Being Proactive After the Meeting
Ideas for the Occasional Meeting Planner

Glad the big meeting is over at last? Feel like you can finally take that big breath and relax? Don't even want to begin to think about the next big meeting?

Having done some meeting planning myself, I understand your relief and exhaustion. But before you completely shut down the brain and head for a sunny, sandy beach somewhere, take just a few minutes to be a little proactive and do something that may save you hours in planning for your next meeting.

E-mail everyone who worked with you on this last meeting (committee members, staff, even contractors). Ask them to tell you five things that went very well this time that should be done again and five things that didn't go so well and should be changed or eliminated next time. All of those items are fresh in their mind's right now and may not be so fresh in five or six months. Tell them they don't have to write extensive paragraphs, just simple bulleted items will do.

As you receive e-mail responses back from them, save them into an electronic file labeled " feedback." When you start planning for the next meeting, read this file first. Then you can start taking actions that are really going to pay off in saving time and energy. This will help guarantee you have a successful meeting next time, with less stress and heartburn on your part.

And if you want a proactive speaker, consider Annette Dubrouillet. She respects your time and energy and goes the extra mile to work with all meeting planners to ensure success.

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