A meeting can be a valuable time to strategize and problem solve—or a gigantic waste of resources that produces nothing but frustration. To avoid this, leaders must facilitate internal meetings that matter to all participants.

“Effective meetings have high participation, good energy, constructive collaboration, and meaningful conversations,” writes Mary Abbajay in Forbes. “In short, effective meetings are those which tap into the wisdom, expertise, and energy of the group.”

Leading an effective meeting takes preparation, and the first step is to define the meeting’s purpose. Ask yourself why you are meeting and what you need to accomplish. From there, you can create an agenda that targets your goals and objectives.

When it comes to creating an agenda, the key word is “design,” Abbajay says. Don’t just focus on what to discuss; figure out how to discuss it.

“Creating a meeting that is engaging and productive requires more than simply jotting down a few topic areas,” Abbajay says. “Think of meetings as a series of conversations in which the participants must engage in order to accomplish the purpose.”

You want to generate participation from all meeting attendees, so consider different strategies to get everyone talking.

“Techniques can range from simple ‘round-robins’ where you go around the room and hear from everyone, to pair-shares, to more elaborate conversation structures like SWOT Analysis where participants identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats,” Abbajay says.

To keep things on track, create a meeting timeline based on the conversations you intend to facilitate. This will keep your meeting tight, focused, and as short as possible.

Secure Online Payments

Allowing your #members to make purchases online is the way of today! Do you know how to keep your #onlinepayment system safe from #databreaches? Check out our latest article to keep your member's personal information safe! https://t.co/a3EXv3auba #assnchat #security #Vocalmeet

— Vocalmeet (@vocalmeet) January 21, 2020

Online payments have become a necessity for many associations. And though they are quick and easy, they come with security risks. Since online payments require access to personal information, associations need to take precautions to ward off data breaches.

“Simply by executing security basics, associations can dramatically reduce their vulnerability to online payment threats,” a recent Vocalmeet blog post says.

For example, associations should tell users to log out every time they step away from their device, make sure accounts and applications are password-protected, change passwords regularly, and use two-factor authentication to make breaches even more difficult.

Other Links of Note

New year, new strategy. Five CEOs share with Inc. how they’re adjusting their strategies to fuel a successful 2020.

Hungry for event food inspiration? Event Marketer identifies the top food and beverage trends for this year.

As you ramp up an online learning program, it’s important to create a user-friendly experience, writes Colleen Bottorff on MemberClicks.

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