From Invites to Follow-Up: Successful Meeting Logistics

Most business professionals have experienced the frustration that comes with too many meetings. Leaders and teams often find themselves bogged down in unnecessary conversation, wasting time and energy in a meeting room instead of getting things done. In this blog post, we’re going to explore some meeting logistics – from sending out invites to follow-up after the meeting adjourns.

This post is part of our series on “Making Your Meetings Better”. See all the related posts here.

Meeting Invites

A meeting invite should always be more than a generic “Let’s meet”; The why, what, and when need to be nailed down for an effective call to action. Why this meeting is happening and why someone should attend are two very important pieces of information that should accompany each meeting invite. Clarifying the expected outcome of the meeting will also help participants set expectations and stay focused on the purpose of being there. Ultimately being mindful of these components will help ensure that everyone can come together with a common goal in mind – making every minute count!

Staying on Track

Once the meeting is underway, it’s important to stay on track and address any issues that come up in a timely manner. Use the defined meeting purpose to keep the discussion on track. When an issue arises that does not fit into the scope of the meeting, table it for another time. This way, everyone can keep the conversation from getting derailed and remain focused on the goal of the meeting.

Helpful Tools

These tools are used to help keep the meeting on track, without making anyone feel like their voice isn’t being heard or doesn’t matter, and are an important part of the meeting logistics. They keep points visible for everyone so important items don’t get lost, but also don’t derail the discussion at the wrong time. Ideally these should be visible to everyone – such as a shared Mural board or on sticky notes in designated areas in the meeting room:

• Issues list – a place to redirect issues that come up at the wrong time. They WILL help achieve the session objective, just not right now. Put them here until you get there. Use these questions to answer if an item needs to be in the issues list:
  • Has this issue been addressed?
  • Does it NEED to be addressed?
  • Does it need to be addressed NOW?
• Parking Lot – A place to redirect issues that are NOT going to help achieve the objective of the session. This should be cleared at the end of the session to make sure items are followed up on – perhaps as action items
• Action Items – Captures things that need to take place outside the meeting to keep the action moving forward
  • What – the action to be taken after the meeting
  • Who – This MUST be someone IN THE SESSION. They may not need to DO the action, but they’re accountable for reporting back to the group
  • When – the WHO picks the WHEN

Meeting Closeout

Wrapping up a successful meeting is just as important as the topics discussed during it and an important part of the meeting logistics. Taking the time to close out a meeting properly can ensure that everyone walks away with clear expectations and next steps for their work. It also helps keep the momentum of the conversation going into future meetings or projects.

Closeout Tips

• Walk the (virtual or physical) walls – Review the outputs from the session. Last chance to add or change anything!
• Review Objectives/Intended Outcomes – did you reach your goal for the session? Did you create the deliverables agreed upon at the beginning? 
• Issues List and Parking Lot  – Make sure to address any open issues before closing the meeting.

With both the issues list and parking lot ask:

• Has this issue been addressed? – if yes, close the issue
• Does it NEED to be addressed? – if no, close the issue
• Does it need to be addressed NOW? – if no, add to action items list to be performed after the meeting. If yes, it needs to be addressed now, determine how much time is needed to address it – can it be addressed in this discussion or is additional time needed?
• Action Items List – make sure everyone understands what happens next. Were any items moved from the parking lot or issues list to the Action Item List? Does each action item have an owner and a due date? Does it need a definition of done?

Call to Action

Your closing should also include a call to action so everyone knows what the next steps are. Is there someone in charge of following up? Do they need to refer back to any notes or documents discussed during the meeting? Make sure people have clear expectations for what comes next and who’s responsible for it.  Making sure your meeting participants know the next steps will ensure that everyone is on track and accountable for their post-meeting tasks. 

Finally, don’t forget to thank everyone for their time and collaboration. Making sure your participants feel valued is key to making sure they come back next time!  

Good meetings are essential to success;  closing them properly will ensure that everyone understands their role and has the resources needed to get their tasks done. Taking this extra step when closing out your business meetings will show people that you appreciate them and their contributions. 

Meeting Logistics: Getting Feedback

After the meeting is concluded, take the last few seconds to get a pulse check and find out how participants viewed the meeting. Evaluate:

• The results – where the session objectives achieved?
• The technique – was the process effective?
• The communication – did the group communicate effectively? Did anyone feel ignored or passed over?
• The responsiveness – was the facilitator flexible, open, and willing to adapt as necessary?

Run a quick retrospective or save enough time at the end of the session to have a discussion. You can also send a survey afterwards, but it’s better to try to get responses right away as people are less likely to respond after the session is over.

By following these tips, you’ll be sure to have successful, productive meetings every time! Properly concluding a meeting not only makes everyone feel appreciated, but also ensures that everyone is on the same page and has a plan for action moving forward. Thanks to these meeting logistics, you’ll be sure to have successful, productive meetings every time!