Create Trust

When at meetings, people simply don't say what they think. Sometimes this is because one person dominates the conversation, or the leader does not encourage participation from everyone, or people don't feel safe saying what is on their mind. It is the responsibility of the leader to create a place where everyone's voice is heard and respected.

Do the Basics First

There is a mindset that meetings are not real work and are not taken seriously. Consequently, people arrive late, leave early, and spend most of their time preoccupied with other issues. Here are a few basic rules that help reduce poor attitudes:

• Start on Time. Always start at the scheduled time. It will set a precedent, and "late-comers"

will change their behavior.

• Have an Agenda. An agenda helps the meeting stay on task and reduces side issues that

are related but not relevant to solving the current problem. If issues come up that are not

directly related to the items on the agenda put them in a "parking lot" to be discussed at a

future scheduled time.

• End on Time - Eliminates "early-leavers". Creates mindset of the exact amount of time

that you have to accomplish tasks on the agenda. Remember - time is money!

Focus on Action

Often nothing gets accomplished once the meeting is over. The decisions made at the meeting must be converted to action steps. In other words, the meeting is not just the time when decisions are made - it is also the time to determine "who" will do "what" to meet established objectives. No one should leave a meeting not knowing what will happen next.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Practice makes perfect. Conducting a wellrun, productive meeting takes practice. So learn from your mistakes - remember what works, and what doesn't. Make a commitment

to do better.

Remember Important Information

Meetings are often scheduled to be held in a comfortable place - away from the information that is important for making decisions. To eliminate postponing critical decisions that will delay the project, all information needs to be available at the meeting. Without it, valuable time is wasted. Remember - time is money!