"To get something done a meeting should consist of no more than three people, two of whom are absent." ~Author unknown

One of the complaints I hear most often is about the number of meetings people attend during any given week. It isn't only the quantity, but the duration and ineffectiveness that seem to cause problems. Conducting effective meetings is part of practicing effective time management and something we cover during my workshops, so I thought a recap of some meeting guidelines would be helpful:

Before the meeting?

Create and distribute an agenda. If others are involved, get their contributions by asking them to provide 3 things: the topic, the time needed to discuss it and the purpose of the item. Create a level of expectation by explaining that without this information the you have no way of setting and reaching the Agenda items in a timely manner. Identify specific actions and outcomes for Agenda inclusion because this will determine who should be attend. Try to keep the number of participants between 4 and 7. State when the meeting will begin and end and try to honor those times.

During the meeting?

Stay on topic. Assigning a willing facilitator can help keep the group remain focused. The facilitator can also be charged with reminding participants when comments are 'repetitive' rather than 'additive' to the discussion. At the end of the meeting assign action items and deadlines-it helps staff remain attentive and reinforces accountability. "Do you know your next step?" is a great question to ask in order to give attendees the opportunity to request and receive clarification on action items.

After the meeting?

Have an "Action" follow-up sheet available by the end of the day. This shows the date of the meeting, tasks, responsible parties, deadline date and a follow-up date. Assign a meeting coordinator to follow-through with the commitments made and noted on this "Action" sheet. You can find a sample in our website's library.

The objective is to gain a reputation for having fewer, more effective and efficient meetings. Attendees will welcome the opportunity to share information and participate when they feel they have been heard and they know their time hasn't been wasted.

Copyright 2002 Cynthia Kyriazis. All rights reserved.

Cynthia Kyriazis is a Professional Organizer, trainer, consultant, speaker, coach and author with over 20 years management experience in multi-unit corporations. She is President of Organize it, Inc., an organizational consulting firm serving Fortune 500 clients since 1995. Cynthia has worked with over 150 companies and hundreds of professionals to help improve performance in the areas of time, information, space and electronic file management.

Cynthia has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kansas City Star and the Legal Intelligencer. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), member of International Society for Performance Improvement - Kansas City chapter (ISPI-KC) and consultant to the American Coaching Association.