Running effective meetings
Meetings cost the time of everyone in the room. A clear purpose, a short agenda and recorded decisions turn meetings from status updates into progress.
Key ideas
- Every meeting needs a purpose stated as an outcome.
- Invite only the people needed for the decision.
- End with decisions, owners and deadlines in writing.
Step by step
- 1
State the outcome the meeting must produce.
- 2
Share a short agenda and any reading in advance.
- 3
Keep discussion on the agenda and park side topics.
- 4
Close by reading back decisions, owners and deadlines.
Example
A weekly hour-long update becomes a thirty-minute decision meeting with a written outcome. Attendance improves and follow-up actions are actually completed.
Your drill
For your next meeting, write the intended outcome at the top of the invitation and finish with a written list of decisions and owners.
Common mistakes
- Meeting without a clear purpose.
- Ending without agreed actions and owners.
Check yourself
How should every meeting end?
Show the answer
With decisions, owners and deadlines confirmed and recorded.
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