“If it’s not that important, send an email. If it’s important but not mission critical, pick up the phone. If it’s critically important to the success of your organization, go see someone,” says Michael Massari in his interview with Forbes Magazine.
Perhaps you have questioned the impact of planned meetings. Are they really that important? The short answer is yes. The long answer can be found in the list below:
Meetings allow leaders to:
Communicate clearly. Do you remember playing the telephone game in elementary school? You started with a sentence and shared it with the person next to you. By the time the sentence makes its way to the last person and is shared with the larger group, it is very different. By brining a team together for a face-to-face meeting, we reduce misunderstandings and have the opportunity to clearly communicate information.
Engage. Meetings allow you to engage others. Bringing individuals together creates importance for the topics to be discussed. Create opportunities for dialogue versus reporting information. Solicit feedback from the group regarding the meeting format and topics. This will allow you to make adjustments for future meetings and increase engagement of the team.
Be effective. Have an agenda for your meetings. Start with a clear opening that sets the stage of why you are meetig. A meeting is a collective space, where ideas can be quickly conceived and shared. Having your team together allows decisions can be reached efficiently. Don’t forget to close your meeting with a recap of what was agreed upon and clear next steps.
Building relationships. Meetings are an opportunity for you and your team to interact with each other. The opportunity to be together builds relationships and trust within the team, promoting a positive work environment.
Now that you know some of the benefits of meetings, it’s time to lead an efficient meeting. Learn how to plan and lead effective meetings with our Facilitate Effective Meetings program. This program is customized to fit your organization, your team, and your initiatives. Learn more here.
Lead to the Max!℠
References:
Boudett, Kathryn Parker. Harvard Education Letter. Harvard Graduate School of Education., 2017.
Bradt, George. Why Invest In Setting The Stage For Important Meetings? Because Everything Communicates. Forbes., 25 Oct. 2017.
Goman, Carol Kinsey. The Immeasurable Importance Of Face-To-Face Meetings. Forbes., 11 Mar 2016.