“Yay, another meeting!” said, nobody ever. It seems like in offices around the world people are constantly being kidnapped and being forced to sit in yet another meeting. “Why is this even in the calendar?”
Why meetings are important
A healthy and productive meeting accomplishes many different things in an office. First of all, they are a great way to synchronize tasks and activities, outside the usual spreadsheets and software platforms. Another benefit is that if everyone is giving updates it keeps people involved and honest about their status. There’s no room for misinterpretation if someone says their project or task is on time. But probably most importantly, it boosts morale, which in turn increases productivity.
How do meetings boost morale?
When employees are engaged, challenged, and connected to work, they feel better about themselves and about their contributions. Who wants to spend all day toiling over a piece of code, or responding to users, without knowing if their work has any impact on the business results? When employees understand their connection and contribution to the results of the company they are inspired to maintain a high standard of productivity.
How leaders shine during meetings?
A large part of running a meeting is making it a constructive and positive experience for everyone involved. It starts with the most basic aspects of any meeting, such as starting on time or having an agenda but it goes much deeper in terms of displaying leadership.
Five ways to display leadership skills during a meeting.
- Be positive. Meetings are much more productive and fun if there is an air of positivity to them. If everyone descends into negativity and cynicism it can completely demoralize the troops.
- Be firm. Whether or not it means sticking to timelines, agenda, or not letting one person monopolize the meeting, stick to your principles. Employees like to follow people they know they can trust.
- Be data oriented. Vague discussions about problems and or solutions can turn into a situation where people are arguing about something which can actually be checked. Basing conversations around data and analytics will keep things professional. So before you schedule that meeting in the calendar, be sure to have all the data you need ready.
- Be calm. Some meetings can turn into heated discussions about the issues at hand. It’s at times like these where employees and colleagues will look to someone to keep their wits about them. Make sure you are that person. It reflects well upon your leadership and management ability.
- Be honest. If things are going good or bad, it is up to leaders to make sure people understand where things stand. Employees will see right through any cheerleader type speeches proclaiming how the company is conquering the world, when the reality is customers are leaving in droves.
If you are already in a position of leadership or are an aspiring manager, a meeting is an excellent platform to let your leadership skills shine through. A consistent display of leadership is a surefire way to grab that next promotion. So go ahead, schedule that meeting with confidence, knowing you’ll shine!
