How To Lead Successful Meetings

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links.

Recently I invited my readers to share topics they would like to see addressed in upcoming blog posts. Today I’m excited to get started on one of the many excellent suggestions you submitted.

Here’s the first situation. A nursing home employee expressed frustration over what she perceives as unnecessary and unproductive meetings at her workplace. I can relate, and I’ll bet you’ve experienced meetings like this, too. Am I right?

This employee asked if I could share some tips on how to lead better meetings at the nursing home. While I don’t claim to be an expert in this area, I’ve attended hundreds—if not thousands— of meetings over the years. And I’ve also led a multitude of meetings. So I’m happy to share a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Start meetings on time

I see two extremes in this area. Some leaders always start meetings precisely on time, and they show no mercy to anyone who arrives late. On the other hand, some leaders won’t start until everyone has arrived.

Let me give you an example of the first scenario. I once worked for an administrator who promptly locked the conference room door the minute a meeting was due to start. Anyone who arrived late had to knock on the door to get in. Plus, the administrator always gave them a condescending glance.

Yes, this motivated people to make every attempt to get to meetings on time. But it also caused embarrassment, and it gave meetings a negative connotation.

What the administrator failed to understand is that those of us who work in healthcare face a unique challenge. If a resident has a need, and nobody else is available to meet that need, the resident must come first. We can’t tell them we’re on the way to a meeting, and they need to wait. Plus, sometimes, it takes longer to help a resident than we expected.

On the flip side, I’ve also attended a lot of meetings where we sat wasting valuable time while the leader waited for everyone to show up. Waiting for late attendees punishes the people who arrive on time. It also gives the impression that it’s okay to lollygag because meetings always start late anyway.

We need to strike a healthy balance. It’s essential to set an expectation that meetings will consistently start on time. Yet, we also need to understand that there may be occasions when someone needs to join the meeting late.

Set an agenda

We’ve all attended meetings held just because it happened to be the day and the time that this meeting routinely appeared on the calendar. The leader had nothing pre-planned, and we walked away feeling like the meeting served no purpose.

That’s why it’s so important to create an agenda in advance. Let people know what the key points of the meeting will be and what you plan to accomplish together.

If appropriate, it’s also helpful to give a brief assignment in advance. You might ask a specific question, share a brief article on a pertinent topic, or ask participants to brainstorm ideas.

Create the right mood

I know from experience that some mandatory meetings held at nursing homes can be incredibly dull. It’s especially true for topics that federal regulations require us to attend every year (fire safety, HIPAA, infection control, etc.). Yet, these topics are also vital. They could even mean the difference between life or death for a resident.

As leaders, we need to set the mood at the beginning of the meeting. If we portray interest and enthusiasm for the topic, then the meeting attendees are more apt to show interest.

Often, it helps to begin the meeting with a pertinent anecdote, question, or joke. It grabs everyone’s attention and helps focus the group on the topic at hand.

Avoid going off on tangents

I think we’ve all experienced meetings where a person in the group veers off of the agenda. Soon, the meeting morphs into something completely unrelated to its objectives.

A strong leader needs to refocus the group quickly and bring everyone back to the topic at hand. While it may be appropriate to listen and empathize, it’s unfair to the other participants if someone highjacks the meeting for their own agenda. One solution may mean suggesting a 1:1 conversation after the session ends.

End the meeting on time

When we as leaders aren’t careful about sticking to time limits for meetings, it often backfires on us. Let me give you an example.

When I worked as a nurse at the nursing home, we attended a variety of meetings. I remember several times when these meetings dragged on way past their allotted time.

While sitting there, I became increasingly nervous. I thought about all the tasks I had to complete before the end of my shift. At that point, my mind was no longer in the meeting. The extra time became a waste of time.

By ending meetings on time, we show we value the attendees’ time and responsibilities. It also helps participants see meetings as something positive rather than an infringement on their day.

Summarize the meeting

At the meeting’s conclusion, you’ll want to summarize the major accomplishments of the meeting and any follow-up assignments. Also, show that you value everyone’s time by thanking them for their participation.

In most cases, I think it’s also important to assign someone to take notes during the meeting. The record need not be a play-by-play description of everything that happened. Instead, it’s a summary of significant decisions. This helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

Now it’s your turn! I would love to hear your advice on how to lead successful meetings. Please add your suggestions in the comment section.