If you can meet a goal without necessarily holding a meeting, then skip it. You don't want to waste time planning and scheduling something that is not necessary anyway. However, if a meeting is really needed, consider limiting attendance. The more people there are in a meeting, the longer it can take. Narrow down the participants on the basis of who really needs to attend. It is going to be a waste of time and effort including additional people to be contacted prior to and after the meeting as well as in the distribution of minutes as well.

Always be prepared when calling for, and holding a meeting. Many people make the mistake of not being well prepared in meetings since most of their time is spent on attending them. A lack of, or no attendee preparation is only but a waste of time since things do not really get accomplished. To prevent this from happening, schedule a meeting a week early and block off the time to get ready for upcoming meetings, even if it is as little as ten minutes. Remember that time is of the essence so you need to spend time wisely.

Make sure that the people who are to attend the meeting know what the meeting is about so they can prepare well. Have the agenda sent out a few days before the meeting is to take place.

Always be on time. Not only an act of courteousness on your part but it is also important to make the most out of the time allotted for the activity. Moreover, just as it is important for participants to arrive punctually, so is starting on time as well. If the meeting is to start at 9:00, then it should start at 9:00. There is no excuse for starting late. By habitually starting on time, you are sending a message to people that they should be on time as well. Don't give late attendees a recap for parts they may have missed. They can ask from others or from the minutes of the meeting.

Meeting facilitators should stick to the topic. Whatever needs to be accomplished needs to be carried out in order to properly maximize the time spent for the meeting. Always take minutes too. Recording what goes on in the meeting does not have to be too much. Whether you have someone to take down the minutes, do rotating responsibilities among attendees or do it yourself, if it is worth keeping, then you need to have a record of it. Keep in mind that the action items are very item in the minutes of the meeting. These should have completion dates that need to be acknowledged.

Attendees should give their full attention to the meeting and keep away from distractions so you can accomplish more things. Besides, paying attention to the meeting is but a way to show respect and professionalism as well. Facilitators, on the other hand should keep the meeting as short as possible, mostly to an hour. Don't beat around the bushes and get down to business straight up.