Okay, as this is the last in the '10 tips' series for meetings, here are 2 to finish with:
1. Debrief with self and others after a meeting. What went well, what didn't work? How could you do it differently next time? Of course, this is a really helpful thing to do not just after meetings but after pitches, projects, programmes, etc. It's amazing how many companies have to relearn the same lessons because they don't review. Incidentally, choose objective and constructive people to give feedback - not much use just asking those who will tell you everything was brilliant all the time, nor those who only ever see problems and errors.
2. Need to be careful with this one, but it can be very helpful if you have a series of big meetings and you want people to engage quickly and ask questions. When I chaired monthly meetings with about 30 attendees who I suspected would be reluctant to actively participate, I planted a couple of challenging questions with mature and trusted colleagues. As others saw that it really was okay to contribute and challenge, they became far more willing to do so. After 2 meetings, there was no need to plant.
