There's not enough time for everything

Students and businessmen alike know the feeling.

When you call a meeting, you expect ideas and plans of action to be thrown across the table for discussion, what meetings are all about. But sometimes things go out of hand. Too much discussion on one particular subject, for instance, can seriously derail a meeting. Not everyone in the meeting has all the time spend, and the moment one of them leaves the room the meeting is over.

How do they do it? How do big companies and corporations keep track of time? Simple. They hold a meeting to plan out what happens during the real meeting.


The three pillars of a successful meeting

As the executive supervisor or CEO it's your job to oversee that the meeting goes smoothly as possibly and that all important matters are discussed fully within the time constraints of the meeting. How does leadership training helps you in all this? It helps you be aware of what you need to get this meeting right, three people to carry out three very important tasks—facilitating, scribing and time-keeping.

Facilitator
The role of the facilitator is to coordinate the meeting and make sure everyone is involved. It is his job to apply cohesion to the issues being discussed, especially when there's disagreement within the group. Make sure your facilitator is good with words, and has lots of experience in mediating table discussion.

Scribe
The scribe takes down notes and other important points discussed in the meeting. Without a scribe, you can bet you won't remember more than half of what was said in that meeting. Think of a scribe as your ready-to-go computer flash drive. It's your job as the leader to pick a good scribe, or else you're done for.

Time-keeper
While the facilitator mediates, the time-keeper negotiates. The time-keeper keeps track of time and makes sure that the discussion moves along smoothly just in time for it to finish before the bell rings.


Control means success

Let's face it: there's no one else to blame but you if the meeting didn't go as well as you expected. It means you failed to plan accordingly, which in turn means you didn't do your job well. And that is unacceptable in a leader. You're in charge. Take control of your meetings, and you guarantee the success of your company's operations.

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