Joshua Quint

Follow-up is the most important part of a meeting besides an agenda. This is often the most overlooked! Documenting and sharing decisions made, action items, and accomplishments after a meeting will ensure that the time spent in the meeting is of value. If decisions and action items are lost or never captured and communicated, then the time you spent was just a social gathering. Follow-up items can also serve as a handy way to generate the next agenda if there is a regular meeting cadence or a longer-term discussion. Like an agenda and expectations, follow-up items should be clear, concise, and actionable.

Feedback given during a meeting should be immediate, concise, and constructive. Feedback should be integrated into active listening during the discussion phase of a meeting. Once you get to the takeaways and action items phase, this is a good time to solicit 'round-table' feedback from the group. This will ensure everyone is heard and may contribute to the success of the action items and follow-up.

If you invited someone, that means you need their input! Some structures like 'round-robin' or polling may be a good way to break the ice in participation; they often feel forced and may lead to groupthink or head-nodding. Once a meeting is rolling and ideas start to form, make sure to pause and actively solicit feedback from members who may appear to be reserving their thoughts. Make sure that the tone of the meeting is also set as a 'safe space' for ideas. Some participants who are holding back may have different ideas but do not want to counter the group. Sometimes, these are the best ideas! During the discussion phase, encourage other ideas even if they disagree with the norm.

As a meeting coordinator, you will need to set the tone for listening, particularly in a remote setting. Active listening through verbal means is more effective in a hybrid or remote setting, as non-verbal cues are often lost. Active listening will be the tool by which you can facilitate the next few points in this list. You can provide feedback immediately, encourage other participants to weigh in or flag something for follow-up.

Setting expectations must happen before the meeting. Make sure there is an agenda or, at the very least, a topic put in the invite's description. This allows the attendees to mentally prepare for the meeting, or in the case of 'optional' attendees, to decide if this meeting is right for them. Resetting those expectations immediately in the meeting will refresh and focus everyone's efforts on what will be accomplished with this valuable time. Expectations should include the topic(s) discussed, why each person is there, and the takeaways that are likely to be.