Was the meeting necessary? Could it have been an email?
Picture it. It’s 9:30 am in your very busy second week of September. You have a million other things you need to be doing…
Instead, you’re trapped in a meeting, your mind is wandering to your long to-do list, and you are wondering if this meeting will ever be over.
We’ve all been there (even this week!). From inviting more people than are needed, to ill preparation, to poor communication, ineffective meetings can transpire for a lot of different reasons.
But—what if your next meeting left everyone feeling…
➡️That the conversation was a valuable use of everyone’s time and talent?
➡️That momentum had been created?
➡️That all parties’ perspectives were fairly acknowledged and considered?
Leading discussions like these is one of my greatest joys. As a manager of projects and people, I’ve realized setting the scene for meaningful meetings is both an art form AND a learnable skill.
Looking for some simple shifts to make your next meeting your most effective meeting yet? Here are 3 strategies I use with private clients, developers, and municipal clients alike to get the most out of every conversation:
1. Remember that trust is everything.
Before anyone is willing to hear what you have to say, you have to earn their trust and build the relationship. A little bit of personal small talk can go a long way toward building rapport and encouraging vulnerability—yes, even when meeting with government staff or busy developers.
2. Preparation is key
And it starts way earlier than most people think. In fact, preparing for your meeting starts with discerning whether or not the meeting actually needs to happen. From here, you should decide how long the meeting needs to be and set a clear agenda. This way, everyone knows exactly what to expect and how to make the best use of your time.
3. Create mindful meeting notes.
These should be action-oriented, to-the-point, and just thorough enough to create a record that can be revisited in the next meetings (and, these can be an amazing resource if there are staffing changes within the team).
While these approaches may seem straightforward, they’ve been key to my ability to forge powerful relationships and build momentum in projects where a stalemate seemed unavoidable. I’m 100% confident they’ll work for you too.
Try this with your team and let me know how it goes,
❤️ Tegan
PS – Making Sure You Know… Have you heard about the Uplift Fund?
You’ve likely heard that this Fall I am introducing the Uplift Fund—a program that will allow landholders and real estate investors to partner in bringing new housing supply opportunities to life.
The details of the Uplift Fund are still in their final stages.
However, if you want more information, please do go here for more details + sign up to be kept informed on the Uplift Fund.