Make Meetings Work

Ensure the meeting has a real purpose

What is the purpose of the meeting? Either have one, or don’t bother having a meeting! Identify the topics to be discussed at the meeting and assign priorities to them – how urgent is it and how important is it? Then get the agenda out to the people who will be attending so they can come prepared as well. The purpose must be shared by those participating so each has a stake in the proceedings. It’s up to the leader of the meeting to ensure that those who attend it will benefit in some way from being there.

Appoint a leader for the meeting

The leader is the manager of the meeting. This is the person whose task it is to see that all the work related to the meeting is done, and that it’s done on time. The leader is not necessarily the chairperson for the meeting, although this is possible. The leader designs the format of the meeting; where it’s held, how long it will last and other details. The leader is responsible for issuing invitations and preparing the initial agenda. The leader sees that any equipment or presentation materials required are on hand for the meeting. The leader arranges for the minutes to be taken and circulated after the meeting.

Plan the meeting

All stages of the meeting require careful planning. Try for a reasonably democratic representation around the table. Start the meeting early in the day or have it finish at the close of business. Having meetings in the middle of the day interrupts everybody’s schedule. Plan coffee breaks and/or a lunch break if needed. Don’t forget to allow for 'comfort' breaks every hour or so.

Prepare an agenda and circulate it

The agenda is an outline of how the meeting will proceed. A draft agenda should be prepared well in advance of the meeting and circulated to invitees for comment. This gives everyone the opportunity to suggest adding or deleting topics if required. When planning the agenda a good idea is to prioritise elements you want to cover and start with the most important items first, then work down to the least important in the event that some topics are cut out by time restrictions.

There is a theory that says ‘Start with the little things first’, on the basis that it means you will quickly cover all the unimportant items then get down to the more important ones. However, it’s always possible for a meeting to get bogged down on a topic, even the less important ones, so putting the most important items at the top of the agenda makes more sense. Decide the type of outcome you need for each issue - a decision, a financial allocation, a nomination and so on - and put this on the agenda alongside the item heading. This is important as people need to know what is expected of them, and each item will be more productive if there is a clear aim from the outset.

Run the meeting to a schedule

When planning the meeting set both a starting time and a finishing time. Open-ended meetings have a tendency to drag on and become time-wasters. Allocate an amount of time for each major item to be discussed and show these times on the final agenda. The chairperson is responsible for keeping discussion within the time allowed and should remind participants if the remaining time for any item is getting short. The key to a successful meeting is staying in control. Stay with the agenda and don’t allow it to become a forum for personalities to get their own issues aired. Remind the attendees of the required outcome for each item and steer the proceedings towards achieving it.

Keep minutes and circulate them

The minutes of a meeting are a fair and true record of proceedings. This doesn’t mean a verbatim recounting of what everybody said. It does mean that what was said is summarised accurately and the source is correctly identified. All decisions made at the meeting should be meticulously recorded so their content is clear and actions, or other outcomes resulting from them, are accurately stated. If a vote is taken, information about mover, seconder, and the way each participant voted will also go into the minutes.

A copy of the minutes should be sent to all participants as soon as possible after the meeting so memories are still fresh and any errors can be picked up and corrections circulated. Unless the proceedings of a meeting are accurately recorded the outcomes can be disputed.