The Recipe For A Successful Meeting – P.E.P.P.E.R

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Now that we’re distant from one another, I feel like we’re having more meetings than ever, and with more meetings comes less productivity.

Like everything else around us, its time to change why we meet.

For event organizers and planners, why to meet has become a substantial focus as they assess whether to cancel, postpone, or pivot their conference.

As an AV partner, your ability to have a conversation beyond the technical aspects of a planner’s event is critical as they work through this decision-making process.

In a recent webinar I attended, they mapped out an acronym (P.E.P.P.E.R) that details why and how to have better meetings. Pepper is broken down like this: 

P = Purposeful: Make sure every online meeting has clear, specific meeting objectives that describe the targets for the meeting. Use those objectives to build the meeting agenda.

E = Engaging: Build engagement and interaction into the meeting plan, using all your web conference tools.

P = Productive: Make effective use of time. Begin and end on time. Have a timekeeper monitor time spent on each agenda item.

P = Personal: Virtual presence is how real you feel online to people. Amplify your virtual presence by using your webcam effectively.

E = Encouraging: Recognize our human need to be seen, heard, and celebrated. End every virtual meeting on a positive note that leaves people feeling motivated.

R = Results-oriented: Ensure that you evaluate the tangible and intangible results of each virtual meeting. Did you fulfill your meeting objectives? Did people participate fully? Why or Why Not? Identify simple changes you might make for the next meeting to get better results.

If you separate P.E.P.P.E.R into two focus groups, task-oriented (Purposeful, Productive, and Results-oriented) and people-oriented (Engaging, Personal, and Encouraging), this will help you balance and prioritize the planning and execution details of your meeting. 

So the next time you are planning a meeting or supporting someone who is planning one, make sure you have some P.E.P.P.E.R sprinkled in the recipe for the meeting to be a success.