HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter (HBR Guide Series) by Harvard Business Review

Author:Harvard Business Review [Harvard Business Review]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
Published: 2015-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

What do you need to be effective?

What are your most common complaints about these meetings? What could you ask for that would resolve each complaint? If you need something in order to be both present and productive in a meeting, find a diplomatic way to ask for it. Other people will probably be having the same experience and will welcome your initiative. Here are some suggestions for asking for what you need.

An agenda: “Most of the time, I think it’s fine to find out what’s on the agenda when we walk into the meeting. On a few topics, like the budget, however, I would appreciate knowing the agenda ahead of time so I can prepare in a way that lets me add value to the conversation.”

Proper setup for each topic: “Before we start this conversation, I’d like to know what input you’re looking for from us and where you want to be at the end of this discussion.”

Broader participation: “I realize we’re a bit pressed for time, but there are a couple of people I’d really like to hear from in this conversation. So I’d appreciate if we could stay with this topic a bit longer so Sarah, Ganesh, and Tori can give us their views.”

Clarity: “I might be the only person struggling with this conversation, but I need to get clear on where we are with this and what we’ve said so far.”

To stay on track: “It appears that we’re now talking about something different than what’s on the agenda. Do we want to stay with this new topic or go back to our intended discussion?”

Alignment: “It seems the group has settled on a direction. I’d like to ensure the decision works for everyone.”

Next steps: “This was a great conversation, and I want to be clear about what, if anything, I need to do as a result. Could we nail down what actions will be taken next and when we should have them completed?”

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