Making meetings work

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How much time do you spend in meetings? Your answer may well be "too much!" Meetings are so much a part of our working lives that it's essential that we make best use of the time we spend in them.

Chairing a meeting

Do you really need to meet? You should only meet if there is a real reason to do so. Meetings require time and resources - from catering and room booking to travel costs and missed opportunities for other work.

Could you replace the meeting with a conference call, ask for responses by email or send a report for comments? Think of the time you will save.

If you have to meet, limit the length of time you allocate for the meeting: the shorter the meeting, the more concentrated the discussion. 

Planning before the meeting

Construct the agenda carefully. Each agenda item should have a clear objective. Don’t describe agenda items 'to discuss' or say that it's 'for information'. This will just generate vague and frustrating discussions because no one will be clear about what they are expected to do.  

State the objective of each agenda item could be to:

• exchange information (report, update, inform or find out)
• solve a problem
• generate new ideas
• make a decision
• plan
• evaluate
• supervise
• consult
• review performance.

Be clear about what decisions you need to make at the meeting.  Put the most important items at the beginning of the meeting.

Ask people due to attend if they have any items to include on the agenda. Give them a deadline for submitting items, indicating whether there is a paper to be attached to the agenda. Ask how long this item is likely to need.

Circulate the agenda and all of the paperwork that needs to be read with it at the same time. Avoid allowing papers to be 'tabled', which means that those attending have no time to read and digest the contents. Presenting papers in this way creates delays in the meeting and generates less effective discussions, since participants haven't had an opportunity to prepare their response.

Running the meeting

Think about who is attending the meeting. What type of contribution are they likely to make? Think about their individual learning styles. This can help you to understand why some people talk more than others and why some people only make a contribution at the end of the meeting - or the next day! 

Consider assigning roles such as timekeeper and note-taker to members of the group. Don’t however let the meeting become so process-driven that all creativity is stifled. For example, it may be more important to continue a particularly useful discussion rather than ensure the meeting ends on time. Be clear about your own role as chair. You are there to ensure that you gather everyone's contribution.

Do you want to agree on 'how we will work together' (ground rules) for your meetings?  It can sometimes be useful when setting up a new group that's likely to meet regularly.

Don’t allow digressions from the agreed topic. Put any digressions into a 'parking lot' by making note of them on a white board so that they can be discussed at a more appropriate time and place.

Concluding the meeting

Avoid 'any other business' (AOB) as this can derail the end of a meeting by introducing new and potentially large items which should have been on the formal agenda. 

At the end of the meeting, have a short review of the session. This will help you to learn for the next time you have a meeting with this group of people and create a continuous cycle of improvement. You could give each participant one minute to give their feedback, asking one or more questions such as:

• What was good about the meeting?
• What could be even better next time?
• What were the most useful and least useful items? If the 'least useful' items are essential ones – such as reviewing your management accounts at a trustees’ meeting, consider how you are presenting the information.    

Circulate notes of actions as soon as possible. Some people write the actions on a board in the room to save notes needing to be circulated but this can mean that you have no formal record. 

Participating in a meeting

Prepare for the meeting by reading the papers and considering what contribution you want to make.

Be on time! Unless there is an absolutely unavoidable reason for being late, don’t be.Lateness interrupts the flow of the meeting, disturbs others and will give others attending a poor impression of you.

During the meeting, it's important that you listen to what is being said and contribute constructively.

Ensure that you understand and complete any agreed actions that arise from the meeting.

Useful links

• 7 ways to run effective meetings (Teaching Expertise): includes advice on what to do about latecomers.
• Running effective meetings (MindTools) includes some useful advice on preparation.

Have your say

What are your top tips for effective meetings, both as a participant or when chairing meetings? What things should be avoided at all costs?

Share your views in the Your professional development forum.