Effective communication in business Meetings research paper

Creating an agenda even for a small meeting can improve communication.

Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images

Considering the high cost of both time and money, meetings in which communications are unclear can be costly not only for meeting participants but also a small-business owner. Because of this, pre-planning is vital to ensure meeting objectives are met and that communications during the meeting flow smoothly. Planning activities such as selecting a meeting facilitator, establishing clear meeting objectives and creating an agenda are vital for effective communication.

The Meeting Facilitator

Meeting facilitators focus on effective communication both before and during the meeting. Responsibilities include pre-meeting planning and ensuring there is effective and active participation by guiding communications during the meeting. Once the meeting ends, a facilitator is responsible for ensuring meeting minutes are properly recorded and any follow-up is handled before the next scheduled meeting. Effective facilitators possess characteristics and personality traits such as objectivity, along with good problem solving, decision-making and communications skills.

Setting Meeting Objectives

Establishing clear meeting objectives during pre-planning is a first step to effective communication. Meeting objectives state the reasons for holding the meeting and the expected outcome. Clear objectives assist in effective communication by ensuring participants understand why they've been invited and how best to mentally prepare. For example, the goal of a project management meeting might be a status update, or the goal of a finance meeting might be to discuss an upcoming audit. Documented objectives distributed prior to the start of the meeting can also ensure the appropriate employees are in attendance.