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Making Meetings Matter: Practical Strategies for Productivity

Making Meetings Matter: Practical Strategies for Productivity

Dates

  • • to
    Delivered In-Person in Strovolos
    €190+ VAT
    Book

Highlights

  • Classroom (Nicosia)

  • 4 CPD Units | 4 Hours

The EIMF Live Online Learning Experience

Participants will receive access to the recorded sessions of the course.

EIMF subject-matter experts deliver engaging and interactive courses across a broad spectrum of areas, that can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own chosen environment. Read more

Course Overview

Meetings are a core part of organisational life, yet many are experienced as unproductive, time-consuming, and frustrating. Common challenges include unclear objectives, poorly prepared agendas, the wrong people in the room, unmanaged behaviours, lack of clear decisions, and weak follow-up after meetings. As a result, valuable time is lost and agreed actions are often not implemented.

This workshop focuses on practical ways to improve the effectiveness of meetings across different organisational contexts, including executive, departmental, and project-based meetings. Participants will explore what typically goes wrong before, during, and after meetings, and how these challenges can be addressed proactively and reactively. Emphasis is placed on clarity of purpose, effective facilitation, constructive participation, clear decision-making, and follow-through, ensuring that meetings lead to alignment, action, and measurable outcomes.

Training Objectives

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

  • Identify common causes of ineffective and unproductive meetings

  • Clarify the purpose and desired outcomes of different types of meetings

  • Prepare clear agendas and invite the right participants

  • Apply techniques to manage unhelpful behaviours during meetings

  • Encourage balanced participation and inclusive discussions

  • Improve decision-making and solution-focused conversations

  • Strengthen follow-up through clear minutes and action tracking

  • Adapt meeting practices to executive, departmental, and project environments

Training Outline

Why Meetings Go Wrong

  • The hidden cost of ineffective meetings

  • Common meeting challenges and frustrations

  • Deciding when a meeting is actually necessary

Preparing for Effective Meetings (Before the Meeting)

  • Clarifying the purpose and desired outcomes of the meeting

  • Designing clear and realistic agendas

  • Inviting the right people and clarifying roles

  • Preparing participants and sharing material in advance

Managing Meetings Effectively (During the Meeting)

  • Keeping discussions focused and on track

  • Managing interruptions, topic drift, and unhelpful behaviours

  • Encouraging contribution from quieter participants

  • Moving discussions from problems to solutions

  • Making clear decisions and agreements

Ensuring Follow-Up (After the Meeting)

  • Clear meeting minutes that capture decisions, actions, owners, and deadlines

  • Assigning ownership and realistic timelines for agreed actions

  • Using action trackers and follow-up mechanisms

Different Meeting Contexts and Challenges

  • Executive and senior management meetings

  • Short, operational, and departmental meetings

  • Project and cross-functional meetings

  • Securing alignment and buy-in when participants report to different managers

Preventing Ineffective Meetings Over Time

  • The organisational and HR role in setting simple standards for effective meetings

  • Supporting meeting owners in reviewing and reducing unnecessary or habitual meetings

  • Encouraging regular review of recurring meetings to keep them focused and relevant

Who Should Attend

This programme is suitable for:

  • Team leaders and supervisors

  • Middle and senior managers

  • Project managers and project team members

  • HR and organisational development professionals

  • Professionals who regularly organise, lead, or participate in meetings

Training Style

The workshop is highly practical and interactive, combining short theoretical inputs with group discussions, real-life examples, scenario-based learning, and practical tools.

Participants will reflect on their own meeting experiences and leave with clear strategies they can apply immediately before, during, and after meetings.

CPD Recognition

This programme may be approved for up to 4 CPD units in Personal and Professional Development. Eligibility criteria and CPD Units are verified directly by your association, regulator or other bodies which you hold membership.

In-house Training

For groups within the same organisation, this course may be customized to meet any specific needs and delivered in-house.

Facilitators

  • Ianthi Psilogenis

    Ianthi Psilogenis

    Ianthi Psilogenis is an EMCC-accredited Career Coach and HRDA Certified Trainer with 15 years of experience at one of the largest banks in Cyprus, including 11 years in Human Resources and 4 years at the CEO’s Office. She holds a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Occupational Psychology from the University of Nottingham, and an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience from Imperial College London. Passionate about helping people overcome hurdles to reach their potential, she also administers Personality Tests that explore areas like team-building, leadership, communication, decision-making, conflict style, stress management, and approach to change - helping individuals identify and leverage their strengths while addressing any weaknesses.