The One Strategy to Make Every Meeting Successful

Marissa Levin

Meetings are a regular part of business life. They are also a wonderful opportunity to exchange valuable information & ideas, and move goals forward. When we are not intentional in our meeting preparation, we miss the chance to be fully present with our key stakeholders (employees, customers, partners, advisors, prospects).

I get many requests for coffee, lunch, and phone calls. All of these engagements take time and energy. Prior to committing to anyone, I ask them to provide me three objectives, and their expectations for our time together. Whether it’s 20 minutes or 2 hours, I want to be prepared, and I want to meet their expectations. I also want them to be fully prepared and focused.

Time is one of our most valuable resources. When you set aside time for a meeting, are you harnessing the power of that time? Regardless of the size of the group (2 – 20), how can you ensure success for every meeting?

The answer is simple: Set Expectations.

Prior to your meeting:

1: Outline your expectations for the meeting. What do you want to discuss? What do you want to share? What are you expecting from the other people?

2: Share your expectations/agenda with the participants, and ask them the same questions.

3: Create a formal agenda (on paper) that combines all expectations and share with the participants.

At the beginning of the meeting:

1: Review the agenda one more time.

2: Ask if anyone has any modifications and revise accordingly.

Immediately following the meeting:

1: Follow up with a recap to include what was discussed, what issues were parked for a later time, and assigned action items.

2: Assign dates to any expected outcomes.

3: Ask participants if you missed anything in your recap.

This process works great for any kind of meeting, whether it’s a new employee check-in, a team meeting, a strategy meeting, a customer meeting, or any other meeting in which people may be showing up with misaligned expectations and objectives (which is potentially every meeting!)

Never assume:

1: That you know what others want and expect

2: That others want and expect the same outcomes as you do

3: That people will speak up when they are not encouraged to do so

Meetings can be a great tool to move agendas forward, and to create a culture of clear, trust-based communication. These actions will set every meeting up for success. These rules apply to all meetings: in-person, teleconferences, and video conferences. Every meeting has the potential to be great!

Good luck!!

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About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.

Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected].

Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).

Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.

~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”

photo credit zole4 via Free Digital Photos

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Marissa Levin

Marissa Levin is the co-founder of Successful Culture International, which applies a proprietary Culture Development Lifecycle (CDL) to help organizations move from current state to desired state, and helps leaders reach their greatest personal and organizational potential. As founder of a 23-year old, multimillion-dollar business that pivoted seven times in response to market shifts, Levin has personally overcome every business challenge her clients have faced, which uniquely qualifies her to lead leaders through change. She is also the author of Built to Scale: How Top Companies Create Breakthrough Growth Through Exceptional Advisory Boards.

The One Strategy to Make Every Meeting Successful

Marissa Levin

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Marissa Levin

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