3 ways to make a decision - in office meetings

September 18, 2014

Set Ground Rules at the Start of Your Next Meeting

Having an agenda and arriving on time won’t ensure that all will go well during a meeting. You have to actively keep the conversation on track — and the best way to start is by establishing ground rules. Before tackling agenda items, introduce the objectives and desired outcomes. Next, lay a few ground rules so people know to keep things moving. For example, commit to starting and ending on time. Ask for everyone’s participation and openness to new ideas. Agree to listen to each other, and make a no-interruptions rule. Clarify how decisions will be made — the group should know if this is a group-decision meeting, a meeting that only calls for people’s input, or a meeting that shares an already made decision. And before kicking off, explain your policy on multitasking and device use.

Adapted from Running Meetings (20-Minute Manager).