| Keep Your Next Meeting on Track. Running great meetings means limiting distractions—whether they're questions that are outside the scope of the conversation, overly negative, counterproductive comments, or unrelated tangents. Here's how to keep your meetings tighter and more focused. First, determine the primary objective. Is the group's goal to make a decision, brainstorm ideas, get people aligned, or something else? Next, reframe each agenda item as an inquiry for each team member to consider. For example, instead of listing "project X" as a topic, frame the agenda item as, "What are our deliverables for project X?" This allows team members to start thinking about potential solutions in advance. When sending out the invitation, be sure to only include people who have a direct role in achieving the meeting's stated objective; distractions are more likely to surface in crowded, noisy environments. Finally, at the top of the meeting, remind everyone of the group's objective and emphasize your intention to keep the conversation on track. That way, if a distraction does emerge, you can easily flag it and redirect the team's attention. | | | | Today’s Tip | | Keep Your Next Meeting on Track | | Running great meetings means limiting distractions—whether they're questions that are outside the scope of the conversation, overly negative, counterproductive comments, or unrelated tangents. Here's how to keep your meetings tighter and more focused. First, determine the primary objective. Is the group's goal to make a decision, brainstorm ideas, get people aligned, or something else? Next, reframe each agenda item as an inquiry for each team member to consider. For example, instead of listing "project X" as a topic, frame the agenda item as, "What are our deliverables for project X?" This allows team members to start thinking about potential solutions in advance. When sending out the invitation, be sure to only include people who have a direct role in achieving the meeting's stated objective; distractions are more likely to surface in crowded, noisy environments. Finally, at the top of the meeting, remind everyone of the group's objective and emphasize your intention to keep the conversation on track. That way, if a distraction does emerge, you can easily flag it and redirect the team's attention. | | This tip is adapted from “4 Distractions That Derail Meetings — and How to Handle Them,” by Luis Velasquez | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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