More times than not, business meetings are unproductive. The purpose is unclear, the conversations become stale really quick, and people lose their attention span in a matter of minutes. On the contrary, business meetings must be productive. To avoid this, we have some tips you ought to have in mind before bringing one up.
What Is the Purpose of Business Meetings?
Generally speaking, business meetings can take place because of different reasons. They can be strategic, administrative, financial, or simply communicational. The main issue is to be able to understand what is your purpose to assemble one. If you find the necessity to address company needs being unmet, it is time for a reunion.
Tips for Adequate Business Meeting Etiquette
Have a Concrete Purpose Laid Out
Don’t organize a meeting if its purpose is not defined. It will be a waste of your time, and your employees’ time as well. Besides, all the time being spent at a pointless meeting could be used for more productive reasons, so be wise when utilizing this resource.
Even under the assumption you don’t prioritize your time, observe the situation from your employees’ perspective: Would you like to be summoned to an endless meeting consisting of your boss rambling about vague topics when you could be doing something else? We guess not.
Set Up a Date
Dates are one of the most relevant items, and at the same time, one of the most difficult to tackle. Finding a date that suits everyone is borderline impossible. However, you can do your best effort to choose one that benefits most of the company members.
You can use surveys for this, or if you are more of the authoritative type, you can get to the extent of imposing one. Yet, we do not advise this, as it can give off a negative image to your employees.
Pick a Place
If you have an office of your own, that can be easy to determine. You can gather the company staff in a room and discuss the desired points. If you do not, you are going to have to select a venue.
A quick, easy, and convenient solution is temporarily renting a boardroom or a shared office space. There are coworking spaces that enable you to rent the full facility altogether for the day, although this is mostly done by very large companies.
Many facilities offer the possibility of renting a private room where delicate topics can securely be handled without loitering strangers. Plus, they offer added benefits such as boards, computer items, chargers, and even food and drinks.
Prepare Everything Beforehand
Looking like an improvised individual is the last impression you would ever want to display in front of your peers. Provided you do so, you run the risk of losing respect and authority, as they are bound to perceive a lack of direction on your part within the company.
From slides to the number of required chairs, have every single aspect prepared upon everyone’s arrival. Make them feel comfortable, and they will be much more receptive.
Start in Time and Finish in Time
Punctuality is a remarkable trait. Instilling it should be one of your main objectives as a company leader. To accomplish that, you have to create a corporate culture that revolves around punctuality. It denotes mutual respect, a serious character, and reliability. A good starting point is to make it on time and to finish accordingly.
By no means do we mean to be excessively demanding about this, as contingencies can happen to others. But, at least set the example.
Direct the Meeting
Remember, you are in charge of the company, and the same should happen with the meeting. Your leadership skills will take the reins, as you have to check that everyone participating in the meeting follows the path you want it to take.
Even if it does temporarily deviate into other adjacent topics, you have to bring it back to the center point of the discussion.
Make Everyone Feel Involved
You must contemplate that within a company, all social dynamics are diverse, as well as the staff’s different personalities. Even if they are a fountain of amazing ideas, not everyone is compelled to share them.
Create an inclusive environment that allows everyone to offer suggestions. The benefit of this is twofold, since your employees will feel better about communicating with you and the rest of their peers, and you will gain a new perspective from a different point of view.
Keep an Open Mind
This is closely bonded to the previous tip. As long as you keep an open mind, you are going to be able to empathize with other people. Hear what all of your employees have to say. Give them a space to voice their concerns, offer suggestions, and make requests.
With improved communications come happier people. A better atmosphere and less staff turnover are direct results of this. Keep an open mind for the sake of your company’s overall functioning.
Take Notes
Compile as much data as you can. All data is useful. Notes are a good way to track any form of progress. You can also use notes from previous meetings to contrast them with those of your current meeting to evaluate which areas have improved, which ones remain the same, and which ones have worsened. They are an effective source to ponder what places need additional tweaks.
The notes that you take do not necessarily have to be quantitative data. Sometimes personal observations can go a long way too.
Establish Follow-Up Actions
This is an element entailed in the concept of preparedness. With the meeting’s objectives, you also have to outline consequent actions to accomplish the goals explained in the meeting.
For example, if you want to reduce staff absences, you can create a plan of incentives for those that reduce their absences by 10% each semester. Track their absences, and those that meet the objectives get their corresponding reward.
The Best Business Venue in Calgary
The best location for business meetings is in Calgary. Astra Business Centre offers a broad array of possibilities and amenities. Boardroom rental in Calgary with premium services is now a reality. A virtual office in Calgary with all the benefits of a brick-and-mortar office is also brought by the hand of Astra Business Centre. For further information, go to https://astrayyc.ca/ to discover everything that we have to offer.