We ALLLL love meetings, right?
Ha!
I was just seeing if you were paying attention. 😉
While meetings have the possibility to be a total time suck, YOU actually have the power to make them one of the most effective ways to keep your game plan on track and your goals within reach.
In this video I discuss the Top 5 Reasons Preparing for Meetings is a Must. I also will share with you my FREE Meeting Plan Template to help you always stay on top of your upcoming meetings, whether they are with your business partner, your boss, your team, your vendors or ANYONE! (Just scroll down to the bottom of this post to get it.)
While I’ve gone into greater detail in my short video, you can also keep reading to catch the super condensed version of my thoughts.
The Top 5 Reasons Preparing for Meetings is a MUST
1. Organization: Jotting updates down in a meeting agenda as you go helps keep YOU organized and fully aware of your status on a project.
2. Asking for Help: Thinking ahead enables you to leverage the opportunity to ask for what you need to move forward or hold others to deadlines and action items they committed to previously.
3. Accountability: Knowing you have to account for your own progress helps you focus on the most important to-dos each day.
4. Focus: By checking in with others who are aware of your goals, mission, vision and values, you can diligently remain focused on whether or not your small, daily actions are in line with the big picture. In a meeting you should always be prepared to assert how your operational tasks contribute to the greater goals…even as an entrepreneur…no…ESPECIALLY if you are a rabbit-trail-prone entrepreneur!
5. Pushing Back: Challenging ideas doesn’t have to make you a jerk. In fact, preparing facts and preparing to defend the goal and vision in light of a possible distraction or waste of resources could very well make you the hero. Meetings are also a perfect opportunity to remind others of what is already on your plate and keep your boundaries firm.
OK…now HOW do you prepare for meetings? What questions do you ask yourself beforehand? I’m so glad you asked! I’ve prepared an easy-to-use guide just for you:
Click here to get instant access to your meeting plan template!
Have any awesome (or gnarly) meeting stories to share? I’d love to laugh with you, so share them in the comments!