New Managers: How to Run Your First (Productive) Meeting
I know, I know. You’ve had it up to here with meetings, especially boring ones that clog your calendar from start to finish each day. For new managers, especially, knowing how to run a more productive meeting is a fundamental skill, plus it might just be the key to getting a big chunk of your day (and life!) back.
Are you ready to learn how to run a successful and productive meeting? Here we go.
First off, let's talk about the "Before" stage - that is, all the things you can do before a meeting starts to help insure it runs more productively. The very first (and simple) thing a new manager can learn about meetings is to discern whether should even have one at all. The key is to ask, ”Does this need to be a meeting?” We’ve gotten into the bad habit of making meetings our solution for everything, and that’s just not so. If you can communicate a short message in an email or record a video message to key stakeholders, do so. Every meeting that doesn’t take up calendar space allows for an hour of productive work.
Once you’ve determined that, yes, this absolutely needs to be a meeting, set clear objectives and think through what you want to accomplish. This can be as simple as clarifying, “The purpose of this meeting is…” Then making sure you have a good solid answer before putting it on the calendar. Give the invitees some heads up in advance about the meeting topic. Nobody likes to show up to a meeting and be blindsided by what's expected of them. Oh, and for goodness' sake, create an agenda - even if it’s 3 scribbled bullet points at the last minute - this will help you keep things focused and on track. One of the biggest challenges new managers may face in meetings is not feeling comfortable interrupting when someone has taken the topic off track. An agenda or purpose, combined with proper manager training, makes this redirect easier to do.
Next, consider who needs to be invited to the meeting. Don't just invite people for the sake of inviting people. It seems we’ve made adding people to meetings as flippant as adding people in the cc line on emails. Make sure they are relevant to the topic and can contribute something valuable. If you are new to the company or aren’t sure who needs to be invited, ask your boss or a coworker for direction. And if there are people you haven’t met yet, take the time to introduce yourself and any others who may be new. Nobody wants to feel like the odd one out.
Alright, now it's showtime. Let's dive into the "During" bucket. These are things you can do while a meeting is happening to help it make the best use of everyone’s time. First, encourage everyone to participate, listen and ask questions. You can role model each one of these by having a question or two at the ready or having ready a phrase to draw someone into the conversation. Here are a few examples:
“Tell me more about that idea.”
“Natalie, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this new project. What are you thinking?”
“John, can I ask you to explain more about ___________________?”
No one person has all the answers, and every voice matters. But if things start to go off the rails, don't be afraid to refocus the group. You can say something like, “The purpose of this meeting is ____________, can we get back on track and address that separately?”
Last but not least, the "After" bucket. These are things a new manager can do once a meeting is finished to help close the loop on action items and what needs to be accomplished post-meeting. Follow up on any to-dos that came out of the meeting. Did someone say they’d do something? Did the group agree to come back together at a later date? So much can get lost in the shuffle when a meeting adjourns and making sure folks are accountable to their deliverables is such a huge part. And hey, if things didn't go as planned, take a minute to reflect on what could have been done differently. Every meeting is a learning opportunity for the person who scheduled it, as well as for anyone who attended. Try to come up with a few takeaways that you can use to improve any of your future meetings.
So there you have it, my friend. The key for any new manager to help them run a successful and productive meeting is all about preparation, participation, and follow-through. Now, go forth and conquer those meetings like the boss you are!
About The Author
For the past two decades, Cecilia Gorman has helped advertising agencies and other creatively-minded companies fix costly communication and productivity issues by teaching managers how to become better connectors, motivators, and leaders. Cecilia is the author of Always Believe In Better, creator of the digital learning course for managers—Manager Boot Camp, and co-founder of the global training and support community for working women—Empowership.
Interested in growing your skills as a manager? Check out how Manager Boot Camp might help.