How to Organize an Effective Meeting?

‘Good meetings aren’t accidents
— they are the result of efficient planning and execution.’

Almost all of us must have experienced by now that it’s quite easy to criticize those long and complex meetings that are run by someone else. Ever wondered about your own meetings proving to be any more useful and productive?

Essentially, meetings are a gathering of two or more people who collectively accomplish what one person alone cannot. However, not all meetings are really necessary. So, one should first decide if organizing the meeting is really necessary as in most cases there are more efficient ways to “meet” your objectives without holding a meeting.

Hence, before scheduling your next meeting, make sure you clearly define the objectives for yourself and the group. Some meetings have almost no purpose beyond the ritual consumption of efforts, paper and time; you definitely don’t want your meeting to be a waste of time!

‘To organize an effective meeting
— Prepare a good agenda’

Agenda is the most crucial part in preparing and planning a meeting. It helps to outline the meeting in timely and logical manner and presents the focus area and the main object.

Meetings mostly draw people away from their daily tasks and into a closed, influenced environment. As the organizer, you have the attendee’s attention. It’s up to you to use that attention wisely. The moment you squander it, the meeting grinds to a halt.

Do not let your meeting to fall into the ritual consumption category. Spend five minutes before you send out the meeting invitation to formulate, in 10 words or less, exactly why you need everyone’s time. Write your reason down and then set it aside. Review the reason an hour later; if it still seems valid, go ahead and send out the invitations.

Do not squander others’ time. Instead, spend a few minutes before the meeting trying to answer the following question: “What do I expect the attendees to DO at the end of this meeting?” Try to formulate your answer in 10 words or less.
Knowing what you want from others makes it much easier for them to give it to you. Otherwise, everyone tries to engage in mind-reading with depressingly predictable results.

Chaos happens, but you do not have to let it ruin an otherwise-productive meeting. I created following are basic templates to give you an idea for organizing & concluding effective meetings.

-Karishma