The positives of a ‘meeting after the meeting’
A ‘meeting after the meeting’ or MATM is quite commonplace – colleagues gather round to hold their own informal discussions.
If you have been involved in any of these after meeting meetings, you know how important the results can be.
While probably more generally viewed as being more of a griping session, there are a good number of positives that can be taken away from a MATM:
Strategise
MATMs should not be about griping; they should be more about providing insights. They should give everyone the opportunity to voice their real opinions – that were usually kept quiet during the actual meeting. Everyone can be real and the frustration can come flooding out – once you’ve got everything off your chest, you can set about working together to resolve any issues!
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Solicit and influence
Whether you voluntarily joined or were inadvertently dragged to the meeting, you will notice someone always holds the power (an influencer). It can either be you or another person, depending on the matter to be discussed. If you are accountable, it is good to solicit honest and helpful feedback. It can also work the other way around and you could influence someone else who is ultimately accountable for the issue.
Breathe it in
Listen carefully to the complaints, frustrations and misunderstandings discussed during the MATM… you’ll get some valuable insights into the day to day grind of the organisation. Learn as much as you can from the people involved and think of viable solutions – instead of adding more fuel to the fire.
Earn your keep
There is a reason why you get invited to the MATM. Deemed to be trustworthy, you are probably a dab hand at fixing problems. Colleagues are at ease when they open-up, so don’t betray their trust and try to inject some positivity that can benefit the group and indeed the whole organisation.
Clarify and Listen
Be a helping hand and try to find specific ways to help the group. You can help clarify things for those who did not understand something during the meeting. You can also be a lending ear to LISTEN to whatever they have to say – not just for approval or support.
A meeting after the meeting is an office reality and that’s not a bad thing – it can be much better than the event itself. &Meetings provides professional meeting sites that give good karma!
With various meeting rooms in London, we can help you to host company get-togethers of all shapes and sizes, including MATMs! Contact us on 0800 073 0499 and enjoy a pro-active experience with the meeting room experts.
