Meeting for Results

More than 11 million business meetings are held each day in the United States. That makes them a vital part of an executive's day, and learning to handle meetings can prove to be a key to your success at every level. One common complaint of employees is that too many meetings are held with too few accomplishments. If you call the meeting, your job is to keep it from turning into an organized social group. How do you do that?

The first step is to decide if you need to have a meeting. It may be a good idea when:

• You need information or input from your group

• There is a situation that needs clarification

• You want to update or share concerns that impact the group as a whole

• The group itself calls for a meeting

There are issues - such as personnel problems, confidential matters and trivial subjects - that are best dealt with in a one-on-one interview, by telephone, or by memo.

Since you don't want to be in charge of a meeting where there is inadequate data or poor preparation, define its purpose and goals. Consider the details: why, where, who, when, and how long. Develop an agenda that all participants should receive at least one day in advance - preferably longer - and stick to it. In How Meetings Work, authors Michael Dayle and David Straus have designed a format that makes it easy to develop an agenda and reminds you of things you might forget.

Meetings should be started correctly from the beginning. Encourage punctuality. Don't punish those who are there on time by waiting for those who are late. Put your most important items on the agenda first, then people will have an additional incentive to be punctual.

Encourage participation by asking ideas, confirming understanding and building on an individual's suggestions. Defer irrelevant topics to outside of the meeting. "Table" relevant new topics until the end. Gain agreement and summarize outcomes as they are reached. Note key ideas and decisions.

To close a successful meeting, indicate when time is almost up. Be sure to summarize the decisions reached, the tasks to be done, who is responsible, and the time frame. Distribute the meeting minutes within 48 hours.

These suggestions can help you achieve the results you want. And, those who attend won't leave thinking, "We've got to stop meeting this way."