How to make meetings Work

This is a article in Business today
How to make meetings work
Saumya Bhattacharya
July 3, 2009
How often have you chaired a meeting that has gone on for a painfully long time and completely
lost focus? Across countless organisations, meetings start late, erupt in conflict, lose focus and
accomplish little. Are there any golden rules to make them more effective? “Have a plan. It may be
a bad plan, but it’s better than having no plan.” This was the advice to young Asim Handa from his
athletics coach in college. While his days as an athlete are long over, the advice has stuck, more
so while conducting meetings, says Handa, Country Manager, Futurestep, a Korn/Ferry
Company.
A successful meeting takes thought and planning, says
communication expert and author of Working the Room, Nick
Morgan. So, plan all that you wish to cover in the meeting in
advance so that there is far less chance of getting
sidetracked. Plus, preparation will give you clarity on what the
meeting is all about.
Be absolutely clear on what the agenda is and what you want
to achieve (see What Goes Into an Agenda?). If
communication experts are to be believed, that’s half your
task accomplished. According to Morgan, every group
meeting goes through three phases—a warm-up, a work
phase, during which tasks are accomplished, and a closing
phase, when the matter of the meeting is summarised and
next steps are determined.
Begin the meeting on time even if a few participants are
missing. When they arrive and discover that they have missed
some important points, they will know not to be late the next
time around.
The prime objective is to follow the agenda. Says Morgan:
“For a small meeting, your agenda can be relatively loose, but
for a larger group, the more structure you provide, the more
effective the meeting will be.”
While you are in the midst of discussion, make sure that
everyone gets a chance to speak and ask for feedback
regularly. “Most of the Indian business leaders are
task-focussed and less interactive. It inhibits people from
opening up in meetings,” says Handa. But, what about a good
meeting that goes astray because of interruptions? If some
participants disturb the meeting, try asking a question.
“Besure to include the transgressors among


Five tips for efficient
meetings
1. Don’t meet if the same
information could be covered in
an e-mail or a brief report.
2.Begin the meeting on time
even if a few participants are
missing.
3. Be absolutely clear on what
the agenda is and follow it.
4.Make it interactive. Don’t
dominate the discussion.
5. Bring the meeting to a clear,
constructive close.
What goes into an agenda
The purpose and the
desired outcome of the
meeting.
Who the participants are.
The date, time and place.
The length of the
meeting.
A list of the topics to be
covered.
A list stating who will
address each topic and
for how long.
Any background
information participants
will need to know.