A lot of business meetings are considered to be unproductive and a waste of time.

About 40% of meetings actually. But some are worse than others.

I’m sure at some point you’ve attended a bad business meeting.

What defines a “bad” business meeting?

The top five indications of a bad meeting are:

1. No clear goal or agenda
2. Goes off-topic
3. Has a lack of structure
4. Attendees are distracted
5. Decisions are not made

Effective Business Meeting Best Practices

Good meeting etiquette helps build and maintain relationships.

It helps to have thoughtful preparation and strong leadership.

Punctuality, professional courtesy, and politeness are also important.

These concepts are the essence of good teamwork and good meetings.

Good business meetings incorporate the following:

• The goal is clear and an agenda is distributed in advance.
  • Ask who, what, when, where, why, and how.
  • You should have a clear purpose in mind and be able to define the objectives of the meeting. Without an objective, you won’t do as well.
  • Invite the right decision makers and slot the right amount of time.
  • Create an agenda and send it to the attendees in advance. Even if it’s just a few bulleted key points. That way people will know what to expect and can come prepared. This will help eliminate wasted time.
  • Create a teleconference number or set up a web conference for those that can’t attend in person but would still like to participate.
  • You may want to assign people roles to help facilitate the meeting such as a timekeeper and note taker.
  • Guide the conversation helping keep people on topic and calling on those who are quiet. Refer back to the agenda if necessary. Don’t catch up late comers during the meeting. Respect everyone’s time.
  • If a topic comes up that is not on the agenda, schedule a separate meeting if necessary.
  • If you are attending someone else’s meeting, read the agenda in advance and come prepared.
• Clear action steps are assigned
  • Meeting notes should keep track of action items discussed and who will do them.
  • Each meeting should report progress on each action item.
  • If you’re not sure what your role in the meeting is, ask in advance so you can be prepared or suggest another attendee.
  • Note any action items that have been assigned to you and add them to your To Do list or calendar.
• Action items are followed up on
  • Distribute meeting notes to all those attending the meeting and those that were unable to attend to keep everyone posted.
  • Meeting notes will inform (and remind) attendees of responsible action items and any deadlines.
  • Keep the meeting facilitator informed of the progress of the action items assigned to you.
  • An online follow-up meeting makes it easy and faster to tie up loose ends.
• Decisions are made
  • This is where having the right people at the meeting is important. With the right attendees, you can achieve meaningful discussions and make more significant decisions.
  • This is also where the importance of the agenda comes in. You need to make it clear why the key decision makers are necessary at the meeting. Otherwise, you will not achieve your meeting objectives.
  • If a final decision can’t be made during the meeting, at least make a next step or action item decision and follow up if necessary.

photo credit: Baltimore Jewish Council Meeting via photopin (license)

Using a task management worksheet next time you schedule a business meeting will ensure you don’t miss a beat. Download my free one here: