Planning the Meeting

Deciding on Purpose

               The first step to determine the purpose of the meeting. The more specific it is, the better results it would give. For example, a purpose such as “to discuss how to make our marketing representatives more effective” is vague and therefore unhelpful. A more specific purpose would be “to decide whether to provide conveyance for our marketing representatives”.

Determining whether a Meeting is necessary

               Sometimes meetings are not the most efficient means of communication.

               For routine information, a short memo or e-mail is more efficient than a face-to-face meeting. Similarly, holding back ten people in a meeting in which only two or three people are involved in a long discussion, doesn’t make a sense.

Selecting Participants

               Only those people should be invited whose presence is essential. If the meeting is purely information and only one person will do the talking, a relatively large group can be included. However, if a meeting is held to solve a problem or develop a plan, participation may range to 6 to 12 people.

Choosing an Appropriate Location

               One should reserve the location where the meeting is to be held. Usually, morning sessions are more productive than the afternoon sessions. Seating arrangements should be considered. Attention should be given to details like room temperature, lighting, ventilation, acoustics, and refreshments.

Preparing an Agenda

               Once the purpose of the meeting is established, one should consider a detail what topics the meeting will cover and in what order. This will achieve two things. First, it will help in preparing for the meeting by showing that background information is required. Second, it will help in keeping the focus on the plan