A Meeting Checklist Might Fail | How to Make Sure Yours Doesn’t
People often seem to think it’s a great idea to put together a meeting checklist beforehand so that they’re well and truly prepared for whatever the meeting throws their way. A lot of the time, creating a checklist can be a fantastic way to clearly see what it is you’re trying to accomplish, while also being able to feel productive through every single step moment of your meeting.
However, more often than not, a lot of meeting checklists fail and they don’t end up being all that effective. People sometimes end up leaving meetings feeling like they’ve just wasted an hour of their time; hopeless, and unfulfilled. So, without further ado, here are some of the reasons why most meetings and meeting checklists fail, and what the easiest way to go about fixing it actually might be.
Meeting Checklists: What You Need to Avoid
1) Not Organised Far Enough in Advance
A single, once-in-a-blue-moon last-minute meeting is one thing, but a repeated last-minute meeting is another thing entirely. Not looking far enough ahead to organise your meeting, your meeting checklist and your agenda is a rookie error, to say the least.
Your guests are very busy people with very busy schedules, and you can’t expect them to drop all of their carefully made plans to attend your meeting at the drop of a hat. It also comes across as rude and disorganised, as it makes your guests feel like a bit of an afterthought!
Easy Fix:
At the end of your meeting, make sure to clear a space of maybe about 5 minutes so you can discuss setting up the next one. These 5 minutes are guaranteed to save you a lifetime of hassle in the long run, and by using organisational online project management tools such as Monday and Asana, you can easily schedule your meetings in advance and do so with great consideration for other people’s plans.
2) Wrong People for the Wrong Tasks
Inviting the wrong people to your meeting could be your meeting’s biggest downfall, and could really mess with your agenda. Even worse, inviting people you don’t need and wasting their time could result in client hours overrunning, a general bad feeling throughout the office and lots of people tutting at you, whispering “this could’ve been an email” while walking out of the door. Establishing exactly who you need in a meeting with a meeting checklist is so important, so no one feels like they’re a spare part, and you get exactly what you need out of the situation.
Easy Fix:
Taking a little bit of time before organising the meeting to figure out who it is you’ll be needing to invite is essential. One of the most important parts of a meeting is the planning, and by using some free tools like Trello and Nimble that often integrate the various details of your contacts with your plans and employee’s overall schedule, you can eliminate the risk of inviting participants you don’t need. Or, even worse; not inviting the participants you do.
3) An Unsuccessful Minute Taker
We understand that different people in a meeting checklist situation find different things important, and thus will make notes about very different things. However, if your designated minute-taker isn’t particularly skilled at jotting down the essential agenda talking points, you might start running into some issues. Maybe the conversation is moving too quickly, or just your minute taker has very little interest in the meeting at hand. Either way, not having legible notes to look back on as your meeting concludes could land you in some potentially very hot water later.
Easy Fix:
You can use an online tool such as OneNote from Microsoft, or the very free GoogleDocs to take efficient notes that can be shared afterwards with all meeting attendees. By making your notes more digital, you can really give yourself the opportunity to bring your fellow coworkers closer together and be able to action your meeting points a lot more effectively. Alternatively, the Noted app takes note-taking to the next level, by integrating your notes with audio. Simply press record and this clever app will transform your speech into text, ready to come back to later when you’re reorganising your agenda.
4) Unavailable Meeting Space
Although online meetings using the free apps Microsoft Teams and Zoom have become all the rage in recent months, sometimes you just can’t beat being in an in-person meeting, one that’s face-to-face. Lots of participants use local coffee shops or smaller external spaces to host their meetings, as they provide a good atmosphere that’s conducive to reaching solutions and more often than not, you’re likely to get a spot. However, when it comes to hiring a professional conference space and ticking off your meeting checklist, you have to be quick to gain access.
Easy Fix:
Book in advance! We know it sounds simple, and that’s because it is! Especially if you’re hosting a meeting with a largely expected turnout, it’s essential to book a meeting room ready for your conference. At Kents Hill Park, we provide our guests with the VIP meeting experience; from team-building training to religious conferences, we know how to host. Our facilities and rooms have varying capacities so no matter how many people you’re expecting, there’s always enough room.
5) Lack of Overall Follow Through
Once a meeting is over, you don’t just forget about it and move on. You don’t just shake hands, pat each person on the back and say “well done” as you exit. Far from it, in fact. Establishing the next steps are essential for a successful meeting, and making sure that steps are being taken to accomplish those goals before the next meeting is put in place is definitely a great place to start.
Easy Fix:
Use an informational tool like Connecteam to assign tasks to all team members/meeting attendees so they know what to do before the next meeting comes up. On this app, you don’t even need a computer or a desk; simply download it onto your phone and you can communicate with your team on the go. This is a fantastic follow-up tool that will help you to highlight the importance of accountability and productivity, and makes sure that your meeting and agenda had a purpose after all!
Meeting Checklist Conclusion
Although a lot of meeting checklists tend to fail and don’t turn out to be very effective, when planned out correctly and with lots of time to spare, you can give your meeting an even bigger opportunity to succeed. People occasionally leave meetings feeling a little gloomy and dissatisfied, but with our quick and easy fixes, you’ll be hosting effective and productive meetings in no time at all. Here’s a reminder of the top mistakes people make when creating a meeting checklist:
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Not Organised Far Enough in Advance
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Wrong People for the Wrong Tasks
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An Unsuccessful Minute Taker
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Unavailable Meeting Space
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Lack of Overall Follow Through
Look no further than Kents Hill Park if you’re seeking the ideal location for your meeting! Kents Hill Park, in the centre of Milton Keynes, is an excellent location for a wide range of corporate events. We have the capacity for up to 600 people to use our facilities, including our conference rooms, our team building spaces and our virtual events. To ensure that your meeting goes off without a hitch, contact us at Kents Hill Park as soon as possible to book your spot.
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