125. Making Meetings Meaningful, Pt. 2: Key Ingredients for Effective Meetings

How can we make meetings more effective? How can we keep people engaged and interested? Whether it’s in person or on Zoom, here are a few techniques you can use to make your gatherings more meaningful, productive, and memorable.

Get practical tools and actionable insights to actually make meetings matter, as well as knowing when NOT to have a meeting. Join Matt Abrahams in a dynamic conversation with Elise Keith, an expert on effective meetings and communication. Elise explains the three main categories of meetings, and shares practical strategies for engaging participants, handling common meeting issues and maximizing productivity through techniques like parallel processing as well as other tools.

Be sure to also listen to Part 1 of our meeting mini-series, as well as the following bonus Meeting's episode from the Stanford GSB's If/Then podcast.

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Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

Part two of the making meetings meaningful series, with guest Elise Keith

(02:01) Why & How to Have Meetings

The power of meetings for focusing attention and how to know when to conduct them virtually or in person. 

(03:56) Meeting Categories

Elise breaks down the three major categories of meetings: Cadence, Catalyst, and Learn & Influence.

(05:49) Purpose and Outcome

The two things to know before scheduling a meeting: the purpose and outcomes - and how to communicate those practically

(10:00) Knowing When Not to Meet

When a meeting may not be the most effective way to achieve goals; ensuring respect for participants' time.

(11:45) The Art of Facilitation

Practical tips for engaging participants, and setting expectations for active participation. 

(15:59) Tools for Creating Equity and & Cooperation

Think-Pair-Share, or 1-2-All, and harnessing silence to encourage equal participation and leveling of the meeting.

(17:19) Maximizing Meeting Productivity 

Parallel processing for dividing work efficiently while keeping the team united. Plus, emphasizing achieving results in business meetings.

(19:01) Meeting Best Practices

A lightning-round of best practices for addressing common meeting challenges.

(21:20) Final Questions

A communicator most admired by Elise, as well as her three ingredients for successful communication

(23:04) Conclusion