From Agenda to Next Steps: Running Effective and Productive Meetings
We have all attended those dreaded “meetings that could have been an email."
As a first generation professional, you may be responsible for organizing, conducting, and concluding productive and efficient meetings that not only further the initiative being discussed, but generate action items to involve all stakeholders. In this Article, we will discuss how bringing key teammates together, adhering to a set agenda, and clearly defining next steps will allow your meetings to run smoothly.
Prepare like a boss
Consider your why (and lower-touch avenues for resolution)
First and foremost, consider if you need a meeting at all. Does the subject matter require input from other teams? Are there more than two teams needed to reach a consensus or decision? Does this need a full meeting or can you simply instant message a decisionmaker? Do not set meetings for perceived productivity - be intentional with your and other’s time.
Get the band together - who should be there?
Once you confirm a meeting is necessary, be thoughtful with whom you are inviting to the table. Keep the group small enough to be productive, while ensuring that all participants have a purpose for attending.
“[B]e sure that you have enough participants for a productive open discussion with diverse perspectives. A good meeting strikes a balance between minimizing attendees and maximizing the creative potential of a group” (5).
Divide your attendees into categories of attendance: leaders, decision-makers, knowledge partners, and observers. Your leaders are yourself, and others, who will be directing the verbal traffic and shifting the conversation between participants and topics. Your decision-makers are there to approve ideas or generate a path to resolution based on company capacity. Knowledge partners can be related or cross-functional teammates that can opine on a topic, weigh in on the feasibility of a plan, or contribute institutional knowledge. And finally, your observers are in attendance as an FYI, perhaps the decisions reached at the meeting will pipeline to their team.
Agenda
A well-structured agenda will be your best tool for a productive meeting. You can include the agenda as an attachment to the meeting invite, within the calendar placeholder, or send separately via email - in any case, be sure to disseminate in advance so your attendees understand the purpose of the meeting and how they will be expected to contribute. You can also do a high-level review of the agenda at the top of the meeting and reiterate the end time.
“The meeting’s agenda can be summarized on a handout, written on a whiteboard or discussed explicitly at the outset, but everyone should know why they’ve gathered and what they’re supposed to be accomplishing. The agenda provides a compass for the conversation, so the meeting can get back on track if the discussion wanders off course.” (1)
There are several ways to structure an agenda, from specific talking points to general concepts to a more detailed look at what is needed from each team. An agenda will serve to keep the conversation on track. Remember: your personal draft of the agenda can include increasingly granular questions or suggested timing for each discussion point - use the document however best fits your leadership style.
Conduct like a boss
Start (and end) on time
Respecting your attendees’ time is one of the best ways to become everyone’s favorite meeting host. While there is always the “let’s give everyone a few more minutes” grace period at the top of the meeting, be sure to close conversations a few minutes before the end time to allow for any last minute thoughts. The “hard stop” is your friend.
Listen more than you speak
After you have established your agenda, you will take a step back to allow the conversation to become productive between your attendees. Introduce each item (including any relevant background or status updates), identify key teammates who can opine or make decisions, and then facilitate the conversation, instead of dominating the conversation.
“If you’re running a meeting, be crystal clear on the agenda and on what you want to accomplish, but then it’s time to be quiet and let others speak. If you share your thoughts first, you’re likely going to look around a table of nodding heads, with people saying they completely agree with your instincts.” (1)
Active listening will also allow you to bounce the conversation between participants if there is a specific item that needs multiple perspectives. Be sure to listen and understand all attendee’s priorities. Asking key questions will help you engage your audience and show you understand each team’s purpose and goals.
Take your own notes
Be sure to take your own notes during your meeting, in addition to any official notes on the agenda items. Take note of discussion points covered (and any not covered and why), identify who is contributing which points to the dialogue, and jot down any follow ups needed; you will want to remember those notes for your official recap. In your personal notes, you can identify who took what stance on pertinent matters, which teams need to stay in lockstep on the final decision, any budgetary or boundary concerns that may impede next steps, and other notes that will help you further the discussion offline.
Conclude with confidence
End with next steps
A well concluded meeting should leave attendees feeling productive and helpful. Be sure to wrap up your meeting (again, beginning a new minutes before the end of the time) with action items and assignments for next steps. You could also give a deadline for accomplishment or set a time for the next meeting. (1)
Recap and follow up
Leverage your notes to create a thorough and timely recap of the meeting. Within an hour or so of the conclusion of the meeting, be sure to disseminate a thank you to participants for their time, any action items and leads on those items, and any decisions or outstanding questions presented during the time.
Citations
Jay, Antony. “How to Run a Meeting.” Harvard Business Review, 30 Mar. 2023, hbr.org/1976/03/how-to-run-a-meeting.
Bryant, Adam. “How to Run a More Effective Meeting.” The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/guides/business/how-to-run-an-effective-meeting. Accessed 6 July 2023.
Goff-Dupont, Sarah. “How to Run Effective Meetings in the Era of Hybrid Work.” Work Life by Atlassian, 2 Dec. 2022, www.atlassian.com/blog/teamwork/how-to-run-effective-meetings.
“Running Effective Meetings in 10 Steps For Better Efficiency.” Fellow.App, 7 Dec. 2022, fellow.app/blog/meetings/running-effective-meetings/.
Hailey, Logan. “6 Tips to Run a Highly Effective Meeting, Backed by Science.” Science of People, 14 Feb. 2023, www.scienceofpeople.com/run-a-meeting/.
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