Have you ever received a meeting request at work and just scratched your head? You wonder what exactly the meeting is about, what will be discussed, and maybe even why you were invited. You look at the other guests waiting for a clue, but they still have no idea.
Some say that if you get a vague meeting invitation, you should just decline it. Now, whether you're okay with that or not, if you're the coordinator, is it worth the risk of the head scratchers going down just because they're baffled?
With a little forethought and the right tools, you can make sure your meeting purpose is clear. Tired of inefficient meetings? Send these 8 rules to your boss fed up with inefficient meetings? Send These 8 Rules to Your Boss If a meeting is well organized, there's no reason it can't improve productivity, sense of purpose, and morale. Here are some rules to follow for effective meetings. Read More
Before randomly sending out the meeting request, think about what, who, what, when, where, and why.
Many times, people send meeting invitations that include too many participants or just the wrong ones. Do your homework ahead of time to answer these questions:
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This is the most important part of your planning. Think about what exactly the meeting is about, what is the goal and what should be the expected result. If you can't determine the meeting point yourself, then it's probably premature.
This may not seem like an important piece if you work in a small office environment. But for larger companies or larger gatherings, it's essential. Do you have assistants who are remote, reside in a different time zone, and work the same hours as everyone else?
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This is also key when planning your meeting if you have external attendees. Will a conference call be necessary? In case of a web meeting GoToMeeting tips for your next online meeting GoToMeeting tips for your next online meeting GoToMeeting can help you make your online meetings a success. It's free for up to three participants. We show you how to set up, join, and prepare for recorded meetings. Read more be planned? Or do you just need to reserve a conference room on site? Be sure to think ahead to accommodate those you hope to attend.
This is as important as the question What?. Why Is a meeting necessary? Can the objective be solved without a room full of people? Could a little research provide the answer? Do you have enough information to hold the meeting at this time?
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Now that you've answered all five questions, use those to work on the meeting invitation and agenda. And yes, a meeting agenda is almost always necessary for a variety of reasons.
A meeting agenda allows attendees to:
The best way to create your agenda is to start with a template. Not only does this save you time, but it already contains the outline you need for the details. These are just a few of the options for meeting agenda templates. The 15 best meeting agenda templates for Microsoft Word. The 15 best meeting agenda templates for Microsoft Word. These meeting agenda templates for Microsoft Word can give any type of meeting a great start. Read More They are flexible enough for any size or type of meeting.
This agenda template is great because it includes a nicely formatted meeting minutes template. With one download, you get both. With a nice table layout, everyone can clearly see the purpose, the attendee list, and the agenda. Another useful section shows what participants should bring to the meeting, which is often a forgotten piece.
The following agenda template is also a good option. As in the other, you can easily see the goal, agenda items, and any previous action items. But it also includes areas for new action items that you can jot down during the meeting, as well as a place for notes.
Here's one more template to check out that's clean and clear. Like the first one shown, it has a basic table format with easy-to-read sections. In addition, it offers the area for what the participants must bring to the meeting.
Once you have decided on the meeting agenda template, it is important that you complete it effectively. Be clear, precise and do your best not to leave anything open to interpretation. The assistant section is the simplest part, but the others must be well connected.
Aim of the meeting
This should be a simple one to two sentence (max) goal for the meeting. This comes from the What Ask from above what you will do to yourself. For example, let's say your meeting is to review the three UI design options for the new website.
Your objective should state exactly that and not something like “talk about new website”. The latter is imprecise, does not indicate the part of the website to be discussed, and is generally unclear.
Meeting agenda items
Here you will list each part you intend to discuss. Again, this needs to be made clear so that those who are expected to broach an issue can prepare.
Using the example above, if web developer Bill is expected to provide the pros, cons, and all three design options, say so. Don't just say:talk about designs. Will Bill know what exactly you want to discuss? If he say it, he will do it..
Items to bring
If you expect your participants to provide information, materials, images, or anything else, use this section. Don't assume that just because an assistant shows that they will deliver what you expect.
For our example with Bill, he was clear on the agenda item, which is perfect. However, to ensure that you bring a list of pros and cons for each design along with images of those designs, please add it to the appropriate section of the agenda.
If possible, attach the agenda to the meeting request when you submit it. This allows your attendees to have it on hand when it's time for the meeting and lets them know exactly what to expect. This is even more important if you schedule a last minute meeting.
If you send the meeting request well in advance, you may prefer to wait on the agenda. Podría ser un trabajo en progreso o podría estar esperando más detalles para ello. Si este es el caso, solo asegúrese de incluir el objetivo de la reunión, un breve resumen de los temas y elementos preliminares para presentar la solicitud.
Luego, declara que la agenda oficial será enviada en X Fecha que debe ser como mínimo tres días antes de la reunión. Si puede, también es una buena idea imprimir copias de la agenda Cómo imprimir documentos de Microsoft Office de la manera correcta Cómo imprimir documentos de Microsoft Office de la manera correcta ¿A veces parece imposible imprimir documentos exactamente de la manera que desea? ¡Podemos ayudar! Le mostramos todas sus opciones de impresión y lo ayudamos a elegir la configuración correcta para documentos perfectamente impresos. Lee más y llévalos a la reunión. Parece que siempre hay un participante que se olvida de los suyos..
Si ha seguido este plan hasta ahora, entonces su reunión ya ha tenido un gran comienzo. Pero hay una cosa más que debes hacer de antemano. Prepárate para capturar las actas de la reunión..
Aquí nuevamente, usar una plantilla es ideal. Puede imprimir estas opciones de plantilla de Microsoft Word. The 12 best meeting minutes templates for professionals. The 12 best meeting minutes templates for professionals. These are the best meeting minute templates for Microsoft Word, Microsoft OneNote, Evernote, and Google Docs. Lea más si prefiere escribir a mano o usarlos en su dispositivo digital si corresponde.
Esta plantilla, que puede encontrar dentro de Microsoft Word, es una excelente opción porque se expande en cada tema de la agenda. Para cada elemento, puede incluir notas sobre puntos de discusión, conclusiones, elementos de acción, partes responsables y fechas límite específicas para cada tema.
Si prefiere una plantilla de actas de reunión que no detalle los puntos de discusión, esta es una opción sólida. Puede enumerar los elementos de la agenda que realmente se discutieron, por quién y por cuánto tiempo. Luego puede anotar las decisiones que se tomaron y los nuevos elementos de acción con las partes responsables y las fechas de vencimiento..
Todos tenemos una forma de tomar notas durante una reunión. Pero si usted es el coordinador, absolutamente debe tomar notas fuertes. No hay nada peor que escribir una nota solo para verla más tarde y preguntarse qué significa o qué significa..
Capture todo lo posible durante la reunión y luego revíselo antes de levantar la sesión. Debe revisar lo que se discutió, todo lo que se decidió y, lo más importante, los nuevos elementos de acción. Repase brevemente esto en voz alta con sus participantes como una revisión para usted y para ellos. Si falta algo o está equivocado, es mejor averiguarlo antes de que todos salgan de la habitación..
Si bien es posible que no exista una manera exacta o positiva perfecta para garantizar que tenga una reunión efectiva. Here we show you free meeting templates to prepare, record and summarize your meetings for an effective result. Lea más, este plano puede ponerlo en camino. Haz lo que puedas para prepararte y sus asistentes con suficiente antelación.
¿Qué consejos tienes para planificar una reunión? ¿Hay algo que haga como coordinador que ayude? Let us know your suggestions in the comments below!
