MeetingKing

Checklist for Productive and Effective Meetings

effective meetings

• Preparation

• Define a clear goal

• Select participants

• Decide the form of the meeting (in person or phone or web conference) 

• Set date and start and end time 

• Distribute agenda and provide supporting material in time

• Demand that everyone is prepared

•  Designate one person to take notes during the meeting. Consider rotating this function. 

• Actual Meeting

• Start on time

• Repeat the goal of the meeting

• Provide updates on tasks from previous meeting(s) if applicable

• Follow to the agenda, stay on time

• Stay focused, place new topics on parking lot for next meeting

• Take clear brief notes and distinguish between informational notes and decisions

• Assign tasks, assign each task to one person and set due date

• At the end of the meeting: summarize all decisions and tasks, schedule follow-up meeting if required

• end on time

• Follow-up

• Distribute minutes as soon as possible

• Communicate tasks to task owners

• Track tasks and follow-up if not completed by due date 

• File minutes in a place where you can easily find them

• Ground rules

• No cell phones

• Demand proper preparation

• No side conversations

• Attendance means participation

• It is OK to have different opinions, but communicate a unified decision outward 

• It is OK to have different opinions, but communicate a unified decision outward