A PSA on running more effective meetings

Ext. Marketing Inc.’s account management team has been to a lot of meetings over the years. And we’ve noticed some of the best meetings result in: (1) deadlines being met and (2) outstanding project outcomes.

We’ve put together a PSA – which stands for preparedness, structure and action – on how to run outcome-oriented meetings.

Be prepared

To ensure maximum participant preparedness, email an agenda to attendees before the meeting. Maybe even attach the agenda to a meeting reminder.

Your preparation for the meeting should include simple things like remembering to bring a pen and some paper with you. We find that a notebook is best. And leave the highlighter at your desk.

Structure your meeting

When creating the meeting agenda – and you always need an agenda – make sure you include an objective. To create the most specific objective, fill in the blank:

“I want attendees to … at the end of this meeting.”

Begin the meeting by sharing this objective with everyone and then proceed with the most pressing issues first.

Define action items

It’s your meeting to close, and people like a strong close. Summarize key takeaways and action items that were discussed during the meeting. If people leave the meeting with a sense of purpose, then you have done your job as a meeting chair. Gather meeting notes from the notetaker, and let everyone know they’ll be receiving a written record of everything that was discussed.

Every meeting will benefit from a strong focus on PSA: preparedness, structure and action.

For more project management tips, contact us 416.925.1700, 1.844.243.1830 at info@ext-marketing.com.

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