Key Takeaway: Save the Meeting Checklist to quickly set yourself up for meeting success.
Last week, we started replacing the broken meetings we usually see at offices these days with a meeting system that:
✅ Saves you time + money,
✅ Increases your productivity, and
✅ Boosts team morale.
If you missed last week or need a refreshing on Eliminating Unnecessary Meetings, click the button below
This week, we’re helping you Plan Profitable Meetings so you and your teams can accomplish the right things efficiently and effectively.
Once you’ve determined that a meeting is necessary, here are some key points to consider to prepare for a successful one.
What is the Meeting’s Purpose?
Having a specific focus for the meeting is crucial to making progress on what matters.
Those who will take part in the meeting (see the next section) should know in advance as much as possible about the agenda. That way, if modifications need to be made, they can be reflected in the agenda before the meeting takes place.
Who Needs to Be at the Meeting?
Making sure the people who do NOT need to be there aren’t is as crucial as making sure those who DO need to be there are.
Based on the purpose of the meeting, who are key stakeholders? Whose contributions are essential for the project’s success?
If there are others who just need to know the outcome and details later, great! The meeting isn’t necessarily for them, and they can be roped in as needed later.
A meeting saved is money earned!
How Long Should the Meeting Take?
Be careful when considering the length of the meeting. Oftentimes, people fall into the trap of allotting too much time.
Remember, Parkinson’s Law states that our work expands to fit the time allotted. Meaning that when we give ourselves more time to complete a task, we often take it – even when it’s unnecessary.
By intentionally narrowing the meeting time, we push ourselves and our teams to focus and think creatively to solve the problem. Often, it’s in these “crunch times” that solutions we may not have normally thought of are realized.
What Are the Action Items, and When Are the Deadlines?
It’s important the group walk away from the meeting with clarity on what to do next. What action items are required to make progress on the goal?
Be specific and clear about the tasks and when they are due. Deadlines add the sense of urgency needed to motivate individuals and teams to take action.
Who Is Responsible for Those Action Items?
No one wants important issues to fall through the cracks. Assigning a person to be responsible for overseeing the task ensures progress on those important actions and instills a mode of accountability.
A simple but thoughtful prep before the meeting goes a long way to a meeting that makes you money!
Use the Profitable Meeting Planner Checklist to plan your next meeting and see how a little preparation can really set you up for meeting success.
Keep Scaling!
Steve and Adam
(The father/son duo behind the Scale to Sell podcast)