Meeting & Study Guide

  Be Prepared For Meetings How to Lead Productive Business Meeting

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  Close decisively Meetings 

Meetings: The Benefits and the Costs

Prepare Well

Most meetings benefit from having a scheduled adjournment time :  Projects - and - meetings - often expand or contract to fit the time available.  Having a schedule will encourage your participants to work quickly and productively.  You will need to begin closing your meeting at least five minutes before adjournment.  Use the following six step sequence to conclude :

1. Signal that the concluding time is near.

2. Review the Problem Briefly.

3. Summarize the Progress Made.

4. Emphasize Major Agreements.

5. Give Specific Instructions for Taking Action

6. Close with a Strong Positive Statement.

Start Fast

Stay On Track

Close Decisively

Visual Aids

Problem And Cause

Step  1.  Signal that the concluding time is near.

Examples :     " Well, we have just a few minutes left."  " It's nearly lunch time, so let's wrap up what we've accomplished here today."   " I know that some of you have planes, to catch, so let's summarize."   Or, when the meeting has not been tied to a schedule :  " I've done about as much thinking as I can for a while - and maybe some of you feel that way, too."  " We've been meeting for quite a while now - let's take a rest."   " A lot of good ideas have been offered - maybe now we should back off for a few days and think through each one to be sure we've not overlooked anything important."

Step  2.  Review the Problem Briefly.

Restate your statement of purpose and briefly review  the problem you faced at the beginning of the meeting.

Step  3.  Summarize the Progress Made.

Review  the most important issues discussed. If  you're using a visual aid such as a flipchart, you can quickly point out each item on the list.

Step  4.  Emphasize Major Agreements.

Give special attention to major points of agreement, and recognize those points not yet resolved.      Example :    " So we've agreed to hire two additional salespeople.  We'll search our own staff first.  If we don't find qualified people there, then we'll figure out how extensive a recruiting campaign we should run."    "Of the points listed here on the board,  we've agreed on numbers one, four, and five.

Step  5.  Give Specific Instructions for Taking Action.

Be sure there is no confusion concerning what follow-up activities are required.  Will you have a copy of the minutes sent to each member? By when? Will decisions made at the meeting be carried to higher authority? when? By whom? How will the group be informed of results?  What actions will be required by members of the group? Are these members expected to inform the group about results? How and when? Will a follow-up meeting be held? When? What preparation is required?

Step  6.   Close with a Strong Positive Statement.

Thank the group.   Acknowledge the efforts they've made to run a productive and orderly meeting.  Thank them for their cooperation, for creative proposals, and for providing information.  Finally, send everyone off with a strong positive statement.  You have run a well-organized, productive meeting.  Your participants will have new information or procedures to put into action, or they may have decisions that need to be implemented.  You will want to leave the group with a motivational boost.

Examples :     " Very good.  One month from now, we should have a new regional sales manager attending this meeting with us.  The planning we've done today is going to make that person's job-and our jobs-much, much easier."     " You'll see the results of the excellent information you've supplied me today in the new procedures that come out next week.  I'm sure you'll find operations run much more smoothly once they're in place."   

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