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Imagine you’ve been told that your team needs to achieve certain targets in a week. Your teammates will need to be briefed on the work they are to do towards the new goals. They will have to change their workflow and deliverables to accommodate the new work. The best way to communicate all this to the entire team would be by planning an official meeting and sharing this information. This will also give your team a chance to ask questions and get clarifications.
Meetings are formal catch-up sessions held to share ideas, assign work and get everyone on the same page about what to do next. Organizations rely on different types of business meetings to bring everyone up to speed on important matters.
Whether you want to catch up with colleagues in an informal setting or share a status update, meetings can help you streamline the process of communication. They also help you track individual progress.
Let’s look at the types of meetings at the workplace that can help you accomplish your goals.
Types Of Meetings
Before planning a meeting, it’s important to determine its purpose. Whether you’re meeting to share ideas or solve a problem, knowing the reason beforehand can help you set the tone and pace of the meeting.
Calling a meeting without setting an agenda is a waste of everyone’s time. It may even reflect badly on you if you’ve called a meeting with the senior management but are unsure of what you want to achieve in it.
Here are the different types of meetings at the workplace:
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Status Update Meetings
These types of meetings are usually held at the beginning of the week or month. In status update meetings you assign tasks and make important decisions. You can discuss roles and responsibilities, ask questions and set expectations for the coming week or month. These meetings help the team clear their doubts and get on the same page for the next few days. This helps avoid confusion later.
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Brainstorming Sessions
These types of business meetings are critical for professional success and organizational goals. This is where everyone comes together to discuss new ideas and plans for the future. Brainstorming sessions are discussions where you can bounce ideas off each other. You can come up with effective business strategies to achieve targets and tackle challenges. This is your chance to showcase your strengths and stand out by sharing original and creative ideas with your team.
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Decision-Making Meetings
These can be categorized under types of meetings in business communication because you have to deal with key stakeholders. You may be meeting clients or the senior management to decide the ‘what’, the ‘how’ and the ‘when’ of a new or ongoing project. Decision-making meetings determine how and when organizations aspire to achieve their goals. These can also be used to clarify doubts, address concerns and bring internal and external stakeholders up to speed on concerned projects.
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Problem-Solving Meetings
These kinds of meetings are convened to find creative and simple solutions to complex problems. Problem-solving meetings may be planned to resolve conflicts between coworkers, discuss performance or even take accountability for mistakes. You can benefit greatly from these meetings because they give you an opportunity to speak up. In case you’re facing an issue at work, you can address these by talking to the right people in this kind of meeting.
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Informal Catch-ups
Informal catch-ups are team-building meetings where you can let off steam, bond with your team members and discuss things besides work. It’s important to meet your coworkers in an informal capacity to build a rapport with them. Interacting with others is key to strengthening workplace relationships. These kinds of meetings can be held outside the conference room. Social events like team lunches, snack hour and water cooler talks are fun ways to take a break and reset.
Conclusion
Different kinds of meetings help organizations function effectively. The more organized your meetings are, the more efficient you’ll be at getting the work done.
Every organization has a unique work culture. While some prefer informal interactions, others believe in conference room meetings. You can assess your organization’s culture to understand how to make the most of its business meetings.
Harappa Education’s Navigating Workplaces course will teach you how to figure out your office dynamics. You’ll learn how to work in teams, identify key stakeholders and improve your work performance. Sign up for the course to build your collaboration skills!
Explore topics such as Strategic Management, Strategic Management Process, Types of Corporate Culture and Work Culture on Harappa Diaries and learn how to be an effective professional.
