It is the start of a new year and most of us are back to our normal business. With this comes the meetings that need to be held and, for some, the pain of trying to get some benefit from it.

What are the ‘rules’ you need to follow before attending a meeting?

Be Prepared!

There is nothing worse than trying to ‘wing it’ when you present your report. It not only defeats the purpose of the meeting, it is also counterproductive. This is also a clear indication that you have most likely not even read the Minutes of the last meeting or the Agenda for this meeting.

Make sure you read the minutes of the last meeting and the agenda for this meeting.

What outstanding actions are there that need to be addressed?

Are there completed actions that can be closed out?

Are there any new issues that need to be added?

Prepare and Submit your Report before the Deadline

How often will you have someone distributing their report during the meeting? The problem with this is that nobody had the time to read this report prior to the meeting and, as such, will not be able to make any meaningful contribution. This will also be a distraction when the report is being presented as most will be trying to read it at the same time. The next problem is that where this behaviour is allowed, it becomes the norm and you will most likely find the same person repeating this at the next meeting.

Get the Facts Ready

If you are expecting a decision to be made, make sure you table all the facts and are able to present it clearly. As an example:

You need a specific piece of equipment to be purchased. You need to table at least the following:

Equipment Cost

Reason Required

Will this need to be financed?

What are the finance costs?

What revenue will be generated with this equipment?

What will be the Return on Investment period?

What will happen if you don’t have it?

If you can table all the facts, the decision is relatively easy to make. Word of caution: Don’t ‘manufacture’ figures just to swing the vote as you will have some serious explain to do!

Be On Time!

The meeting has been scheduled and you have scheduled your time accordingly. Now please make sure you are on time. Turning up late does not make everyone else think you are busy, it indicates poor time management!

Finally – Mobile Devices

Please ensure these are turned off during the meeting, or left with someone to take any incoming calls on your behalf. If the call is that urgent, they can call you from the meeting to deal with it.

Having these devices on during a meeting displays a lack of respect not only to the organiser, but everyone attending.