I’ve seen several processes for conducting effective meetings. None of them have included a comprehensive view of what to do before, during, and after the meeting. All of those pieces are critically important to a successful meeting. Based on what I’ve seen and learned, I offer the following process:
Before the Meeting:
Plan
- Identify the purpose of the meeting
- Define expected outcomes
- Identify required participants
- Identify methods (e.g. brainstorming)
- Select a suitable meeting room
- Identify other resources needed
- Define the agenda
- Select a template for the minutes
Prepare
- Send an invitation (include purpose and agenda)
- Consider any legal issues
- Contact security
- Make read-ahead material available
- Set up the room
During the Meeting:
Commence
- Check-in participants
- Distribute copies
- Start on time
- Make sure everyone knows each other
- Clarify roles
- Review evacuation procedures
- Review agenda
- Review expected outcomes
- Review ground-rules
- Review open action items
- Review open issues
Conduct
- Cover one agenda item at a time
- Manage the discussion to stay on point within the time allotted
- Use a “parking lot” to record off-agenda topics
- Re-prioritize when necessary
- Record assigned action items
- Record issues
- Record significant decisions
Close
- Summarize decisions
- Review action items assigned during the meeting
- Solicit agenda items for the next meeting
- Review time and place for the next meeting
- Evaluate the meeting
- Thank the participants
- End on time
After the Meeting:
Post-Meeting
- Distribute or post meeting minutes within 24 hours of the meeting
- File related documents in the team repository
- Perform on assignments and action items and report to the team
- Schedule follow-up on “parking lot” items
I’ve referred to this process as the three Ps and three Cs. The Ps are before (Plan and Prepare) and after (Post-Meeting) and the Cs are during the meeting (Commence, Conduct, and Close).
Not every step applies to every meeting, but I will guarantee that every step should be considered for every meeting.
There are a wide range of purposes for conducting a meeting. No matter which purpose, one thing’s for sure: you don’t go to meeting just to go to meetings. I like the saying that “I go to hours of meetings and all I get is minutes.” Meetings, done correctly, should be part of doing the work. If that’s not why you’re having a meeting then rethink whether you really need a meeting.
Stephen P. (Steve) Czerniak
About the author: Mr. Czerniak retired after a successful career that culminated in fifteen years of experience as an internal consultant and “change agent.” He is currently a volunteer at the Macomb-Oakland University INCubator and the Troy Historic Village and Society.
