18. "How Do I Run A Meeting?"

Meetings are an important part of our careers, they promote efficient projects and communication skills. But we have all sat in meetings that are unproductive and a waste of time. Here are my tips for how to run a productive and efficient meeting.

My Experience of How To Run A Meeting:

I learnt the value of how to run a meeting during my PhD. Learning how to run a meeting was not only an effective tool for managing up, but it changed my PhD experience.

At the beginning of my PhD, my supervisor and I were out of sync in our meetings. The meetings were helpful (as my PhD projects moved forward), but not productive, as I was not an engaged and active participant. One of the key features I was missing in my approach to these meetings was thinking of the meeting experience from my supervisor’s perspective.

She led a busy life, and my PhD was not her world. At the beginning, I assumed she would remember the history of each project, it's progress, and the aspect I was working on. So I would launch right in with the progress I made that week. For my supervisor to get on the same page, she would ask many questions. I was confused by these questions, as we had already covered her questions in this project, and it wasted time.

To regain this lost time, I noticed the questions my supervisor asked at the beginning of the meeting always related to the context, i.e. why we were taking this approach, and what we had decided previously. She could not remember the nuances of my project. I also noticed how she responded to the information I presented to her. Eventually, I started to plan out the meetings, including the content we would cover, the questions I needed help with, and what I needed from her. This allowed her to show up for meetings, respond to the information I presented, and we could make a decision together about how to move forward.

Now that I have attended many meetings, I realise they can be time wasters. In my opinion the best meetings are those with a clear agenda and purpose, where the chair is prepared to lead and prompt discussion and each participant is there for a reason. These are my strategies to ensure every meeting you run is productive.

The Lessons of How to Run a Meeting

• Do you need a meeting?

If you chair a meeting, you need to have a clear purpose for the meeting. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What do you want to achieve out of the meeting?

2. Do you require a meeting? Will a group email be sufficient?

Meetings can be unproductive, so if it is a quick question maybe just email all the relevant parties. A meeting should be saved for: when you need key players in your team to have a discussion and agree to an outcome/decision; if a decision relies on understanding key information, as there is no guarantee your colleagues will read the information you send through for a meeting; or it is a delicate subject which should never be handled via email.

• How do I prepare for a meeting?

When I prepare for a meeting, I visualise running the meeting. As I visualise running the meeting I write the agenda so all the topics flow. The first agenda items should be the most important topics and/or the ones that require the longest discussion. Then any quick items that are less important should be put right at the end of the meeting as it may not matter if you don't get to them, and you could put them in an email. Or quickly fire them off as you are leaving the meeting room.

• How long should I book for the meeting?

When preparing for your meeting it is best to write an agenda to ensure you cover all the required topics in the meeting and you don’t forget anything. This agenda will also allow you to estimate how long you should set the meeting for. It is up to you whether the agenda is for yourself, or if you will share it with all participants. If you do share it, send it out at least a day prior to the meeting so participants have a chance to read it and prepare anything that is required for the meeting.

If you do require a team member to prepare something for the meeting, give them as much notice as possible. Ideally, review the content before the meeting to ensure it is what you need and you are familiar with it to back up your team member.

• Provide purpose and context

Assume your audience does not know why you have called the meeting. In the meeting invite, you should describe the purpose of the meeting so each participant can decide if they need to attend it. Then, at the beginning of the meeting reinforce why you are all there and what you want to achieve from the meeting.

• Meeting materials

I choose pen and paper everyday, over a laptop. I don't trust laptops not to run into technical difficulties and potentially derail the meeting.

So when I prepare for a meeting, I print out a copy of all any materials I will present for each person attending, plus one extra. Then I write the key points all over my version so I don't miss anything vital in the meeting.

Make sure to collect all of these materials at the end of the meeting, as people rarely like to accumulate more paper to file in their office! : )

• Write up the minutes

Take notes during the meeting, especially of any key decisions or tasks specific team members will complete. I write these points on my copy of the agenda. Type these notes up and share them with all attendees. This summary serves as a great prompt to start the next meeting and decide how best to proceed with the project/task/decision.

Do you often chair meetings? What are your tricks to get the most out of the meeting? Let me know your experience by leaving a comment below or emailing me at AuthenticResearchExperiences@gmail.com

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Photo by Zoran Borojevic on Unsplash

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