We all know that checklists are widely used in settings where the outcome is critical, such as in aviation, power plants, medicine or military operations. What we might not realize is that checklists play a prominent role in widely different situations and environments, such as on production floors, in day care centers and in political campaigns.
Checklists can also be used to improve the productivity of your meetings. The idea is simple: Design a meeting checklist, then distribute, post and use it.
Here are a few tried and true simple rules to make your meeting checklist work most effectively:
- The checklist should be on a single side of paper. Use large font that is easy to read.
- The checklist should be short and the items quickly completed.
- The checklist should typically have no more than 10 items.
- Follow the checklist and cover all items.
A checklist is simply a reminder system. It consists of things that you already know (hopefully) but might forget before a particular event. The checklist keeps the practices that make a successful event (like a meeting) right there in front of you. That way even if you are tired, have a headache or are preoccupied you won't miss something important.
You can also use the checklist to remind yourself to try new ideas, techniques or practices.
The power of the checklist is in the execution. They only have a positive effect if you use them.
SUB-CHECKLISTS
It is a good idea to divide the items for checklists into sub-checklists to make sure no items are overlooked. For example, in relation to the timing of a meeting, make a checklist for days before, right before, during, right after and after the meeting.
It is advisable to keep the meeting checklist as simple as possible.
Keep in mind, checklists are living documents that we want to grow smarter over time. This happens by incorporating new issues that occur and removing old issues that no longer happen.
Here is a basic meeting checklist that you can adapt to your type and style of meetings:
Meeting Checklist
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Title of Meeting: |
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Purpose of Meeting: |
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Date: |
Location of Meeting: |
Ad hoc? |
Scheduled |
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Done |
When |
Idea to improve meeting |
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Few days before meeting. |
Have agenda sent out well before meeting with meeting day, time, location objective and topics. |
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Few days before meeting and maybe the day before the meeting. |
Possibly as part of the agenda remind people who have promised to complete some work for the meeting. The reminder should be at the top of the communication and made bold so it is very hard to miss. |
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10 to 20 minutes before meeting. |
Check that:
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10 to 20 minutes before meeting. |
Verify that:
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Just before the meeting starts. |
Assign, or request, someone to take minutes of the meeting. |
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Beginning of the meeting. |
Have people introduce themselves and their role if meeting attendees don't already know everyone. |
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Beginning of the meeting. |
People typically come into a meeting with a variety of concerns and preoccupations. It is good practice is to start a meeting by asking if anyone has any concerns or worries that are in the way of concentrating on the business at hand. |
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Throughout the meeting. |
When you assign tasks and responsibilities, be sure to include in the minutes who is to carry out what and the dates for competition. |
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At the end of the meeting. |
Ask attendees if the meeting achieved the noted objectives of the meeting and to write down any ideas for improvement. |
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More information on conducting effective meetings can be found at http://www.MeetingDefender.com. There you will also find my eBook, Meeting Improvement Idea Book, along with information on low-cost training and software tools to improve your meetings.
