How to become a meeting expert

What thoughts spontaneously come to mind when you hear the word "meeting"? Do you associate it with something positive or negative? And when you think about your own meetings, do you always come away with a crystal-clear outcome? Or have you often found that your meetings did not achieve the desired effect?

Today, I would like to take a look at typical meeting mistakes with you and give you some ideas on how you can increase your own effectiveness and become a meeting expert.

Meeting culture 1.0

It's Monday morning, 8:00 a.m. Max Meier, 37, an industrial engineer at a medium-sized company, boots up his computer. Just as he is about to relax and take a sip of coffee, an appointment flashes up clearly visible in Outlook: "8:30 a.m. meeting; location: conference room; participants: 4; duration: 60 minutes; topic: 'Optimizing communication between the purchasing and production departments.'"

Mr. Meier himself invited everyone to this meeting. He will lead it. Preparation—none whatsoever. As so often, he quickly jots down a few notes on a piece of paper "between doors" to prepare."That'll have to do for a Monday morning,"he thinks. After all, that's how he's always done it.

Meeting agenda

8:30 a.m. The meeting begins. The first five minutes are spent on small talk—today, about the Bundesliga results. Max Meier then officially welcomes the participants. He briefly describes the initial situation and explains the current problems between the departments. While the industrial engineer is still speaking, Claus interrupts him."Max, I have something to add that is very important to me!" Max knows exactly what the group can expect now. Claus is a detail-oriented person. He likes to go into great detail and describe facts down to the smallest detail. And that's exactly what happens. The other participants quickly tune out. A short time later, another participant has questions about Claus' statement. One objection follows another. Question after question. Again and again, statements are refuted with a "yes, but." The meeting leader has great difficulty controlling the emotions of the participants. His introductory remarks quickly turn into a continuous discussion. Soon the hour is over. Again, no result. Once again, the participants leave the conference room silently and dissatisfied.

The TOP 11 meeting mistakes

Does this scenario sound familiar? Many meeting leaders repeatedly make the same mistakes. The most common ones are:

1. No preparation for the meeting
2. No clear objectives
3. No pre-set agenda
4. Invitation and participation of irrelevant participants
5. The meeting leader does not give himself the authority to intervene.
6. Meetings end "in nirvana"
7. Interjections or objections disrupt the process.
8. Participants are not paying attention
9. The moderator allows digressions into other topics.
10. No clear outcome / No liabilities / No responsibilities / No control
11. No subsequent protocol

Meeting Culture 2.0 – How to Become an Expert

How can you become a meeting pro? What is the best way to proceed?

By keeping the following points in mind, you can ensure that common sources of error are nipped in the bud. And the impact of your meeting will increase.

1. Get ready for the meeting!

It sounds obvious, but for many it isn't. Set aside time to prepare for the meeting thoroughly. Your preparation has a significant impact on the outcome of your meeting. This includes specifically asking the other participants to do the same. What exactly can you ask of your colleagues to increase the effectiveness of the meeting? For example, you could ask them to provide specific figures or prepare specific ideas in advance. But what should you do if participants repeatedly fail to prepare for the meeting despite being asked to do so? Simply let all participants come and then cancel the meeting. By the next meeting at the latest, your colleagues' commitment will increase.

2. Formulate a precise goal!

Ask yourself what exactly you want to achieve by the end of the meeting and communicate this goal to your employees! This will help you steer the meeting in the right direction.

3. Prepare an agenda!

No meeting without an agenda. Provide guidance to participants. Ensure that everyone can prepare. This has a significant impact on the quality of the meeting. The following points are particularly important for an agenda:

• Goal
• Procedure / Time
• framework conditions

4. Invite the right meeting participants!

In business practice, it often happens that participants complain that they don't really need to be at the meeting. Keep in mind the principle: as many participants as necessary, as few as possible.

5. Give yourself permission!

As shown in the opening example, it is not always easy to control the emotions and objections of participants. Meetings can quickly end up in "nirvana." Say "yes!" to yourself and give yourself the authority to steer the meeting in a goal-oriented manner and prevent time-consuming endless discussions.

6. Provide guidance regarding time and questions—BEFORE the meeting!

At the beginning, communicate clearly how much time is available. Follow the agenda you prepared in advance. In addition, clarify before the meeting how objections and questions should be handled. This includes, for example, asking participants to write down any questions they may have so that they can be asked at a later, explicitly specified time. Specify in the agenda how much speaking time each participant will have.

7. Ensure a high level of receptiveness!

Address sources of disruption directly. These include ringing cell phones, restlessness in the room, or even mentally absent participants. You can bring them back into the conversation directly by asking questions. "What do you think about the last point that was mentioned?" Try to avoid overly long PowerPoint presentations. Instead, develop your strategies on a flipchart and involve the team by asking specific questions. After all, in order to achieve a result, it is important that as many participants as possible are present and engaged.

8. Bring participants back!

As soon as you notice that a participant is straying from the point, getting bogged down in trivialities, or slipping into too much detail, point this out to them in a friendly but firm manner. Explain that this is due to the limited time available and the clear objective. The participant will understand.

9. Ensure a clear result!

At the end of the meeting, set aside time to focus on discussing a result. It doesn't matter how far along you are. One result is better than no result. Once you have one, assign clear responsibilities and back them up with precise, binding dates. You can round off this results-oriented approach by deliberately specifying control mechanisms.

The important thing here is: WHO has to do WHAT by WHEN. And WHO is in charge of checking?

10. Have minutes taken!

Especially in the case of more extensive meetings, it is advantageous to record the key points in writing. This gives participants the opportunity to read up on the essence of the meeting. Appoint a minute-taker before the meeting.

Meeting 2.0 – Can anyone do it?

Let me be clear: no, not everyone! Only those who really want to. Suddenly holding a meeting differently requires courage. And being courageous is not easy. It may also mean facing opposition from other participants. Not all colleagues will pat you on the back in appreciation when the otherwise beloved, tried-and-tested, and ineffective meeting procedure is critically questioned and revamped. After all, it casts a critical light on the previous meeting culture. Not everyone likes that.

Common objections include:"How am I supposed to prepare for a meeting in detail and well in advance, on top of all my other daily tasks? I can't do it!" Max Meier from the opening story also didn't think it was necessary to prepare for his meeting. However, the outcome was unsatisfactory for everyone involved. No clear outcome and a lack of defined responsibilities mean that a solution to the problem is a long way off. Another meeting would be necessary to revisit the issue and find a solution. And that would cost you and your employees valuable (working) time again. That's why I believe that detailed, professional preparation doesn't rob you of time —it actually gives you more.

Leading means setting an example—even in meetings

Of course, you can't control how your colleagues conduct their meetings. But what you can influence is how you structure your own meetings. Once your approach starts to have an impact, you will also influence your colleagues or employees. That's why I invite you to question old habits and try new things. I wish you every success on your personal journey to becoming a "meeting expert"!