We all know that time’s a scarce resource, so it makes sense to make the most out of your meetings and turn them into a really productive part of your week.
Once your schedule’s up and running, you’ll probably find you like to meet up with people at different times in the week according to what you’re trying to achieve. Even 10 minutes can be a great opportunity to touch base with someone via Skype. However, if you’re planning to catch up with someone you haven’t seen for a while, 10 minutes won’t cut it.
The key to successful meetings is simple: just know what you’re planning to achieve. Spend some time upfront thinking about why you’re meeting (and let’s face it: an email might do just as well). An agenda usually helps. Set yourself two or three key areas for discussion and stick to it. Many a meeting has slipped out of control because one of the participants wants to give you chapter and verse about their recent holiday.
Once you’ve set your own personal parameters, then allocate a reasonable amount of time to discuss it. Don’t be checking your watch or your phone every two minutes (that’s just rude!), but it’s a good idea to sit where you can see a clock so you have an idea of how the meeting’s progressing. If you’ve allocated, say, 10 minutes to discuss a particular topic, and there doesn’t seem to be any conclusion, just move on. Rather like exams, you can always come back to the topic in hand if you have time later on.
There’s nothing wrong with meetings to fulfill the need to relate to other people. After all, people do business with people they like and trust, and how else are you expected to get to know people than by meeting them? Just make sure that the purpose of the meeting is clear – in your mind at least – and you’ll find that business meetings blossom!
Pängels can help you keep on track with your meetings, whether you need help setting them up or keeping to task.
Contact us on info@pangels.co.uk or call 0844 5007 818.