Tips for Successful Meetings Discovered Through Trial and Error by a 40-Something Beginner PM #PMStruggleDiary1

Hello. I am a HAS engineer.

In my late 40s, I transitioned from an engineer to a PM, and without knowing left from right, I was entrusted with two large-scale development projects.

What I found particularly difficult was "meetings."
It is said that 90% of a project manager's work is communication, and among that,

I also design and manage various types of meetings every day, such as progress meetings, individual meetings, and 1-on-1s.

Discussions go off-track, no one speaks, and only time passes. Through such experiences, I have gradually begun to see "tips for success."

This time, I will introduce the "preparatory" ingenuity I found while struggling myself to make meetings functional.

I have posted about my self-introduction. I would be happy if you could take a look when you have time.

Although I haven't been a PM for long, I have faced numerous challenges while serving as a meeting facilitator.
Especially in the early days, there were many times when discussions became so heated that time ran out without reaching a conclusion.
Meeting participants include those in higher positions than me, as well as young people who have just joined the company. Some speak a lot, while others do not speak at all.
Managing such diverse members and making meetings meaningful is still a big challenge for me.

This time, through repeated trial and error, I would like to organize and share what I keep in mind to conduct meetings efficiently.

[Tips for Regular Meetings/Progress Meetings]

1. Share minutes in advance and have progress updated in advance

In progress meetings, I share the agenda in advance so that everyone can grasp the flow. If possible, I encourage each member to update their progress and issues in advance.
I use an online shared notebook to run this system.

2. Guide discussions on individual cases to separate meetings

It is common for discussions to develop during progress reports.
However, if you dig deep on the spot, you will take away the time of unrelated members.
In such cases, I suggest, **"Let's discuss this in a separate meeting,"** and try to wrap it up immediately.

3. Express gratitude for progress updates

To create an atmosphere where everyone can participate actively, I ask for opinions and throw out questions.
In particular, I try to always express my gratitude to members who have updated in advance. This one word becomes a trigger to encourage spontaneous remarks from the team.

4. Support to draw out everyone's opinions

Especially in English meetings, remarks from members who are not used to English tend to decrease drastically.
You might think I should just assign members who can speak English, but in a project, you cannot always secure the optimal resources.
Therefore, I try to check the content of remarks in advance and prepare to have them updated in English.Since one of the roles of a project manager is to develop members, I will devise ways to get them used to such English meetings.
.

[Tips for Individual Meetings]

1. Clarify the purpose and goal of the meeting

In individual meetings, I always declare the "purpose and goal of this meeting" at the beginning.
Also, I clearly state the purpose and goal in the invitation email, etc.
Furthermore, if there are necessary preparation items, I assign them as homework in advance to make the discussion on the day of the meeting proceed smoothly.

2. Always decide on action items and the person in charge

At the end of a meeting, I make it a rule to clearly define future action items and the people responsible for them. At times, the person assigned to a task may be in a higher position or senior to me. Occasionally, I am asked, "Why do I have to do this task?" and honestly, I still feel a bit uneasy about it even now.
However, if I hesitate here, the project will not move forward.

I have keenly realized that a project manager needs the courage to assign tasks calmly and confidently.

That said, there are times when I assign tasks incorrectly due to my own lack of understanding. In those cases, I reply, "I asked you to take on this task because I thought you were the best fit. If I am mistaken, I would appreciate it if you could tell me who would be more suitable."

Summary

I can now say that whether a meeting functions effectively is 80% determined by the "preliminary arrangements."
If there is anyone struggling with meetings just like I was when I was a beginner PM, I hope these tips will be helpful to you.
I am writing other PM struggle diaries as well, so if you resonate with them, please give me a "like" or follow me.