Meetings are an essential part of any workplace, but they can often feel like a drain on time and energy. As the chair of a meeting, you have the unique opportunity to lead focused, productive sessions that leave your team feeling positive and energised. Here’s how you can use the right skills to create meetings that foster both productivity and wellbeing.
- Preparation is Essential
Before the meeting even begins, preparation is crucial. Ensure you’re equipped with the right tools to streamline the process and minimise stress. A well-defined agenda is one of the most powerful tools in your kit. With a clear agenda, the meeting is more likely to stay on track, ensuring you address all key points efficiently. - Keeping the Meeting on Track
During the meeting, managing things effectively is key to its success. Start by considering the size of the group—keeping it small helps ensure everyone has a chance to contribute. It’s also important to think about the neurodiversity of your team. People with different thinking styles and communication preferences should feel included and comfortable contributing.
When the meeting is underway, maintain balance by sticking to the agenda but be flexible enough to allow for necessary deviations. Time management is essential—wrap up the meeting on time, or even earlier if possible. Make sure everyone is clear on when the meeting is finished and what the next steps are. - Encouraging Engagement
One of the most important roles of a meeting chair is to ensure active participation from all attendees. Encourage everyone to contribute by fostering an inclusive environment. After all, each participant should walk away knowing their specific role and the actions they need to take to keep the project moving forward.
By encouraging individual contributions and fostering open dialogue, you’ll create meetings that are not only productive but also supportive of your team’s wellbeing.
Being an effective meeting chair is about preparation, managing the meeting itself, and encouraging active participation. When done right, your meetings will leave everyone feeling productive, balanced, and ready to tackle the tasks ahead.
Want to run better meetings? If you’re ready to take your meeting skills to the next level, the Fixing Meetings Workshop will equip you with the tools and strategies you need to run meetings that are engaging, efficient, and stress-free.
Discover the key highlights of the workshop by watching our Ninja Skill booster video below.
