How to Run a Meeting that Doesn’t Suck
A Free Workshop
I bet you’ve been there
Ever been in a bad meeting? One that lacks a clear purpose? One that goes off the rails? One that won’t end?
Most meetings are scheduled with the right intentions, but without some forethought, they can go sideways quickly.
Join this free workshop to learn my simple 3-part playbook to running meetings your team will actually be glad they showed up for.
We all know meetings are a necessary part of doing business.
They might be convened for a narrow and specific topic, or they might be set on a recurring basis for an ongoing body of work. Either way, people come together with the hope of gaining a clearer idea of what the future looks like.
If you’re lucky, it’s clear up front who is in charge of the meeting and an agenda was shared ahead of time. Even then, the challenges can start seeping in. The first of 5 topics takes up half the allotted time. The conversation reminds somebody of a related side topic, and they go down a rabbit hole. Precious time is lost while somebody searches for a relevant document to share. The tech doesn’t work.
You can’t predict or prevent every possible issue with your meeting, but by following my simple framework for what to do before, during, and after a meeting, you’ll minimize their likelihood and impact. And before you know it, people will be leaving your meetings saying, “Wow, this was a great discussion. Thank you for your leadership.”
About Ross
I’m Ross Widenor, an independent consultant who works with organizations to help them deliver outcomes with confidence, focusing on innovation and operational excellence.
For years, I’ve run just about every type of meeting under the sun, including:
Project team meetings
Club and society meetings
Brainstorming sessions
Corporate executive team meetings
Large program roll-outs
Inter-organization collaboration meetings
Public board and city council meetings
In person, virtual, and hybrid meetings
Each type and format of meeting has its own nuances, but sticking to a few key principles of what to do before, during, and after gathering your people will leave them feeling glad they showed up.