Meetings are essential for any business. They give everyone an opportunity to share ideas and be kept up-to-date on important information. However, poor communication can turn a meeting into a drawn out, ineffective waste of time. Take a look at our three tips below to make sure your next meeting is a success!
- Plan Ahead: Often meetings get derailed by people going off on tangents or spending too much time on one topic while others are ignored all together. Before the meeting takes place, send out an e-mail of the agenda, including the goals of the meeting and how much time you would like to dedicate to each. If everyone is aware in advance of the goals of the meeting and how much time is available to address each of them, it will be much easier to keep your schedule on track.
- Speak Up: One of the biggest issues in a group setting is miscommunication. If you don’t fully understand someone’s point or miss part of what they’ve said, speak up. Even if it doesn’t seem critical at the time, misunderstandings can be a big waste of time and energy in the long run, and odds are if you’re confused, so is someone else. Asking questions and requesting clarification can go a long way towards avoiding long-term misunderstandings.
- Remember the Two “C”s: When speaking in a business meeting, don’t forget to be clear and concise. Remember that the main point of a meeting is communicating information, not trying to impress your colleagues with your oratory skills or large vocabulary. Before you speak, think about what you are going to say and make sure you’re making your point in the shortest, most direct way possible.
Check in with us again next week, when we’ll give you three more great communication tips for running the best meetings possible.
What are some of your pet peeves about meetings? Do you have any tips for running an effective meeting? Share your story below in the comments section!
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