Why Does Interviewer Ask This Question?

Interviewers ask this type of question to assess a candidate’s leadership skills, ability to plan and organize, ability to facilitate and manage a meeting effectively and ensure that it is productive and stays on track.

Some specific reasons an interviewer may ask this question are:

• To evaluate the candidate’s ability to set clear and specific objectives for the meeting. This includes determining the purpose of the meeting, the main topics to be discussed, the desired outcome, and the expected results, which will help to ensure that the meeting stays on track and that all participants are aligned on the goals.

• To gauge the candidate’s ability to communicate effectively and efficiently before, during, and after the meeting. This includes sending out an agenda and any relevant materials in advance, clearly communicating the purpose and objectives of the meeting to all participants, actively listening, and providing regular summaries and highlights of the discussion to keep participants informed and on track.

• To assess the candidate’s ability to effectively manage the discussion and participation during the meeting. This includes keeping the discussion focused on the agenda, redirecting the conversation when it deviates, managing any disruptions, and actively encouraging participation from all attendees.

• To evaluate the candidate’s ability to manage time efficiently and effectively. This includes setting a time limit for each speaker, staying within the allotted time, and following up on action items and decisions made.

• To examine the candidate’s ability to follow up on decisions and action items. This includes assigning specific tasks or actions to certain individuals or groups, setting follow-up deadlines, and distributing meeting minutes promptly.

• To evaluate the candidate’s willingness to gather feedback from attendees and improve the meeting in the future. This includes using a feedback loop to reflect on how the meeting went and gathering feedback from attendees on what worked well and what can be improved.

In summary, the interviewer is trying to evaluate the candidate’s ability to plan, organize, facilitate and lead a meeting effectively, to ensure it is productive and stays on track. They are assessing the candidate’s leadership skills, ability to communicate effectively, ability to manage the discussion and participation, ability to manage time effectively, ability to follow-up on decisions and action items, ability to gather feedback and improve, and ability to lead diverse groups of people.

Also, Check – 100 Situational Questions For The Interview

5 Tips To Answer This Question

1. Be Prepared: Before the interview, research the company, its culture, and the department you are interviewing for. Familiarize yourself with the objectives, agenda, and expected outcomes of the meeting. This will demonstrate your preparedness and your ability to lead productive meetings.
2. Communicate Effectively: Speak clearly, make eye contact, and use examples or anecdotes to highlight your past experiences leading productive meetings. Be able to articulate the steps you take to ensure that a meeting stays on track and is productive
3. Highlight Your Ability To Manage The Discussion And Participation: Share specific examples of how you have managed to keep discussions focused, redirect conversations when they deviated, and actively encouraged participation from all attendees.
4. Show Your Time-Management Skills: Share examples of how you have managed to keep meetings within the allotted time and how you follow up on action items and decisions.
5. Be Adaptable: Be prepared to answer follow-up questions and be willing to adapt your approach based on the interviewer’s feedback. Show your ability to learn from feedback and make improvements for future meetings.

Overall, during the interview, the interviewer wants to see your ability to lead productive and on-track meetings by showing your preparation, communication, management, and time management skills, your ability to manage participants and discussions, and your willingness to adapt and improve.

Things To Avoid While Answering This Question

1.  Avoid Talking Too Much: As the leader of the meeting, it’s important to allow others to speak and contribute. Encourage participation from all attendees and actively listen to their ideas and concerns.
2. Avoid Being Disorganized: Have a clear agenda and schedule for the meeting, and stick to it as closely as possible. This will help ensure that all important topics are covered and that the meeting stays on track.
3. Avoid Letting The Meeting Become Bogged Down In Minutia: If discussions start to become overly detailed or specific, it can be easy for the meeting to become bogged down. As the leader, it’s important to recognize when this is happening and redirect the conversation back to the main topic.
4. Avoid Not Being Prepared: Come prepared to the meeting, with an understanding of the agenda, any materials that will be needed, and any potential challenges that may arise. This will help ensure that the meeting stays productive and efficient.
5. Avoid Not Following Up: After the meeting, be sure to follow up with any action items or decisions that were made. This will help ensure that the meeting had a tangible outcome and that progress is being made on the topics that were discussed.

Also, Check – Important Interview Etiquette You All Need To Know

How To Answer “If You Were Asked To Lead A Meeting, How Would You Ensure That It Is Productive And Stays On Track” In An Interview?

When answering the question “If you were asked to lead a meeting, how would you ensure that it is productive and stays on track” in an interview, it’s important to demonstrate your ability to lead productive meetings by highlighting your past experiences and specific strategies you have used to ensure that meetings are productive and stay on track. Here are some tips on how to answer this question in an interview:

1. Be Ready: Research the company and the department you are interviewing for, and familiarize yourself with the objectives, agenda, and expected outcomes of the meeting. Show the interviewer that you have thought about the question and understand what is expected.
2. Use Examples: Provide specific examples of past experiences where you have led productive and on-track meetings. Share specific strategies or tactics you have used, such as having a clear agenda and objectives, actively managing the discussion and participation, and following up on action items and decisions.
3. Highlight Your Leadership Skills: Share how you have effectively managed the participants, redirect conversations when they deviated and encourage participation from all attendees. Show that you have the skills to lead a diverse group of people with different roles, seniority, and personalities.
4. Emphasize Your Time Management Skills: Describe how you have managed to keep meetings within the allotted time and how you follow up on action items and decisions.
5. Show Your Adaptability: Be prepared to answer follow-up questions and be willing to adapt your approach based on the interviewer’s feedback. Show that you are open to learning from feedback and making improvements for future meetings.

In summary, when answering this question in an interview, emphasize your ability to lead productive and on-track meetings by highlighting your past experiences, specific strategies, leadership skills, time management skills, and your willingness to adapt and improve. Show that you understand the importance of being prepared and have the skills to lead a diverse group of people effectively and efficiently.

Also, Check – What To Wear For a Job-interview

Example

1. Answer: “I would begin by clearly stating the agenda and objectives of the meeting to all attendees, and establish ground rules for participation to ensure that everyone stays on task. This includes setting a specific start and end time, clearly defining the expected outcomes of the meeting, and setting guidelines for communication during the meeting such as taking turns speaking, avoiding interruptions, and maintaining a respectful and professional tone.”
2. Answer: “I would create a detailed plan and share it in advance with all attendees to ensure that all participants have a good understanding of the issues to be discussed, and have enough time to prepare. This would include sending out an agenda, any relevant background materials, and any necessary reports or data ahead of time. It will help to have clearly defined expectations for the attendees to come prepared.”
3. Answer: “I would invite only the necessary attendees, to ensure that the meeting stays focused and on track. This would include only inviting those who have a direct role in the decision-making process or in carrying out the actions that will be discussed during the meeting.”
4. Answer: “I would establish a timeline, and will make sure to stick to the schedule, allocating adequate time for each agenda item, and keeping an eye on the clock to stay on schedule. This will ensure that the meeting stays focused and on track and that all necessary discussion points are covered before the scheduled end time.”
5. Answer: “I would actively encourage participation from all attendees, and remind attendees that the goal is to achieve a shared understanding and find a solution. I will make sure that all attendees have the opportunity to speak and be heard and will manage any disruptive behavior or off-topic discussion to keep the meeting focused. “