A Practical Guide to Productive and Purpose-Driven Meetings

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Everyone has opinions on meetings—why some are unproductive or overly lengthy. Thankfully, with a little planning, meetings can be more effective for everyone involved. Here’s a guide to selecting the right type of meeting and general tips for making it more successful.

1. Identify the Right Type of Meeting

To make a meeting more effective, first clarify its purpose. Here are common types of meetings and when to use them:

Informational Meeting: This type is for sharing updates or announcements, such as town halls or briefings. Typically, only one person presents, and attendees listen.
Discussion and Collaboration Meeting: Ideal for brainstorming or problem-solving, where multiple participants share ideas. These are interactive, with the agenda set by one or more people.
Check-In Meeting: These are routine, usually brief, meetings to update a project’s status. They keep everyone on the same page without being too time-intensive.
Working Meeting: These are hands-on sessions where participants actively work on tasks, like creating project schedules. Working meetings keep things moving forward and help avoid procrastination.

2. Schedule the Meeting in Advance

Large meetings, such as company-wide or shareholder events, should be scheduled weeks ahead. Smaller, internal meetings typically require a week or two’s notice. For ongoing projects, it’s helpful to meet while ideas are still fresh to maintain momentum. Use a meeting scheduling tool to simplify finding a suitable time for everyone.

3. Set a Clear Meeting Title

Whether you send an invite via email or a calendar app, give it a clear title that conveys the topic and purpose of the meeting. This helps participants understand why they’re invited and how they should prepare.

4. Establish an Agenda and Objectives

Having an agenda outlines what will be covered in the meeting, while objectives clarify what should be achieved by the end. For instance, if the goal is to finalize a project lineup, state it explicitly so everyone knows the expected outcome. Some meetings, like check-ins, don’t always need explicit objectives, but others will benefit greatly from them.

5. Appoint a Meeting Leader

Every meeting needs a designated leader to guide the discussion. Usually, this is the person who scheduled the meeting, but it’s important to make this role clear to avoid confusion and ensure productivity.

6. Keep Technology Simple, Focus on the Content

Before spending time on presentations, consider if slides are essential. If you’re demonstrating a product, show the real item rather than videos or pictures. Share any supporting documents before the meeting so you can use the time to dive into meaningful discussion.

By following these steps, you can make meetings more efficient and valuable for everyone.