The 3 Best Ways to Close a Meeting

The key to a great meeting (or conversation) starts with how you end it.

Most leaders have no problem kicking off a meeting or starting a conversation. 

Their ability to end it effectively, on the other hand, is another story—and it’s often a story of missed deadlines, frustrated employees, and stuck performance.

If you’ve been experiencing some “Groundhog Day” meetings lately—you know, the ones where the same issues pop up over and over again—there’s a good chance the problem isn’t how you entered the topic, but how you left it. 

Here are some “conversation closure” questions that will improve every interaction, meeting, and outcome from here on out.

Progress meetings: Cap with Completion, Alignment and Purpose.

Completion: Is there anything we need to add or know here before we change topics?Alignment: Is everyone OK with where we ended up?Purpose: What exactly needs to be done before the next time we meet?

Busy leaders tend to move to new topics too quickly, which creates an open (and endless) loop for discussion and stagnancy. To keep these answers (and your meetings) efficient, add the “CAP” questions to your project meeting agenda and rhythm and train your team to come prepared to share updates, feedback and concerns, and timelines/bandwidth insight.

Bonus points if you have someone on your team who can capture this information and share it in a follow-up email to make sure everyone remains on the same page. 

Weekly meetings: Close with positive recognition.

Does anyone have any thank you’s to give to someone else on their team?

Research shows that almost 80% of employees cite “being recognized” as one of the biggest motivators in their job. Ending a meeting with acknowledgments from you and your peers is a critical (and easy!) way to develop a culture of appreciation that doesn’t just come from the top. 

If you haven’t trained this to your weekly agenda yet, start by recognizing an employee for something they did that really helped you out—and then encourage others to join in.

One-on-one meetings: Close with value.

Out of everything we talked about, what has been your biggest takeaway today?

Because of their less-structured, informal nature, one-on-one meetings can end up falling flat—where they could be one of the most powerful meetings both of you have. Whether you are meeting about a specific concern or investing time in their development, one-on-ones should—at a minimum—validate the value you both receive from each other. Other questions to consider:

• What are you most excited about starting?

• How have I helped you today?

Of course, one of the best ways to close a great meeting is to set it up for success in the first place. Grab our Meetings That Don’t Suck template here for free.

Remember, meetings aren’t standalone appointments. They are ongoing conversations that set expectations, clarify issues,  and move your company—and every relationship within it—forward. 

How you close each meeting will determine where the next meeting will start—so end on a high note.

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