Meetings

Everyone has there own way of running meetings but there are times when just keeping them simple would make things so much easier. One of the biggest things that I see that individuals that run meetings forget is that the attendees need some time to review the agenda and the previous minutes before the meeting.

One point that is very important to know that it is recommended that agenda and previous minutes to meeting be sent out at least two days prior to the meeting. For one group that I attend meeting with we are lucky to get the minutes and agenda the morning of the meeting when the meeting is in the evening. This makes it extremely difficult to review everything and figure out the items that should be on your action plate.

Minutes from previous meetings should be sent out shortly after the meeting so that the attendees can review the minutes and take the action that is necessary for them. It is sometimes difficult to remember everything from a meeting that has been put on your action list when you are trying to listen to everything that is going on and also make sure that you have taken your own notes. Quite often the official minutes can help you remember the discussion a lot easier than your own notes.

Now the agenda is something that is very important when it comes to meetings. An agenda is the order of how things are going to be discussed. During the meeting it is very important to stick to the agenda as it keeps everyone on track and it is a lot easier for nothing to get missed. One meeting that I attend the agenda is not followed and it makes it extremely difficult to follow the meeting and remember what was said during it.

Minutes of meetings are also important. Minutes from meetings should be the notes of what was discussed in the meeting and not just a brief outline of the meeting. If someone has stated why something cannot be done at a given time it needs to be noted in the minutes along with the reason. Just saying that something isn’t going to be done doesn’t give the readers who were not at the meeting the reason.

Meetings are important in a lot of ways but making sure that everyone is prepared for the meeting is just as important. Minutes from previous meetings and agendas should arrive more than a day ahead of the meeting so that everyone is prepared. Follow the agenda and if new items need to be discussed they can be noted and discussed at the end of the meeting in the section of the agenda called “other business”.