3 Essentials for Over-the-Top Productive Virtual or In-Person Meetings

by Karen Cortell Reisman | May 11, 2021

You go to long meetings, toxic meetings, dumb (ineffective get-nothing-done) meetings. You become impatient, frustrated and bored. You might even be chairing these excruciating meetings.

How to Chair Productive Meetings

BEFORE: PRE-SHOWTIME CRITICAL STEPS

Ask whether you need to meet. My pet peeve: Why does a board need to meet monthly if it is just a book report? Take the bored out of board meetings. Don’t meet if you don’t need to.
Figure out your Specific Purpose and Desired Outcome so that you can answer item #1.
Invite who really needs to be there to address your Specific Purpose. You can always have Meeting Guests attend for selective segments if needed. (These “guests” won’t be wasting their time or, worse, disrupt/distract from the rest of your great meeting.)
Prepare & disseminate your agenda.

DURING: SHOWTIME SPECIFIC STRUCTURE

Rule #1 Begin on time, every time, always.
Rule #2 Discuss positive stuff first.
Rule #3 Accomplish your Specific Purpose to achieve your Desired Outcome.
Rule #4 Figure out your WWW: WHO is going to do WHAT by WHEN.
Rule #5 Empower with praise and thank your team for attending.
Rule #6 Encourage healthy debate. Otherwise why meet?
Rule #7 End on time, every time, always.

AFTER: POST-SHOWTIME MUST HAVES

Follow up.
Follow up.
Follow up.

To have over-the-top productive virtual or in-person meetings your preparation controls your outcome.

Karen Cortell Reisman, M.S., author of 2 books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with decision makers on how to speak with gravitas. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Karen also speaks about her cousin, #AlbertEinstein, in a message about hope, resilience and brassieres.