6 Critical Elements to a Productive Meeting.

The concept of a productive office environment is quickly changing; therefore, our work

1. Have an Agenda.
   • You want your team to be prepared to participate in the meeting. Letting them know what to expect as topics gives them an opportunity to work up a comfort level of participating. Agendas are important, however, don’t spend time on a fancy agenda. Its best to use asimple template over and over again so that your team does not spend time focusing onreading the agenda when they should be listening to the speaker.
2. Break the ice.
   • Not in the old school way of an ‘ice breaker’. If you use those words in
     front of your team, you’ll most likely see and fell a wave of agony come over the crowd.
     People think they don’t like them. However, people generally like the way they feel once
     the team starts talking and laughing in a more casual way. Find a way to start the
     conversation genuinely. “What did everyone do this weekend?” Who had the yummiest
     breakfast today?” “Who made their bed today?” You will be amazed at what all you
     learn from people when you ask seemingly simple questions.
3. Start Positive.
   • We all know the power of positive thinking. Imagine the impact that
     having your meeting participants all thinking positive can have on the outcome of the
     meetings. Every meeting I plan includes a Shout Out portion at the beginning. Each
     person is asked to give a Shout Out to someone. It could be another member of the
     team, a business that provided a great experience, or a family member or friend that did
     something great. This practice of gratitude and positive thinking radiates through the
     entire meeting.
4. Main Topic.
   • Be clear about your main topics and don’t have more than two. You should
     anticipate the amount of discussion a topic is going to need and plan accordingly. When
     you know that the discussion has run its course, don’t be afraid to call it to an end.
5. Action Items.
   • Make sure that you recap any specific action items that arose from the
     meeting and that everyone involved has clear direction on the next steps. If it is a
     recurring meeting, make sure the team knows what work on before the next time you
     meet. If you are having a specific meeting to discuss a topic, make sure that each person
     knows the action items, all details, and dates that the items are due. Following up with an email that contains this information is a great way to ensure everyone is on the same page.
6. Reinforce your culture.
   • It’s likely that you have worked hard to instill a company culture
     you are proud of. Be aware that every meeting, no matter how small, is an opportunity
     to reinforce that culture. If you have a casual culture, you might return to small talk at
     the end of the meeting by asking, “what’s everyone got planned for tonight?” If your
     company is more structured but appreciates honesty and growth, you might ask for
     feedback on the meeting from your team members. Choose one or two of your main
     company values and find a way to uphold them in a genuine way as part of your
     meeting culture.