Dan D. Chase
Director of fitness
Latte Built 24hr Fitness & Nutrition LLC (Saipan)

“What I do is, I have a little format — the meeting should be under 40 minutes. I give two of my trainers lecture points to research and ask them to give 10 to 15 minute lecture (on the subject). They probably have to spend an hour or two doing the research, and then they can summarize the issue. The learning curve is pretty interesting.”

Shalyn Faith Allen
President, TALA Corp.
Principal broker, Welcome Home Realty
General manager, Island Girl Coffee N’ Quenchers

“I like to have my meeting notes and agenda planned out to hit all the points I need to make. For us at Island Girl, it’s also important for employees to ask any questions. We learn so much and things we may not have realized need to be addressed — employees bring those to our attention.”

Laura N. Cepeda
Director of public relations and corporate citizenship
GTA Teleguam

“There are several things to practice to ensure meetings run smoothly. Scheduling them in advance and ensuring they have value for everyone attending is critical. If you are leading the meeting, it’s important to set the tone and have a clear purpose. Making an agenda and following it ensures you hit essential points and stay on track. It’s always safe to have a note taker and facilitator to track decisions and respect everyone’s time. If other topics arise, plan it under ‘other’ for a follow-up or break-out meeting. It’s always advantageous to end a meeting on a good note! As important as the meetings are, it’s vital to remember that the outcomes of the meeting are most important. Setting ‘action items’ assigned to attendees with actual deadlines will ensure you meet the outcomes desired.”

Livia A. Marati
Founder
Ina Wellness

“Before any meeting, I prepare by having a clear and written purpose, agenda and outcome, or PAO. Sharing the PAO ahead of time with stakeholders helps ensure expectations are set and gives the group the chance to add their feedback and additions. During the meeting, I’ve found limiting use of technology (i.e., cell phones away) and assigning one person to document action items is key to keeping a group focused.”

Jeffrey Saavedra
Founder and owner
Ignite Juice Bar

“So, with our in-house meetings with my staff and supervisors, I make sure we’re all aligned with the same vision. I’m transparent with my staff with everything: financially, operation, management, etc.”