Do you plan your meetings or fly by the seat of your pants?

I am sure there is not one of us that needs preaching about the necessity of planning. Its not that we always do it, but we generally seem to know it should be done.

Well there is one area I am almost zealous about planning and that is prior to meetings as it not only means that I don't forget stuff but it also gives me the ability to better control a meetings progress and to be able to gauge how a meeting is progressing towards its objectives and when to wrap it up. Often its that last one that people just don't know how to do, have you been in a meeting that just doesn't end... and just keeps going... then when you think its finished... and so on.

If you are going to host a meeting then spending 10minutes beforehand planning it and detailing it will make such a difference, no longer will you be boring your client to death because you are flying by the seat of your pants, nor will you look like an idiot if you forget something crucial to the meeting.

This meeting planner is what I use in every meeting with Spark Consulting and is inspired by Ambrose Blowfield from the The Marketing Company. I created my own version which is broken down into 5 areas. It may not be prefect for you because I designed it for me, then again it may just work. Either way if you don't use a meeting planner then you should seriously consider it, even try it out a couple of times you might be surprised at just how well it works.

The parts of my Meeting Planner

Details Details Details, have you ever got to a meeting and the client is late but you don't have his or her phone number? Additionally and right off the bat you need to have a clear objective about what you want to achieve from your meeting.

It's all about the Preparation. How many times have you seen someone in a meeting forget something crucial like their promotional gear or a report they were pulled an all nighter to write.

Next Steps - Who's going to do what and by when? Don't leave this to chance, decide it at the meeting, write it down so that those who are responsible see you writing it down. They suddenly become more accountable & yes I do it with clients and things I want them to do, then I email them with the meeting summary including the next steps that are required of them.

We all have an agenda. If you are going to have any hope of controlling the meeting then you must have an agenda. Be specific with what you are going to cover in the meeting.

Take Notes; but more importantly do something with them after the meeting.

Download and use the Meeting Planner for your meetings.pdf (280 KB)