Meetings can easily get out of hand, with people wandering off on tangents or giving long speeches. How can you keep meetings focused without being a taskmaster or squashing creativity?
1. Beforehand, make the meeting purpose clear and send out an agenda. Also consider sending a list of things that won’t be discussed in the meeting.
2. Include only those who are critical to the conversation; meetings can get unmanageable if there are too many people in the room. If you know an attendee tends to monopolise meeting time, talk to him before you get in the room and ask him to keep comments to a minimum to allow others to be heard.
3. End the meeting productively. Discuss next steps, who’s responsible for them, and when they’ll get done. Afterward, send a follow-up e-mail so everyone will remain clear and accountable.
The above leadership tip...
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