"The productivity of a meeting is not determined by the number of decisions but by the quality of preparation," as pronounced by Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America. No one likes unnecessary meetings, especially the busy executives of Fortune 500 companies. Yet, with the right practices and strategies, meetings can be efficiently facilitated and managed to bring out the best possible outcomes.
Recognizing the Importance of Preparation
Meetings cannot be merely "improvised"—they require Strategic Planning and preparation. The details of the meeting such as the objectives, participants, and the meeting flow should be clearly stated and outlined ahead of time. Measurement of the anticipated benefits and costs of the meeting may prove advantageous in highlighting its significance and necessity.
Agenda Development and Meeting Structure
One of the key principles of facilitating successful meetings is setting an agenda. A structured agenda helps avoid the "meeting creep", a common phenomenon where the discussion devolves into endless tangents. Begin with the most significant items on your agenda, so high-priority conversations aren't rushed or overlooked. Including timings or an expected duration can help keep the focus sharp and maintain Operational Excellence.
Encouraging Active Participation
Facilitating involves more than just managing the meeting. The facilitator must encourage participation from all attendees. This can range from asking open-ended questions to setting up ground rules that encourage constructive argument. It is also important to manage dominating personalities, who might overshadow others' contributions.
Accountability and Follow-ups
Without a definitive conclusion, a meeting can end up being a waste of everyone's time. It is crucial to assign tasks based on discussions during the meeting and ensure everyone’s roles are clear. Arguably the most critical post-meeting activity is consistent follow-up—this ensures accountability and tracks progress towards the discussed outcomes, contributing positively to Performance Management.
Embrace and Leverage Technology
Embracing the right digital tools can dramatically enhance the meeting experience. From collaboration tools like Trello and Asana that help with task allocation and follow-up to interactive tools that foster engagement and interaction, the digital aspect of meeting facilitation cannot be overlooked in the era of Digital Transformation.
The Role of Risk Management
Meeting facilitation is not immune to risks—conflicting interests, poor preparation, or lack of active participation can undermine the effectiveness of meetings. Therefore, a necessary part of meeting management is identifying these risks and putting mechanisms in place to address potential meeting threats—an essential part of Risk Management. By doing so, leaders can maximize the potential for their meetings to succeed.
Outline clear objectives and expected outcomes.
Develop a structured and timed agenda.
Create an environment that encourages active participation.
Assign tasks and roles to ensure accountability.
Leverage technology tools to augment meeting efficiency and effectiveness.
Identify potential risks and establish processes to mitigate them.
These practices transform meetings from time-consuming tasks into productive activities that drive output, influence change, and foster unity within the team. While effective meeting management is just one piece of the larger puzzle, it is crucial for business leaders to align their team’s talents and time towards organizational objectives. By doing so, they make a significant step toward efficiently driving progress and unlocking business potential.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
"If you are looking for great resources to save time with your business presentations, Flevy is truly a value-added resource. Flevy has done all the work for you and we will continue to utilize Flevy as a source to extract up-to-date information and data for our virtual and onsite presentations!"
– Debbi Saffo, President at The NiKhar Group
"As a small business owner, the resource material available from FlevyPro has proven to be invaluable. The ability to search for material on demand based our project events and client requirements was great for me and proved very beneficial to my clients. Importantly, being able to easily edit and tailor the material for specific purposes helped us to make presentations, knowledge sharing, and toolkit development, which formed part of the overall program collateral. While FlevyPro contains resource material that any consultancy, project or delivery firm must have, it is an essential part of a small firm or independent consultant's toolbox."
– Michael Duff, Managing Director at Change Strategy (UK)
"FlevyPro provides business frameworks from many of the global giants in management consulting that allow you to provide best in class solutions for your clients."
– David Harris, Managing Director at Futures Strategy
"I have used FlevyPro for several business applications. It is a great complement to working with expensive consultants. The quality and effectiveness of the tools are of the highest standards."
– Moritz Bernhoerster, Global Sourcing Director at Fortune 500
"As a consulting firm, we had been creating subject matter training materials for our people and found the excellent materials on Flevy, which saved us 100's of hours of re-creating what already exists on the Flevy materials we purchased."
– Michael Evans, Managing Director at Newport LLC
"FlevyPro has been a brilliant resource for me, as an independent growth consultant, to access a vast knowledge bank of presentations to support my work with clients. In terms of RoI, the value I received from the very first presentation I downloaded paid for my subscription many times over! The quality of the decks available allows me to punch way above my weight – it's like having the resources of a Big 4 consultancy at your fingertips at a microscopic fraction of the overhead."
– Roderick Cameron, Founding Partner at SGFE Ltd
"I have found Flevy to be an amazing resource and library of useful presentations for lean sigma, change management and so many other topics. This has reduced the time I need to spend on preparing for my performance consultation. The library is easily accessible and updates are regularly provided. A wealth of great information."
– Cynthia Howard RN, PhD, Executive Coach at Ei Leadership
"As an Independent Management Consultant, I find Flevy to add great value as a source of best practices, templates and information on new trends. Flevy has matured and the quality and quantity of the library is excellent. Lastly the price charged is reasonable, creating a win-win value for the customer, Flevy and the various authors. This is truly a service that benefits the consulting industry and associated clients. Thanks for providing this service. "
– Jim Schoen, Principal at FRC Group
SELECT CUSTOMERS
Since 2012, we have provided best practices to over 10,000 businesses and organizations of all sizes across the world—in over 130 countries.
Below is just a very small sample of our customer base.
Did you know?
The average daily rate of a McKinsey consultant is $6,625 (not including expenses). The average price of a Flevy document is $65.
Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.
Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.