Here's one way to get what you need out of every meeting you attend. . .

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Ever walked out of a meeting thinking ‘what the’?  

Could you sometimes be the one that creates that response in yourself or others?  

What can you do to make meetings you attend more effective for you? 

Here’s my #1 tip, and it's guaranteed to improve the quality of any meeting you attend every single time - be clear on your purpose before you walk into the meeting. 

I've learnt (the hard way) that whenever I am not clear on my own purpose for a meeting I will walk away wondering things like. . .why did I agree to do that?. . .who thought that was a good idea?. . .when did we say this had to be done by? 

But when I take time to define my own (personal) meeting purpose I find that that I am able to take steps towards achieving outcomes I am seeking. When I am clear on a purpose I see how and what I need to prepare for the meeting. During the meeting I am confident in my message and staying on track. I know what to ask questions about, what to note down and I know what to come back to or summarise at the end. This means that after the meeting I know what to follow up on and what I am doing next.  

I believe that preparing for a meeting is important and that identifying my purpose for a meeting is critical. Here's one question I always ask myself before attending a meeting - “what is the meeting purpose I am seeking to achieve?”. 

What's one question you can ask yourself before your next meeting?

If you're a leader/manager looking for some more quick tips for meeting preparation and management then contact me via email - aggie@2insight.com.au - for a complimentary fact sheet.