick Guide To Owning Every Meeting

Have the jitters about an upcoming meeting? We have you covered. Here are our tips to handling your meetings with ease and looking like a boss.

Plan Skillfully

Take care of all the logistics in advance. Make sure that there is a space that you can use, that there are no time conflicts, and that refreshments are provided if appropriate. Next, consider the goals of your meeting. In order to stay on track and boost the productivity of your meeting, make an agenda outlining talking points, goals, and outcomes, and share it with your attendees prior to starting. In doing so, all expectations will be clear and coworkers can come prepared for discussions.

Consider The Audience

Though it may seem intuitive, the people who you invite to your meeting can determine outcomes. Make sure that everyone who has a hand in accomplishing your goals is in attendance. This way, every perspective that needs to be considered can be done with ease. That being said, be careful not to crowd the meeting so that it doesn’t spiral out of control or get off track. Adhere to the aforementioned talking points and have a plan for wrapping up the meeting, always keeping  time in mind.

Dress to Impress

Since you will be the center of attention, make sure you dress the part. Adhere to your workplace’s dress code, and maybe step it up one notch. Choose clothing that makes a statement, but does not draw focus away from the meeting agenda. Well-tailored, clean, simple silhouettes are a foolproof way to look great without overwhelming.    

Make Use of Technology

Supplementing your meetings with visuals, charts, and presentations can be a great way to add interest and further your talking points. Prepare the resources you need in advance, and arrive at your meeting location early, if possible, to troubleshoot in case any changes need to be made or any problems addressed. Another good option would be to explore videoconferencing. If you work at a company that has multiple locations, having additional people call in to your meeting can enhance and support your agenda, and add to the quality of experience of your attendees. If you are personally calling into a meeting, make sure to look directly into the camera, speak clearly, and limit background distractions.

Close With Actionable Tasks

Keep your end goals in mind, and close with an action plan. Summarize the points of the meeting to make sure that everyone is on the same page, and say your goodbyes. In many cases, it can be productive to send out an outline of what happened in the meeting, for the reference of those who were and were not in attendance.  Follow up with your colleagues whenever appropriate to make sure you have accomplished your goals.

Want more tips? Be sure to check out our other blog posts.