Roundtable meetings might not require as much preparation, since each member leads a different portion of the meeting. [2] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source For instance, start a meeting by saying: “Welcome! I’d like to thank everyone for coming out to our quarterly budget meeting. Before we begin, I’d like you all to take a look at the agenda with me. ” You could also encourage attendees to share their successes and wins since the previous meeting. We all have a tendency to focus on what’s not going well—by reframing our thought process to think about the positives, it encourages us to gain awareness around and acknowledge our successes. [3] X Expert Source Amber Rosenberg, PCCPacific Life Coach Expert Interview. 8 March 2022.
In a business setting, you can state say something like: “The purpose of this meeting is to figure out a way to trim this quarter’s budget. ” For more casual settings, you might stay, “Let’s share our thoughts and experiences on this issue. ”
Clearly state if a certain part of the agenda only applies to one person. To avoid any confusion in the meeting, establish who is in charge of which task. For example, say, “John will be handling all of the budget paperwork. Talk to him if you have any questions. ”[6] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
Be sure to end the meeting on time as well. [8] X Research source
For example, a support meeting may have a confidentiality reminder for the members. [10] X Research source A business meeting may have a rule about attendees being thorough and specific when speaking. [11] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source Establish these rules at the beginning of the meeting. It will be much more difficult to enforce any rules if you are bringing them up at random times. [12] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source For instance, in a business meeting, you could say: “If you have any issues with this quarter’s budget, please wait until the end of the meeting to speak with me privately. ”
For example, you could say this at a formal meeting: “Before we begin, I’d like to go around the room so that each person can say their name and position within the company. ” At a casual meeting, you could say: “Let’s go around the circle and introduce ourselves. You can also share one positive and one negative thing that happened to you this week. ”
Shut down any toxic behavior from attendees. While open communication is important, passive-aggressive conversations tend to make a meeting tense and uncomfortable. If you feel that passive-aggressive commentary could be a serious issue for your attendees, make a comment on toxic behavior at the beginning of the meeting. [16] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
For instance, in a formal meeting, instead of saying, “We are having difficulties distributing papers due to a mechanical issue,” say, “We can’t make any copies because the printer broke. ” In a casual meeting, say, “Let us all share something good that happened this week” to make it clear that you’re addressing the whole group.
For example, say “We reached our goal,” instead of saying, “The goal has been reached. ”
In any type of meeting, terms like “close proximity” and “particular interest” can be shortened to “proximity” and “interest” when you speak. For instance, say, “This project must be completed by noon” instead of saying, “This project must be completed by 12 noon. ”
