DesignOps

How to Run Effective Meetings

Our days are filled with meetings and many of us ask ourselves, are they needed? Do I need to attend this meeting? Could this be covered over Slack? Meetings should be used for more than just information sharing and in this article we outline the steps we take before, during and after the meeting to ensure it was a good use of everyone's time. 

Before the meeting:

• Ask yourself: Is this meeting actually needed? What is the personal benefit for all the attendees?

• Is this a “meeting” where only one person is speaking? If so, why not send a video presentation and avoid the meeting?

• Is this a status update? Let’s skip the meeting and send an update.

Scheduling the meeting

• Send out a detailed agenda so everyone can come prepared.

• Does this meeting need to be an hour? Does everyone have an hour? Looking at your detailed agenda, can you cut time? Ideally you will default to scheduling 30 minute meetings. 

Meeting invite recommendations

• Short and clear subject line. 

• Provide an introduction for what this is being referenced and why it is important.

• List any required preparation. 

• Identify how to join the meeting. 

• Manage your attendees and mark some as optional, if needed.

• Start the meeting notes and populate it with any pre known information and encourage others to add to it.

• End the meeting with a clear summary of decisions made and assign each action item to someone in attendance. 

The meeting

• Start the meeting on time to be respectful of those who showed up on time.

• Take detailed notes and ask others to take notes as well. 

• Speak clearly, slowly and loud enough to be heard in the room and over VC.

After the meeting

• Send your detailed notes with action items to the group. 

• Make sure that each action item has one clear owner with a due date.

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