Running head: HOW TO HOLD AN EFFECTIVE MEETING 1

How to Hold an Effective Meeting

Callie Van Neste

Siena Heights University

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How to Hold an Effective Meeting

There are many reasons that effective meetings in the workplace are imperative to

company success. Office meetings are the glue that holds together a workplace; they keep

everyone on the same page, keep deadlines in tact, and allow coworkers and their superiors to

collaborate to make sure everything is running smoothly. However, it is not uncommon for

companies to struggle with how effective their meetings with employees really are. We will look

at why effectiveness in meetings is so important, as well as suggestions to hold a more effective

and efficient meeting.

Importance of Effective Meetings

As quickly as things progress in the business world, it is important that employees

(especially leaders in the organization) are all on the same page, working together, and meeting

deadlines. This is why companies hold meetings. However, it is not just important to hold

meetings, but to hold effective meetings. Though it may not be commonly known, not all

administrators can tackle the original goal of the meeting. When an organization holds an

unsuccessful meeting, they are wasting time as well as stressing out employees, all while

ignoring customer needs and market opportunities. The less effective meetings are, the more

meetings will need to be held, which could hinder a company’s progression.

Tips to Create More Effective Meetings

The administrator running the meeting needs to set a goal before the meeting, “what am I

ultimately trying to accomplish with this meeting?” Once this is established, the supervisor

should set an agenda. The agenda should include the following, assure all necessary employees

are in attendance, present topics and ask for any additional topics to be addressed, and discuss

any reports from special committees (Schwarz, R.). Victor Lipman, from forbes.com has more
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tips on how to run a successful meeting. Victor suggests that the organizer should really think

about who is attending this meeting and if their presence is vital to achieve the goal of the

meeting, or if a recap email could be sent to them after the meeting. If fewer employees attend

the meeting, more productive work time can be given back to the company. Victor also suggests

spending more time on the agenda than seems necessary. It is important that every attendee is

conscious of the goal, and has their mind in the right place; this will cut back on wasted time and

ineffectual matters that can wait. Another recommendation from Victor is to schedule the

meeting for half the time you had originally planned to. Because there is no way to eliminate off-

topic conversation, the meeting will usually take longer than the allotted time. However, if the

time frame is set shorter, employees are likely to accomplish the agenda in a shorter period of

time by cutting straight to the chase. Lastly, Victor stresses the importance of promptness, it is

essential to start meetings right on time. Too much time gets wasted waiting on tardy employees,

and this means wasted time for all involved. Once the staff realizes that meetings will start when

they are scheduled to start, they will find a way to show up on time. Nobody wants to be the one

walking in on essential information already being discussed (Lipman, V.).

Results From More Effective Meetings

The benefits to developing effectiveness in meetings are countless. When companies

learn how to hold efficient and effective meetings, there is almost a domino affect throughout the

workplace environment. Firstly, fewer meetings will need to be held, because the goal was

already met the first time around. This will ultimately save the company money because

employees can be hard at work, rather than just talking about the plans to work. With a clear

understanding of what objectives must be met, the employees will be less stressed, because they

have a well-defined knowledge of what is going on. This will also create an overall more
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constructive environment within the office. As a result, employees will be engaged with each

other. Employees will begin to bring more passion to the office meetings that had lacked before.

As a result, the employees have the aptitude to meet client’s needs and respond quickly (Fuda,

P.). Effective meetings have the capability to accelerate toward company goals in a timely

manner. Overall, effective meetings create an improved and more efficient workplace.

Conclusion

Now that the importance of effective meetings, tips to increase effectiveness in meetings,

and workplace results have been established, offices can begin to improve productivity. It only

takes a few simple steps to accomplish goals in meetings, in a timely manner. The productivity

that emerges after changes have been made will definitely be worth the bit of extra effort that

goes into planning and completing the proper techniques. To sum everything up, effective

meetings create a more productive and successful company.

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References

Fuda, P. (2014, November 9). 10 Reasons Why Effective Meetings Are So Important. Retrieved

June, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-fuda/10-reasons-why-

effective_b_6130262.html

Lipman, V. (2013, March 1). 5 Simple Steps to More Efficient, Effective Meetings. Retrieved

June, 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2013/03/01/5-simple-steps-

to-more-efficient-effective-meetings/#43fd8f38521c

Schwarz, R. (2015, March 19). How to Design an Agenda for an Effective Meeting. Retrieved

June, 2016, from https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-design-an-agenda-for-an-effective-

meeting