Do you know what makes the difference between a successful and unproductive meeting? Planning! Here, learn how to prepare for a meeting to ensure it is effective.
A staggering 71% of senior managers consider meetings unproductive and inefficient! This may be because preparing for a meeting isn’t something that is taught in school. However, it is a skill you should learn in college because employers will expect this from you, especially in engineering. As a student, you have ample opportunities to practice, such as:
- Team meetings for class projects
- Attending office hours with professors or teaching assistants
- Academic advisor sessions
- Meetings with your mentor
- Informational interviews
The truth is the more preparation you do before the meeting, the more effective it will be. This article will walk you through the steps and provide you with a checklist for running a successful meeting.
What makes a meeting successful?
Before we jump into planning the meeting, we need to define what a successful meeting looks like. Then, you will know what your goal is when preparing.
Effective meetings accomplish an objective within the allotted time. The meeting attendees leave feeling like things are moving forward. This helps foster motivation and teamwork.
Planning for a meeting is the key to obtaining this outcome.
Meeting Preparation Checklist
You can use this checklist if you are organizing meetings for groups or one-on-one discussions.
- Identify the objective of the meeting
- Select the meeting participants and assign roles
- Specify a date, time, and meeting location
- Choose and invite the participants
- Determine what information you plan to communicate and how to present it
- Prepare and distribute the agenda
- Determine the equipment required and test it
- Gather all your materials
Now that we have identified the steps, here is the work you need to do for each step.
To help illustrate the tasks, I will use an example of a student group project for one of their courses. They are organizing a meeting to discuss the status of their project. There are three team members.
How To Prepare For A Meeting
1. Identify The Objective Of The Meeting
This is the most important task because it impacts all of the other items you need to do. It also is the key to running an effective meeting. Try to think of this as what you are trying to accomplish by organizing this gathering. The purpose of the meeting could be:
- Update on project status
- make a decision
- Answer questions or gain clarity
It should be clear to all attendees. Sometimes there will be more than one objective for the meeting, and that is okay. If this happens, be sure to discuss the most important items in the beginning and the less pertinent items at the end. Then, if you run out of time, at least you cover the most crucial items.
Example: The three students are meeting to give a project update. The goals of the meeting are to review the status of their work, assess the timeline, and discuss the outstanding tasks. This will help ensure the project is complete on time.
2. Select The Meeting Participants And Assign Roles
You want to identify the key people needed for the meeting, especially if a decision is needed.
Then, you can assign roles to the attendees. Some of these include:
- Facilitator: Person leading the meeting
- Notetaker: Takes the notes to document the discussion and captures the action items. This person will also record the meeting minutes and distribute them after the meeting.
- Presenters: Even if you are leading the meeting, you may have others presenting with you.
- Contributors: Others in the meeting that help foster the discussion.
- Expert: Someone whose knowledge is paramount to the meeting.
Be sure to reach out to the people in these roles before the meeting so that they are ready.
Example: All three students are the required participants. One student will facilitate the meeting, one student will take notes, and all students will present their portion of the project. The note taker will be responsible for circulating the meeting minutes after the meeting.
3. Specify A Date, Time, And Meeting Location
Once you know who needs to be in the meeting, then you can choose a time and day that works for everyone.
You should also decide if this is a one-time meeting or is it reoccurring. If you are working on a team project, it is best to set-up a reoccurring meeting. Meaning you will meet at the same time and day each week or every other week.
Next, choose a meeting room. The type of meeting will typically dictate the location required. A working group meeting might need to be in a lab. Alternatively, meeting with a professor to discuss homework problems will be in their office.
Example: The students decide to meet on Tuesday after their class. They’ll gather in the computer lab so that they will have access to the files they need to review.
4. Choose And Invite Participants:
You will need to communicate the time, day, and location of the meeting to the participants that are required to attend. Sending an email with a meeting request is best so that the participants can save it in their calendar. You can also set a reminder that will alert the participants before the meeting, so they do not forget. Gmail has a video-conferencing feature as well.
Example: The student organizing the meeting created a meeting request in Gmail and sent it to the two other students.
5. Determine What Information You Plan To Communicate And How To Present It
Typically having the information you want to convey in both written and verbal formats is best. The reason for this is some people are visual learners, and others are audible learners.
Slide show presentations and handouts are some forms of written communication you can utilize. These are in addition to the agenda.
Example: Each student came to the meeting with a slide detailing the status of their portion of the project. It also included the next steps and challenges.
6. Prepare And Distribute The Agenda
Having an agenda is a critical part of running a successful and productive meeting. Here are the benefits of having one:
- Keeps track of attendees
- Helps participants know what will be expected of them and the topics that will be discussed
- Ensures the meeting stays on track, so time is not wasted
- Enables you to stay focused and reach the goal of the meeting
Try to send out the meeting agenda to all participants a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the meeting. This will give everyone ample time to review it and prepare.
Example: The meeting leader created the agenda, which included reviewing the deliverables, discussing the timeline, identifying the next steps, evaluating the challenges, and assessing the outstanding action items. Then, the student emailed it out to the team members before the meeting.
7. Determine The Equipment Required And Test It
If you are doing a presentation during the meeting, you have to make sure you have a projector, screen, and laptop, for example. On the other hand, if you are performing a demonstration you may need lab equipment. Working meetings might require a whiteboard to help the discussion. The equipment you need for the meeting usually dictates the location chosen.
Another thing you will have to consider is if all members are not able to be in the same room, you may need a conference call number or Zoom meeting set up.
It is also critical to test the equipment before the meeting. You want to make sure everything works, and you know how to set it up properly. This will help you avoid any technical difficulties during the meeting.
Example: The only equipment required was a computer that had the CAD software that they were using for their project. The computer lab met this requirement, which is why it was chosen. They did not need any other equipment.
8. Gather All Your Materials
Finally, you need to prepare for the meeting! Before the meeting, print off the agenda for you and all other participants. Review it and make notes to yourself for things you want to highlight or questions you want to ask.
Also, here are some other items you may need depending on the nature of the meeting:
– print off Powerpoint slides or handouts for participants
- laptop
- presentation
- notebook
- pen
- textbook
- laser pointer
- slide advancer
Finally, be sure to arrive ahead of time at the meeting. Then, you can set everything up, gather your thoughts, and run through your agenda one final time. This will help you calm yourself so you will be prepared and confident for your meeting.
Example: The student running the meeting printed agendas for the other two students. Each student brought their slides they were presenting as well as a notebook and pen.
Final Thoughts
Surprisingly, less than 37% of meetings in the US use agendas. No wonder there are so many poorly run meetings. Hopefully, this article will help you not be in that group. Take advantage of all the opportunities college presents you with to hone your meeting leading skills. Then, by the time you get to your full-time job, everyone will enjoy attending your meetings!
Don’t forget to print off the checklist and use it for your next meeting! Then, let me know how it goes in the comments below!
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