Few things are more frustrating than spending precious time in a meeting only to come away feeling as though the time was wasted. We have meetings in order to move forward, accomplish tasks, set goals and make improvements. When none of these things happen, the purpose of the meeting is lost. In order to have a successful, productive meeting, there are some simple, basic guidelines that should be followed.

1. Have an Agenda

Except for initial meetings, the agenda should be drawn up at the previous meeting. But for an initial meeting a clear agenda must be written in advance. The agenda must include a list of the topics to be covered in the meeting. If different people are speaking on the topics, be sure to list their names beside their topic. List the order in which the topics are to be discussed. Also schedule into the agenda time for warm up discussions, coffee breaks and post meeting evaluation time. It's a good idea to give a brief overview of the agenda first, before starting discussions of the individual topics.

2. Have a Facilitator

Designating someone to be the facilitator helps to keep the meeting focused and forward moving. The facilitator will also help redirect conversations if attendees start rambling off on tangents, and will also work at drawing quieter members into the meeting while toning down those that tend to dominate. The facilitator will also be the person who will bring the meeting to a close.

3. Have someone take minutes

Taking minutes merely involves having someone record everything of importance that happens at the meeting, for example, important points and concerns that were raised, what decisions were made, who is going to do what and when etc. These recordings can be used for future reference to monitor progress.

4. Have an agenda for the next meeting

Use the information gathered and points raised during this meeting to draft an agenda for the next one. This provides a starting point and a direction in order to get the next meeting off to a quick start with a focused direction.

5. Have everyone evaluate the meeting

Take a few minutes at the close of the meeting to gather and record each person's feelings about the meeting. Was it effective? Was it too long...too short? Was it focused? Was it productive? Use this information to make improvements for subsequent meetings.

6. Have 100% of everyone's attention

Make certain that your meeting is uninterrupted. Ask members to refrain from making and receiving calls, messages or emails unless it is a real emergency.

Following these basic steps will help you plan and conduct productive, effective meetings.

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