How To - tips for effective meetings - Brief Article

Training & Development, Sept, 2000 by Haidee E. Allerton

Executives waste 7.8 hours a week; or 2.3 months a year, in needless formal business discussions, according to Accountemps, Menlo Park, California.

For more effective meetings, try these practical tips:

* Consider the primary objective when selecting participants. Whose job responsibilities will be most affected by the topic of discussion? Can anyone else provide valuable input? Is attendance critical, or would a memo suffice?

* Create an agenda. Distribute it before the meeting so participants can prepare to address key issues. During the meeting, the agenda keeps things focused on the business at hand.

* Take notes. They will serve as a reminder of action items and summarize what happened for people who couldn't attend.

* Start and end on time. That will help set a standard for future meetings. If there are still important issues to discuss at the end of the meeting offer participants the option of staying or rescheduling.

Source accountemps.com