Getting Feedback on Your meetings

The world is full of possibilities on how you can improve your meetings

If you truly want to improve your meetings you need to get feedback. Feedback is a gift and you only want gifts come people give useful gifts! Think about the useless gifts you’ve gotten over the years from Aunt Sally. Does she even know what kind of books I actually read?

Select the right person to give you feedback on your meetings. Ask a trusted coworker who was in your meeting. Its best to give them a format so that they don’t just respond with a useless message like, “It was good. Thanks.”

This is a good format for requesting feedback:

Why are you asking for feedback?

Why this person’s feedback matters?

What went well?

What could be improved?

To challenge all expectations, do what?

Give a timeline of when you need the feedback.

Lets look at an example of me requesting feedback from my coworker Jenny.

Your meetings could be absolutely breathtaking if you take the time to request and implement useful feedback

Jenny,

Thanks for joining my meeting today. I am trying to improve this meeting since it will be key to the success of xyz product launch. I really am interested in your feedback because you are co-leading the product and know the most about if we are making progress or not.

Can you share with me three things that went well in our meeting?
Can you tell me three things that could be improved in our meeting?
If I was really to challenge myself in my meetings, what would I do to push them over the top?
I am working on next week’s agenda on Friday morning, so if you could give me the feedback by Thursday EOD, I would be able to incorporate your ideas in that planning session.

Thanks,

Bett

Get coffee to discuss further on improvements

If you feel its important it enough its a good idea to have coffee with your coworker to discuss this feedback, but still follow the same format to ensure you don’t miss anything good and juicy. Be willing and open to take the feedback. If not you won’t get the feedback you want and won’t use it if you get it.

Next time we talk about how to help a meeting be better when you are a participant.