Sherrie Suski explores what goes into an effective business meeting.

1. Effective Meetings
What they are and what they are NOT

2. 37% of employees time is spent in meetings
46% consider too many meetings the biggest waste of time
Over 70% bring other work to meetings
4
3
2
1
Percentage of Use
$37 Billion/year is wasted in unnecessary meetings

3. Someone should
be assigned to
capture and later
publish action
items. If there
are no action
items, you might
want to question
why you had the
meeting
Meetings should
start on time and
reward those
that are there. If
people arrive
late, do not stop
the meeting to
acknowledge
them, do not
review what was
already covered.
All meetings
should have a
published agenda
that is
distributed
before the
meeting- a
couple of days is
ideal and
reviewed at the
meeting
Good meetings
accomplish
something, they
move the group
or the
organization
forward. Ensure
that everyone
recaps the
meeting for what
has been
accomplished.
Have an
Agenda
Accomplish
something
Start on
time
Have
action
Items
Effective Meetings- what they are

4. Effective Meetings- Agenda
It may seem like an obvious requirement, but a lot of meetings start with no clear
sense of purpose. The meeting’s agenda can be summarized on a handout, written
on a whiteboard or discussed explicitly at the outset, but everyone should know
why they’ve gathered and what they’re supposed to be accomplishing. The agenda
provides a compass for the conversation, so the meeting can get back on track if
the discussion wanders off course.
If leaders make sure there is an agenda before a meeting starts, everyone will fall
in line quickly.

5. Effective Meetings- Agenda
Nothing can drain the energy from a room quite like waiting for the person in
charge to show up. Why do so many in positions of power fall into the bad habit of
being late for meetings? Is it just that they’re so busy? Or is there a small thrill in
keeping everyone waiting for them, a reminder that their time is somehow more
valuable than everyone else’s?
Time is money, of course, and all that sitting around and trying to guess when the
boss may arrive is a waste of a precious resource. When establishing the informal
rules of an organization, employees take their cues from the person in the corner
office. If that person wants meetings to start on time, meetings will start on time.

6. Effective Meetings- Action Items
Leave the last few minutes of every meeting to discuss action items and the next
steps. This discussion should include deciding who is responsible for what, and
what the deadlines are. Otherwise, all the time you spent on the meeting will be
for naught. Then follow up and hold each person who committed to something
accountable.

7. Effective Meetings- Accomplish
Recap what has been accomplished during the meeting. Everyone’s time is
valuable and everyone is looking to check one box or be able to take something off
their plate. If you become know for running meetings where things get
accomplished, your meetings will be well attended.

8. Don’t feel you
have to talk.
Unless you have
something new
and important to
say then don’t.
Stick with an
agenda- you
don’t need 10
minutes of
catching up on
everyone's
weekend. While
important, it
should be done
outside of a
meeting
It is not an open
house where you
may come and go
as you please. If
you have
multiple
overlapping
commitments,
chose the one
that is a priority
and excuse
yourself from the
other
Remember, a
meeting is
supposed to
accomplish
something.
Taking things
offline only gives
you an excuse for
yet another
meeting.
Free
flowing
An
opportunity
to take
things offline
A time to
chat
A time to
talk a lot
but say
nothing
Effective Meetings- what they are NOT