Think about what captures your interest.
Hosting effective meetings isn't a natural talent we were all born with. But, surely when school starts back in the fall, there will be a need for several orientation and welcome back gatherings. Here are four tips that will help you prepare and deliver the information you need to as effectively as possible.
1. Only call for a meeting when the information can't be delivered through an e-mail or memo. Ask yourself, is the information you're sharing important for everyone to be informed of?
2. Have a well-prepared outline—and stick to it. Know exactly what it is you want to address before you begin. Having an agenda will help keep your meeting on track and progress smoothly. Participants should be able to see this as well.
3. Ask that everyone bring something. If people participate, they feel more engaged in the situation. If you're hosting an orientation meeting before the school year begins, simply ask that everyone bring his or her employee handbook with them. Or for meetings that are called to resolve an area of confusion, ask that everyone bring a solution—the more ideas the better!
4. Review, review, review, and conclude. Before people leave to go back to their busy tasks, assess what took place and what conclusions, if any, were drawn. This is also a good time to make notes on how to improve the process for the next meeting—how did you deliver the information?
How did your audience seem to receive what you had to share? Here are two guidelines that may help you take your office conferences to the next level.
1. One of the easiest ways to get people to remember things is by creating a moment they'll want to remember. A boring meeting is the last thing anyone wants to recall. 90% of people report forgetting what the meeting was about the day after. However, laughter and fun, upbeat spirit and rally, is something they'll want to hang unto throughout the day—and retain far longer.
One of the keys to creating sincere chuckles in your audience is knowing what everyone can relate to. Finding a common thread among all employees can relate to can be a little tricky, especially if you're new to your school or not a full time employee. E-mail a few co-workers for ideas if you're comfortable enough doing so.
2. If you're coming up short for ideas, or humor isn't one of your strong suits, open with the top five reasons why your school is a great place to work. Ask for suggestions. But don't put anyone on the spot, or allow any one person to "steal the show."
