Improve Your Business Meetings with These 4 Tips

Meghan Belnap

May 27, 2016


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In today's technology-distracted world, hosting an effective business meeting may be a challenge. There are so many interruptions that can interfere with your progress and contribute to an unsuccessful gathering. If you are planning a meeting and struggle with staying on task or keeping your audience engaged, here are four tips for improving the quality of your next meeting.

Switch it Up

Sometimes people need a change of scenery to get excited about a meeting. Try hosting your meeting outside of the office at a more neutral location. Companies like Meet Chicago Northwest specialize in assisting you with brand new venues to explore. Convention centers, hotels, or even restaurants have spaces designated specifically for meeting purposes. Participants will feel refreshed by a new venue and will appreciate the change of pace.

Set Expectations & Time Limits

It's important that all of your meeting participants know and understand the expectations of the meeting. Crafting and distributing an agenda with clear goals and time limits is extremely valuable. Once these topics and timeframes are communicated it is a lot easier to drive the meeting. Be sure to stay on topic and avoid running out of time! Consider designating someone to keep time and alert the crew if you begin to get off-track.

Make it Fun

It is important that you gather input from everyone involved in the process. Unfortunately, many people are reluctant to participate unless the environment feels safe and relaxed. One way to set the tone for a fun, engaging meeting is to include an ice-breaker or small group exercise at the beginning of the session. This gets people out of their seats and interacting with other group members. Something simple like this can go a long way by increasing the comfort level of your group members and their participation throughout the meeting.

Establish a Follow-up Plan

Your meeting participants should not leave the meeting without knowing and understanding next steps. It is important that you recap what was accomplished as well as provide clear expectations and timelines for moving forward. Consider a follow-up email that highlights the meeting information and includes a clear call to action. A written recap provides your team with something to reference in between meetings and is also a source of information for any team members that were not able to attend.

Although not every meeting will go as smoothly as planned, it is important that meeting leaders make a conscious effort to improve the quality of each interaction. Following these four simple strategies will ensure your meeting is productive, engaging, and motivating to everyone that attends.