3 Things Your Meeting Invite Gets to Have.
Ever receive a meeting invitation with just a subject line and nothing in the body? Did it make you wonder if you really knew what the meeting was about or if you were even necessary to be a part of it? Perhaps you’re one of those people who send meeting invites with nothing in the body… Imagine what would be possible with more intentional and efficient meetings by setting the tone before those chairs get filled.
I learned a hugely impactful way to set my meetings up by not only including an Agenda, but also a Goal along with Preparation notes. This methodology was sourced from Coach.me Leadership Training which introduced me to the GAP to make bad meetings great:
Goal
What’s the reason everyone is getting together and what is your desired outcome or result?
Agenda
Some meeting invites have this, and I would encourage you to take it a step further by including designated leads for each item along with an estimated time period per topic. Set your team up so that they know what part(s) they will be taking responsibility for, while also making it clear how much time they have. I’m sure you’ve been to meetings that have run over, keep things on track.
Preparation
What should each person do before joining? Is there a handout that gets to be read? Some ideas you’d like shared? Tell people ahead of time to avoid any deer in the headlights looks or lost time by handing something out for people to read through while at the table.
Below is a typical way I will setup internal an brainstorm:
Title: [Client] RFP Brainstorm
Due Date: June 1st
Budget: $1MM
Goal: Assemble skeleton plan and assign action items for next steps
Agenda
-Review objectives and historical learnings (3 mins)
-Review RFP at high level (2 mins)
-Brainstorm innovative solutions (15 mins)
-Next steps, action items and deadlines (3 mins)
Preparation:: Read RFP, brush up on client landing page with initiative, review best practices on Virtual Reality and research any relevant offerings
+Attach RFP Doc (instead of emailing separately, have everything in one place)
Does it take a few extra minutes to create the above? Yes, but it is totally worth it. Using the above format has allowed me to recognize sometimes when additional time may be needed or to reflect on what else I may provide my attendees to set them up to win when we’re at the table (not to mention keeping things moving as efficiently as possible). Get a meeting invite without even an Agenda? Make a request for one. This is one of those opportunities for you to be the change within your organization/team that you would like to see.
Last Updated/Enhanced: April 23, 2017
