This document provides guidance on how to plan and run effective meetings. It recommends only holding meetings when necessary, being clear on objectives and outcomes, inviting only essential attendees, starting on time, keeping discussions focused on agenda items, and following up on assignments. Key steps include preparing an agenda, distributing materials in advance, actively facilitating discussions, summarizing decisions, and following up after the meeting. Taking these steps can help managers eliminate unnecessary meetings and make the most of required meetings.

2. It was Hendrik van Loan who once said
that a meeting will only be successful if
it has three participants—one of whom
he is away sick and another who is
absent. Organizational life is never that
generous to managers, however,
meetings have become an unavoidable
aspect of manager’s role. Fortunately,
it is possible to eliminate unnecessary
meetings and to make the remaining
ones more effective.

3. An important
ingredient is planning
and preparation, as
the following points
reveal.

4.  Meetings should never become a ritual.
They cost time and money so it’s
important to call a meeting only when
one is warranted—to solve a problem, to
coordinate activities, to disseminate and
discuss urgent information , to reach a
consensus or decision, to build morale,
to reconcile conflicts

5. So don’t ask people to
attend a listening
session only—send a
memo or newsletter
instead.

6.  Be clear on the purposes of the meeting
and your hoped- for outcomes. And
how will you know when you have
achieved them? By preparing a
benchmark of productivity for the
meeting---a checklist of what you want
to accomplish, to refer to during the
meeting and for use later to compare
and hoped- for outcomes with the
actual achievements.

7.  Only those who need to attend should be
invited to do so. Each non-essential
attendee is wasting his/her time and
costing your organization money. As well,
the more people attending, the more
difficult it is to achieve a consensus.
Consider inviting participants to be
present at a particular time, that is, for the
agenda item for which their personal
contribution is required.

8.  Call a meeting only when you have the
information required for decision making
and you can be assured that the
appropriate people will be in attendance.
Ensure the venue is accessible to all
participants, yet sufficiently remote to
avoid interruptions. Check out and book
the location---seating, lighting,
ventilation, whiteboards, electrical
requirements and other essentials.

9.  The more care you take with an agenda,
the more productive the meeting will be.
The agenda should be more than just a list
of items handed out at the meeting. Key
elements would include:
 Date, time, place and duration of meeting
 List of items to be discussed in sequence,
detailing for each item, who will lead the
discussion, time, allocated and,
importantly, the objective (information
sharing/discussion only/decision
required/problem to be solved etc.)

10.  By giving adequate advance notice and
distributing the agenda and support
documents for all items, you will
demonstrate your thoroughness and
instill confidence in your leadership.
(Remember, people being what people
are, to allow time at the beginning of
your meeting for review of documents
you realize may not have been read in
advance.)

11.  If emotional or controversial issues, for
example, are to be discussed during the
meeting, it is sometimes a good idea to
talk through these items with some of
the key participants beforehand.
Consider their reactions and how you
might handle them during the meeting
to achieve the desired outcomes.

12.  Make sure you have considered the
following items frequently required
during a meeting notepaper, pens, flip
chart, whiteboard, refreshments,
overhead, projector, telephone, tape,
recorder, and so on.

13.  Mental preparations is also a vital
consideration and, in this regard, the
following suggestions are offered:
 Know the meeting process and your role
as the chairperson. Understand the rules
of the game before you play—whether
these be formal rules of order involving
motions, voting, adjournments etc., or
unofficial rules developed by your own
organization for meeting procedures.

14.  Do your homework. Be prepared and
knowledgeable about the topics under
discussion.
 Believe you can lead. If you have been
called upon to lead, someone believes
you can do it. So be confident yourself
that you can.
 Seize the opportunity. Responsibility
requires extra effort. Give it –and grow
in the position.
 Aim high. Strive for excellence, set the
example, and others will follow.

17.  Every manager needs to be able to
master the skills of chairing a
meeting. A meeting chaired effectively
will have the participants leaving with
a sense of accomplishment and a clear
understanding of future direction and
task. If you want to conduct successful
meetings as chairperson, then here
are the important steps in the process
for you to follow.

18.  When you wait for latecomers, you
penalize those who have arrived on
time—and you inadvertently reward
those who came late. Before long,
everyone will arrive late. So, how do you
get people to your meetings on time? By
starting on time! Always.

19.  Welcome and introduce yourself and
other participants and, if necessary,
explain their roles. Clarify the
objectives of the meeting, ensuring that
each member understands the task at
hand and is aware of the expertise
available in the group. Be brisk and
business-like.

20.  Check that each member publicly agrees
with the stated objective of each listed
agenda item, thereby ensuring that all
irrelevant and hidden agendas become
redundant. Indicate the criteria for a
successful meeting and, in particular, how
the group will decide or know when the
outcomes are achieved. Other items might
be suggested and, after listing these in
‘Other Business’, close off the agenda.

21.  A meeting is held for a purpose—so keep
its main objectives and desired outcomes
clearly in mind at all times. Consider the
following process:
◦ Initiate discussion on each item by setting the
scene briefly and asking for responses. You may
refer the matter first to a member who can make
the best initial contribution.
◦ Reinforce each item. When moving on to a new
agenda item, reiterate and clarify its purpose and
objective.

22.  Try to end on a positive note, even when
there has been substantial disagreement
during the meeting---perhaps save for last
an agenda item on which everyone can
agree. Respect the plans of those who
assumed the meeting would end on time.
This will mean bringing discussion to a halt
about five minutes before the scheduled
finishing time. Sum up the entire meeting,
restate the outcomes, confirm allotted tasks
and deadlines, and thank participants.
Arrange the next meeting with members.

23.  While the meeting is still fresh in your
mind, it is important to assess the
meeting’s effectiveness and your own
leadership style. Use that information to
make your next meeting better.

24.  Concise minutes, including a listing of decisions
made, the tasks assigned, and the deadlines for action
and follow-up, should be completed and distributed
promptly. Where necessary, inform other interested
parties of outcomes as soon as possible after the
meeting.
 In the period following the meeting, monitor the
progress of assignments if possible. At the next
meeting, uncompleted assignments should be
considered first unmet deadlines discussed. Such
accountability helps ensure that the agreed outcomes
of your meeting have some meaning next time.