Of course, the goal of all meetings is for them to bear fruit and actually produce results. But do you know the feeling of sitting in a meeting and thinking "this is a waste of everyone's time"? An unstructured and aimless meeting takes time away from employees and can be a hindrance rather than a help.
Research shows that around a fifth of all meetings are perceived as wasted. However, the biggest problem is that we miss the opportunity to experience productive, purposeful, meaningful and value-adding communities. If meetings don't achieve this, the working community itself can suffer.
In this blog post, you'll learn 10 steps that can help create a successful meeting and important things to remember when choosing a meeting room. Read along below the image.
Of course, the meeting rooms need to be in place - but so does the meeting agenda!
10 steps to a successful meeting
1. Be clear on purpose and content
It's important to stay focused on the purpose of the meeting and what you want the outcome to be. This makes it much easier to create the desired content and structure. Remember to be clear about what you want each participant to leave the meeting with in terms of information and skills.
2. Define your target audience
To capture the attention of your meeting participants, you need to know who your target audience is. That way, you can plan the meeting agenda to suit the attendees.
3. Create the perfect setting
The location and the meeting room itself are particularly important to create the perfect setting for the meeting. What facilities and logistical solutions do you need? Should meals be included and how many people will you need to accommodate? These are all important things to consider. Learn more about the different meeting rooms at Bernstorff Castle - we have different options for meeting rooms with the equipment and catering you need.
4. Professional and welcoming staff
When choosing a meeting room, it is of course important that the atmosphere is good and that the staff are welcoming. It may be a good idea to visit the venue before your meeting. At Bernstorff Castle, you'll find the right combination of professionalism and hospitality to make your meeting enjoyable.
5. Make planning strategic with an agenda
When planning an important meeting, it's wise to plan the topics to be discussed and the decisions to be made. In other words, you should create a clear agenda for the day and you may even want to send out the agenda in advance to the participants.
6. Structure the agenda items according to three phases
To make the agenda clear, you can divide it into:
- Consultation - what the meeting is about and comments.
- Construction - processing what you have discussed.
- Conclusion - in the final phase, it's time to conclude and make the necessary decisions.
7. Choose a facilitator
The rule of thumb is that whenever you have 4 people or more, a facilitator should be chosen to run the meeting. The meeting facilitator becomes the coordinator and timekeeper of the meeting and also makes sure to keep their eye on the ball at all times.
8. Establish the role of facilitator
As a meeting facilitator, it's important to start by establishing your role and getting a mandate to fulfill it right from the beginning of the meeting. That way, there is no doubt about who is in charge of keeping the agenda and schedule.
9. Start the meeting on time
You probably know the feeling. The meeting was supposed to start at 10am, but at 10:10am some of the participants have yet to show up. Whether everyone is present or not, it's important that the facilitator keeps the meeting on schedule. Otherwise, the norm quickly becomes that people can show up when it suits them.
10. Avoid one-way communication and engage with meeting participants
A meeting will never be productive if there is only one person dictating the entire meeting. The facilitator is not meant to do all the talking. Keep participants motivated by incorporating group work and other varied tasks. This has a motivating effect and also helps to create engagement and dynamics.
Choose the right meeting room
When choosing the right meeting room for your upcoming meeting, there are several things to consider. For example, you need to know how many people will be present during the meeting so that the meeting room is the right size for you.
In addition, you need to decide what equipment you need. For example, do you need AV equipment or a projector? If you choose a meeting room at Bernstorff Slot, we will of course ensure that the room is ready on arrival with everything you need. We use ClickShare technology, which makes it quick and easy to connect your computer to the big screen.
We also offer several meeting packages for you to choose from. We take care of all the practicalities so you can focus on running a successful business meeting.
Having a large meeting or conference and need more space? We also offer a variety of conference rooms that meet your aesthetic expectations while taking into account the needs of your participants.
At Bernstorff Castle you will find meeting rooms for all purposes
