Three Brilliant Ways To Make The Most Out Of Every Meeting

Do you ever walk out of a meeting contemplating what was ever accomplished, or wondering why you just wasted an hour of your life? It's happened to the best of us. You want to leave meetings feeling inspired, productive and ready to tackle any issue, not feel drained or depleted. Over the years I have developed a little method to ensure this doesn't happen and to guarantee that no time is wasted.

There is a way to strategically manage how you occupy your meeting time, so today I'm sharing my three brilliant ways to make the most out of every meeting. 

1. Do a background check.
Who are you meeting with? What's their story? I always like to go into a meeting having done a little Sherlock Holmes investigating beforehand. I do a little digging on LinkedIn and am always researching the company if it's a different one than my own. I take note of their role, and where they have worked in the past. I also like to do a brief google search of the person/company to check out when they were last in the news headlines. Did they just launch a new initiative, or have a merge with another company? It's good to see what they have been up to lately. Something else I do? An Instagram search of the company. I love seeing a company's social profile and how they interact with their community.


2. Make eye contact and take notes.
Don't zone out in the meeting. Jotting down some point form notes ensures that you will stay focused and that your company has your full attention. If you don't need to bring your computer to the meeting, don't. If you do, put your status to away or busy and avoid answering emails. There is nothing like being called upon and not having any idea what is going on in the discussion. I like to show my enthusiasm and interest by maintaining eye contact and nodding in agreement. However, if you don't agree with something, speak your mind! Show your value, and worth and speak! It not only shows your power but that you're not afraid to voice your opinion.


3. Leave with actionable steps.
If the meeting is going on too long or is about to end, be sure to summarize your next steps together. You both want to leave the meeting feeling accomplished and ready to get down to biz. I like to summarize the key takeaways from the meeting and create a list of actionable items for both parties. Reiterate your own action items too, so the person does not feel like you are ordering them to do something, or that they are less important than you.

How do you make the most out of your meetings? Do you have any brilliant ways to make sure everyone is leaving fulfilled, feeling productive and ready to take on the next tasks? Let me know!


Blouse and denim c/o Honey