Being a leader can be scary. If you don’t know what you are doing, how are you supposed to lead in a meaningful way?
If you are asked to lead a meeting, do you know what to do? If not, you’re in luck.
Running a meeting is not as difficult or intimidating as it may seem.
Keep reading to get some tips on how to conduct a meeting that your colleagues will appreciate.
How to Conduct a Meeting: Things to Remember
In any formal meeting, it is the expectation that the chairperson will be the one that runs everything. You may be asked to take a vote, come to a consensus by the end of the meeting, or just give everyone a rundown on what is happening.
If the meeting is less formal, you may not have to be as rigid with this rule. Allow others to chime in as needed if you’re comfortable or even have a co-speaker standing up in front of the room with you.
Be encouraging, be reflective, and pay attention to what others have to say.
Your confidence shines through when others feel that they are heard because it shows you are listening as a leader.
Provide Some Understanding and Motivation
You will want to tell people why they are there and remind everyone what the purpose of the meeting will be. This helps motivate others to listen and pay attention to what is going to happen.
Meetings can be boring and this may lead to some believing they are pointless or the information could be in an email instead.
Make sure that the people know why they are there!
Create an Agenda
Having an agenda is a great way to keep people in a meeting on task and gives them a timeframe for what to expect.
Long meetings can especially be draining if no one knows what time it will end! Giving an agenda to those that will be in attendance before the meeting shows you respect their time and want them to respect yours as well.
Get Creative
Meetings can be more than just sitting and listening to one person talk. Come up with activities or tools that can help get your points across while also being more interactive.
If you are creative, consider setting up an idea or a simple way to engage the audience without taking away from the content.
Use Technology
Another thing that will help keep people engaged during a meeting is technology.
Even something simple, such as a projector to show a chart or image, can be impactful. It is more stimulating for the brain to be able to look at something rather than just hear about it for many people.
You could even use technology to take a poll or vote if you would like it recorded. Ways to incorporate tech into meetings are out there, so try to find one that fits your meeting plan and flow.
Follow Up With Team Members
After the meeting ends, a good leader will follow up and make sure that everyone is on task.
This doesn’t necessarily have to be another meeting, especially if there are only one or two people that need to be consulted with. One-on-one meetings or even a simple email may suffice.
Ready to Start Leading?
Now that you know a little bit more about how to conduct a meeting, you are probably ready to get started on that next assignment.
Meetings take some planning, but they can be valuable ways for a company to organize and strategize next moves.
For more assistance in finding technology or resources to make your meeting memorable, contact us for some more information. With distribution centers in Chicago, Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles, Hartford Technology Rental would be happy to help you take your leadership to the next level!