The Edge for October/November 2023
Meetings can be the bane of office life. But when done right, they are effective ways to brainstorm ideas and get teams on the same page. We asked New Jersey executives to share their secrets to leading effective meetings. Read below to see what they said.
If one Person is Doing All the Talking, It’s Not a Meeting
It’s important to establish an agenda and, establish who needs to be in the meeting. Give out the agenda in advance. People should not walk into a meeting not knowing what it’s about. Everybody should have a chance to talk, if they have something to say. If one person is doing all the talking, it isn’t really a meeting. It’s an email.
– Jim Lombard, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Universal Mailing Service
Don’t Be Afraid of Self-Examination
A good meeting involves people listening, contributing constructive information and not being afraid of self-examination. Never stray from the critical question: What are we trying to accomplish?
– Holly Simon, Account Executive, a4 Advertising
Limit the Agenda to Three Topics
Running a good meeting is all about efficiency before, during, and afterwards. First, send out an agenda in advance to your meeting attendees. Limit the agenda to three core topics, and allow time to engage with your audience by asking and answering questions. Finally, review next steps before your meeting wraps up, and send out minutes with assigned follow-up to ensure everyone stays on track.
– Randy Stodard, Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Delta Dental of New Jersey
The Meeting Should Be Based on Facts, Not Opinions
The agenda cannot be more than 15 minutes. People must study the agenda and share insightful information so decisions can be based on facts, not opinions. If you want to share opinions, then let’s go to the bar after work.
– Miguel Dias, General Manager of U.S., Novarmis, Inc.
