Successful meetings

Meetings are wonderful opportunities to generate ideas and move projects forward. But, without the proper leadership and structure, they can quickly become a waste of valuable time.

Keys to effective meetings:
Planning the meeting

•	Decide if a meeting is necessary. Meetings are expensive because they take up valuable time in the work day. Before calling a meeting, be sure there’s a good reason for holding one.
•	Set an agenda. Every meeting – even a 5-minute gathering – should have a purpose and an agenda. People should know why they’re at the meeting and what will be accomplished.
•	Prepare a copy of the agenda for all participants. List all agenda items, preferably in priority order and with an approximate timeline. Distribute the agenda and any background information ahead of the meeting, so that people have time to prepare. A well-organized agenda enhances meeting effectiveness.
•	Invite the right participants. Meetings are more productive when everyone involved contributes to the process and adds value to the outcome.

During the meeting

•	Assign a note-taker or recorder. A note-taker is responsible for recording the decisions and plans made during the meeting and producing the meeting minutes.
•	Stay on time. Set a specific start and end time for your meeting and stick to it. Allocate a specific amount of time for each agenda item and try to wrap up the topic on schedule. Organize your agenda in order of importance so that lower priority items can be omitted or postponed, if discussions do run overtime.
•	Encourage active participation. Meetings should be democratic. Everyone should have a chance to be heard and no one should dominate the proceedings. Solicit input from quieter members. Stimulate free-flowing discussion and open debate – it’s the best way to generate creative ideas and solutions.
•	Set a reasonable pace. Meetings should be productive and fast-paced but should not feel rushed. Monitor the pace and progress of the meeting. Provide early warnings if a discussion is going to be wrapped up, an agenda item will be omitted or the meeting is going to be extended. Get consensus on these decisions.
•	Make decisions by consensus. The goal of a meeting is to gather information and get consensus on decisions and plans. Consensus brings the group to a conclusion or decision that everyone can agree on and builds accountability into the decision-making process. People are more willing to act on decisions that they agree with. Steps to achieve consensus: o identify the issue o people discuss their opinions and suggest possible solutions o the most promising solution emerges o everyone agrees on the solution o if consensus can’t be reached, the decision can be put to a vote or postponed until more information is gathered
•	Assign responsibility. Each task, action or plan should be assigned to a specific individual or group for follow-up. Be clear about responsibilities, expected outcomes, deliverables and timelines. Record this information in the minutes of the meeting to track performance and ensure accountability.
•	Resolve conflict in a positive manner. Create a meeting atmosphere that makes it safe for people to disagree. Discourage personal remarks, emotional comments and negative attacks. Acknowledge tensions, conflicts or problems as they occur. Work with meeting participants to find the best solution to the problem. In some cases, it may be helpful to defer the discussion to a later meeting. This allows tensions to ease and gives people time to gather more information or reconsider their position.

After the meeting

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Distribute meeting minutes promptly. Minutes should be created and circulated without delay. Distributing minutes promptly reminds people of their responsibilities and keeps everyone informed about decisions and plans. The style of minutes may vary, depending on the circumstances of the meeting. Sometimes, minutes can be as simple as a list of decisions made and actions to be taken, with the responsible person identified. In other cases, detailed records of the discussion and subsequent decisions may be necessary. Characteristics of effective minutes: o factual and accurate o clear and brief o neutral in tone o focused on information and action o include all essential points and expected follow-up Accurate minutes help to avoid misunderstandings and confusion and provide a record that can be used for reviewing progress at later meetings.

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