5 Tips for running Effective Meetings

Continuing from… How to run Effective Meetings?

Here are the 5 tips to make brainstorming sessions – effective:

1. The Icebreaker - The first thing is to get in the icebreaker or the energizer - any sort of exercise that would shift the gear of the meeting’s participants into the creative mode. They need to be relaxed. They need to know that “this meeting is not such a big deal”.
2. The Question - Let the topic of the meeting be discussed as a question. That helps open up the min and allows the person heading the session to bring it back under the spotlight if the focus gets dizzy. Like – ‘How can we sell these many X products?’
3. Not just suggestions – Coming up with the right questions is really important. List a few questions that may add a unique perspective to the meeting – ‘what could be our company’s best/worst scenario?’ or ‘what do the facts suggest?’
4. Post-it – Post-it notes are a terrific way to crack thought & ideas out from individuals onto the board. The ‘nerves’ are cancelled. No one will criticize the idea on the spot. So each & every idea will be taken into account. So let them just write it down on a piece of paper.
5. The Future! - If creativity is facing a blockade, then get the participants to think about the topic in the ‘future’ frame of mind - ‘imagine that the event has already happened… what happened that made it so?’  This would direct everyone to think beyond any problems or boundaries…

So just enjoy the meeting and don’t forget to set a timeframe for the meeting. You don’t want it go on and on and on… And the main point – the more energy in the meeting room – the more ideas will be generated. Just keep it fun!