Preparing Effective Meetings

You are asked to arrange and prepare a meeting or conference.

1. Clarify the objective of the work.

The goal of this task may be to ensure that the appropriate participants are invited to the meeting at a specific time and that a suitable conference room is reserved, complete with the necessary equipment and the desired food and beverages.

The objective could also be to ensure that participants have been adequately informed by letter and that, before the meeting ends, an informed decision has been made, based on the necessary background knowledge, with the active participation of the entire group, and with optimal use of time.

Let's assume you are responsible for achieving both goals.

2. Determine the necessary activities.

The task may consist, for example, of the following activities:

• Determine the date and place where the meeting is to be held.
• Refurbish a conference room that has the necessary equipment.
• Order food and drinks if necessary.
• Prepare the meeting invitation and send it to participants along with any other relevant information.
• Encourage participants to prepare carefully so that they can play an active role in the meeting.

3. Anticipate errors and obstacles.

The following aspects could go wrong:

• Some people in the group cannot be present at the agreed time.
• The room has been booked for the wrong time.
• The room is not in a suitable condition when the meeting begins, or it is not the room it should be.
• The food doesn't arrive on time.
• The meeting invitation contains errors.
• The meeting invitation and/or other information has not reached all participants.
• Participants experience interruptions during the meeting.
• The meeting is affected by outside noise, heat/cold, draft, excessive sunlight, etc.
• Participants have not read the materials given to them before entering the meeting.
• Key decision-makers have not been invited or have not shown up.
• There are too many items on the agenda.
• Insufficient time has been allocated to the meeting.
• Conflict of interest among participants makes impartial discussion difficult.

4. Do the work and anticipate mistakes.

Here's what you can do to ensure you achieve your goal:

• Make the meeting's objective as clear as possible: What should be discussed? What decisions need to be made? What is the goal?
• Make sure that the key people—those who need to be informed, those who need to be consulted, and those who can make decisions—attend the meeting.
• Prepare a meeting agenda that everyone can agree on. To the extent possible, plan the meeting so that time is used effectively. Schedule it so that the rest of the day can be used. If possible, arrange for the meeting to end "naturally": at lunchtime, at the end of the day, at the end of the week, etc. Plan refreshments, meals, and drinks.
• Reserve a conference room with the necessary equipment. If the meeting is to be held off-site, make sure the room has all the necessary facilities, is in an appropriate location, and is reasonably priced. If necessary, request rates from several venues. If you're unfamiliar with the venue, you or another member of your organization should visit it beforehand and assess the condition of the room and its equipment. Don't forget to check the lighting, acoustics, ventilation/air conditioning, tableware, materials, etc. (Is the projector working? Are there spare bulbs? Is there paper on the flipchart? Are there spare markers?)
• Organize and order meals: What will be served, where, when, and at what price. Also find out if any of the participants need to follow any special dietary requirements.
• Make sure you receive written confirmation of the meeting agreement. Check the previously agreed-upon times, location, materials, meals, prices, etc.
• Prepare a meeting agenda that contains a complete and clear list of all items to be discussed. Include all important attachments and additional information. Be realistic: don't include more topics than can be discussed during the meeting time. Make sure the most important topics are discussed first.
• Send the invitation well in advance of the meeting, including all relevant information: purpose, time, scheduled breaks, location, transportation, registration deadline, etc. Also include the agenda and list of participants. Check that all names and titles are correct. Provide information about what is expected of attendees, including meeting preparation.
• If applicable, prepare signs with the participants' names. Check that they are spelled correctly.
• Agree in advance who will chair the meeting and who will be its "controller." The meeting chair doesn't have to be the company's CEO. The chair will ensure that:
  • the meeting starts and ends as scheduled;
  • Time is spent addressing the issues on the agenda, following the agreed order;
  • discussions should not go off on tangents;
  • all attendees participate actively, and
  • the different topics are presented in a concise manner and the conclusions and decisions that may be taken are perfectly clear to all participants.
• Anticipate interruptions. Inform those around you of who is scheduled to attend the meeting, its duration, and any scheduled breaks. Ensure participants receive any messages at the beginning of each break.
• To the extent possible, set a discussion deadline for each topic and stick to it.
• If possible, ensure that a decision is made on each topic regarding what needs to be done, who will be responsible for it, and when. Avoid unclear decisions and indecision. Summarize the conclusions and decisions before the end of the meeting. Prepare the final minutes of the meeting, devoting them to the conclusions reached.
• Establish a follow-up process to ensure that all decisions are implemented.
• Make an assessment after the meeting:
• Did everything work out satisfactorily?
• Is there anything you can do to make the next meeting even better than this one?