We’ve recently looked at what can be done before and during meetings to maximize the time investment and ultimately make them more productive. This is the final post in this meetings series as we explore what to do AFTER meetings to ensure the value is carried through.
These steps may require more motivation since the meeting is over, yet they’ll make the meeting significantly more effective.
1 | Distribute meeting notes
Circulate decisions made during the meeting — what will be done, who is responsible for doing it, and when it needs to be completed. Do not provide what was discussed if no decisions were reached.
2 | Rate yourself
- Facilitator: Evaluate the meeting results, atmosphere, participation, length, organization, etc. Adjust future meetings as necessary.
- Participant: Did I do my part? Could I have been more prepared or participated more?
3 | Follow up on action items
- Facilitator: Check in with participants who have action items from the meeting. Ensure they have needed information and are clear on timelines and expected output.
- Participant: Make sure all assigned action items are clearly understood, recorded, and due dates are noted.
4 | Eliminate & reduce meetings
Consider alternative methods for gathering further information and making decisions. Before taking several people away from their individual productivity, confirm that there is not another equally viable process within the time constraint for gathering the information. Can a phone call or email gather the same information? If not, then be confident in creating the meeting. Don’t meet out of habit, meet for purpose.
5 | Show appreciation
Thank those that were purposeful participants, provided key insights, and/or otherwise were valuable assets to the meeting. This can be done by dropping by their desk, via email, or even on a sticky note…a little appreciation goes a long way.
With many of us spending great amounts of precious time in meetings, we find it very important to occasionally step back and review meeting protocol. Hopefully you have found some beneficial, time-saving nuggets in this series.
