How to Improve Your Business Meetings

If business meetings aren’t your favorite thing, then the chances are good that you simply haven’t mastered them yet. Here are some tips to turn business meetings from a waste of time or awkward into more pleasant experiences that help achieve good results for your organization.

Keep It Short

People dread walking into a conference room when they know they’re going to be there for hours. Create a reputation as the person who keeps talking to the point, sticks to the agenda, and doesn’t allow a discussion to develop into an endless argument.

Always Look the Part

Be what your employees expect you to be. When meeting an important client or staff members for a meeting, make sure your outfit exudes success and self-confidence. Pay attention to color coordination, matching your belt with your shoes.

For women, stick with a formal dress or pants suit. Don’t overdo the makeup and keep jewelry to a minimum. For a less formal meeting, a nice shirt will do. You don’t want to appear overdressed. 

Have Fresh Breath

It sounds like a no-brainer, but where you’re in a rush you might be tempted to grab a few bites just before going into a meeting. Nobody wants to smell your lunch on your breath, though.

Brush your teeth right after lunch and pop in a couple of mints before a business conference. If you smoke, then check out how to get rid of cigar breath blog content from Cigar Cutter Expert.

Keep It Small

Just because you’re the boss, that doesn’t mean you have to drag all your senior employees into every meeting. Instead, operate on a needs-to-be-there basis. 

If the head of a department is not impacted by the topics on the agenda, then let them be. If there’s something they ought to know, send them a quick email afterward. On the other hand, meetings are great opportunities to introduce new members to the team and have them get a feel for how things go in your organization. 

Go for Informal Locations

When at all possible, hold a meeting in a different location, just for variety’s sake. If it’s a brainstorming session with only a couple of employees, go to a nice cafe or take them for a walk. They will thank you for the chance of escaping a stuffy boardroom.

Make Sure Everyone is Heard

Sitting for two hours in a meeting can be uncomfortable, but not being able to squeeze in a few words will leave an employee seething with anger. Make a point of asking everyone’s opinion and listen to them. 

At the same time, don’t hesitate to stop them when they veer off course. This will send a powerful signal to the other attendees that they need to stick to the point for an efficient meeting.

Wrap Up With a Clear Message

A meeting that ends with no plan for action is extremely frustrating. Sum it up by drawing attention to the main points, tell everyone what you expect of them, and set clear dates for each task. If there’s a decision you cannot make on the spot, let everyone know they’ll hear from you shortly. 

Conclusion

Chairing a good meeting will increase your employees and your partners’ trust in you being an efficient businessperson and good leader. Apply the steps above to improve your next professional gathering.