Page 182 - Becoming a Successful Manager

Mastering Productive Meetings Is as Easy as PIE 173

The best way to do that is to ask four questions:

• How do I plan meetings?
• How do I prepare for them?
• How do I conduct them?
• How do I follow up?

Planning

Planning a meeting is something you are often in charge of, so
it gives you a chance to model the behaviors, attitudes, clarity
of purpose, and respect you want from your people. Meetings
provide a tool for modeling the behaviors, professionalism, and
culture you want to foster in your department. They are watching.
Take advantage of it. What better way to teach than to show.
The fi rst question you need to ask yourself before planning
a meeting is, “Will a meeting solve a problem or reduce the time
it takes to accomplish a goal?” If the answer is yes, then you are
ready to plan your meeting. There are several more questions to
consider when creating a meeting that is PIE.

1. What is the purpose of this meeting?
2. What preparation is needed?
3. Who will the attendees be?
4. What will the schedule and agenda be?
5. What will be the roles and responsibilities during the
meeting?
6. Was it successful? How do you defi ne/measure success?

It is in your best interest that your meeting preparation address
these elements.