Four simple ways to make your meetings more effective

In most special districts, there’s a lot of work to be done. And sometimes it can feel like meetings are a waste of valuable time. But when done correctly, meetings can make your team more cooperative and productive. Use these simple techniques to get your meetings back on track.

Create an agenda in advance. Too many meetings get sidetracked because there’s no clear purpose or goal. Ideally, the agenda will be sent out ahead of time so all meeting participants can come prepared. Having a set agenda also allows you to keep the meeting to a specific length (the shorter, the better, and never more than an hour). Knowing that there’s a limited amount of time will keep everyone focused.

Invite the right people. Who goes to the meeting is just as important as what goes on during the meeting. If someone vital to the project isn’t available, it will be hard to get any concrete decisions made. On the other hand, if employees who aren’t involved attend, it’s a waste of valuable time. Carefully consider the people you invite to your meetings to keep everything streamlined.

Encourage everyone to speak up. Once you know you’ve got the right people in the room, it’s important that everyone contributes to the discussion. Ideas flow better when everyone participates. And if one person is monopolizing the conversation, others might tune out (or even nod off!). Get the conversation going by allowing everyone to speak up.

Finish with a follow up. The most important part of a meeting happens after the actual meeting has wrapped up. Make sure to follow up on any action items discussed and all tasks that were assigned. It might help to send out the notes of the meeting (but make sure someone is assigned to record the notes during the meeting).

Now that you know the secrets to effective meetings, use them as a tool to advance your district’s mission. If you’re looking for more tools to make your special district a success, make sure to join the Utah Association of Special Districts. We’ve got the resources you need!