What are the best practices for leading meetings that support career development?

1 Define the objectives

Before you schedule a meeting, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how it relates to career development. For example, do you want to provide feedback, discuss goals, explore opportunities, or brainstorm solutions? Depending on the objective, you may need to prepare different materials, invite different people, and allocate different time slots. Having a clear objective will help you focus the meeting and avoid wasting time or confusing your team.

2 Set the agenda

Once you have defined the objective, you should create an agenda that outlines the main topics, activities, and outcomes of the meeting. The agenda should be shared with the participants in advance, so they can prepare their questions, comments, and inputs. The agenda should also include the duration, format, and expectations of the meeting. For example, if you want to have a group discussion, you should specify how you will facilitate it and how you will ensure everyone's participation.

3 Create a safe space

One of the key factors for leading meetings that support career development is creating a safe space where your team members feel comfortable to share their thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. This means that you should foster a culture of trust, respect, and openness in your team. You should also avoid judgment, criticism, or blame in your communication. Instead, you should use positive language, constructive feedback, and active listening. You should also encourage your team members to support each other and celebrate their achievements.

4 Ask open-ended questions

Another way to lead meetings that support career development is to ask open-ended questions that stimulate reflection, exploration, and action. Open-ended questions are those that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, but require more elaboration and explanation. For example, you can ask your team members what they enjoy most about their work, what challenges they face, what skills they want to develop, or what goals they have for the future. By asking open-ended questions, you can help your team members discover their strengths, interests, and opportunities.

5 Provide resources and guidance

Leading meetings that support career development is not only about asking questions, but also about providing resources and guidance that help your team members achieve their goals. This means that you should be aware of the available resources in your organization, such as training programs, mentoring schemes, or career paths. You should also be able to offer guidance on how to access and use these resources effectively. For example, you can suggest relevant courses, introduce potential mentors, or explain the criteria for promotion.

6 Follow up and monitor progress

The last best practice for leading meetings that support career development is to follow up and monitor the progress of your team members. This means that you should not end the meeting without agreeing on some action steps, deadlines, and responsibilities. You should also check in regularly with your team members to see how they are doing, provide feedback, and offer support. By following up and monitoring progress, you can show your team members that you care about their career development and hold them accountable for their actions.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?