Meetings

The purpose of this page is to look at some skills that can guide and assist you to plan and implement a successful meeting with an organisation, service provider, or group.

Planning and organizing

The most common reason meetings go wrong lies in the simple fact that not enough time is devoted to adequate planning and preparation. Successful meetings have both a specific strategic purpose and tactical plan of action, using the following four basic questions as a foundation before making any arrangements:

Why are we meeting?
What is the purpose of the meeting?
Who should attend the meeting?
What is our budget? (if relevant)

Taking care of details

Putting a meeting together means taking care of the details:
Being detail-oriented is a definite benefit;
The key to so much of a meeting's success is having a system that works;
Creating checklists is one of the best strategies.

Knowing how to manage time

Successful meetings also rely on the art of time management:

They are well organized and have essential information available when it is needed;
There is no lost time looking for missing paperwork;
It is important to know your priorities, don't over commit yourself;
Differentiate between important and urgent tasks;
Being able to delegate tasks to others is also very useful;
Don't be afraid to ask for assistance whenever you may need it;
Don't procrastinate; on the contrary, practice the "do it now" habit

Negotiating skillfully

Skilful negotiators know exactly what they want (the purpose for the meeting and the primary reason you are advocating). They spend time doing their research so that they know as much as possible about the person they are meeting with.

Preparation is very important;
Having some questions prepared before hand, as well as asking during the meeting anything that may at all be unclear;
The ability to create a feeling of cooperation during the meeting will be beneficial to build a mutually beneficial working environment.

Applying a positive attitude

Research successful people and you'll find that having a positive, "can do" attitude ranks high on their list of characteristics.
Not only are they positive and upbeat, they surround themselves with naturally positive and successful people.
When you focus on what you can do versus what you can't do, expect to find solutions to your various challenges.
Give it a try and see if their attitude rubs off on you.

Evaluating results

Once you have attended a meeting:

Ask yourself what you thought went well;
What would do differently if you had to do it again;
Record all your data and keep accurate records;
Refer to your records the next time around.

Keeping a sense of humour

Keeping a sense of humour will definitely help prevent you getting mad, angry or frustrated with any situations you may find yourself in.
Learn to laugh at their mistakes as well as your own to keep a saner perspective on life.
If nothing else, remember that laughing is good for your health and will help reduce your stress and blood pressure levels.