Many of us grumble about conferences that are a total waste of our time and the truth of the matter is that so many are exactly those. We have also seen the "corridor" meeting that takes place soon after where it appears the important actions are taken, or even the agreed actions are overturned.

You'll get your chance at some stage in your job to manage your own meeting - is yours going to go much the same way? Or are you going to make sure that it's effective and does the task it is supposed to?

Well conducted meetings promote team development and high morale; badly managed meetings are at best a total waste of everyone's time and at worst possibly detrimental to relationships as well as the business in general.

Here's how you can get it right:

All productive meetings rely on several interdependent elements and if you approach each of them methodically you'll see that your meetings are the ones that result in action. And also you receive the credit.

Planning

• What is the meeting meant to achieve?

• What will the meeting actually achieve?

• What happens if you don't hold the meeting

• Who needs to attend and why?

• Is there a more efficient way of communicating?

Preparation

• Prepare and circulate an agenda in advance;

• Invite agenda items ahead of the meeting;

• Arrange agenda logically;

• Consider the key - v - the urgent issue;

• Arrange the timings and set limits;

• Clarify objectives for each item.

Information

• Tell those involved what's expected of them;

• Tell everyone time, date location etc;

• Circulate any required pre-reading or information.

Structure and Control

• Discuss each item in turn;

• Seek contributions but keep people to the point;

• Steer clear of going over old ground;

• Be aware of the needs of the group;

• Prevent splinter discussion groups;

• Summarise frequently to bring back to the point;

• Commend contributions;

• Confirm any conclusions;

• Stress actions and who takes it.

Records & Action

• Record discussions, actions and responsibilities;

• Produce clear simple minutes immediately.

There are a several points to understand about the effective handling of meetings:

• Invite the right people;

• Set an agenda that's do-able;

• Manage timings and people;

• Encourage members to listen to one another;

• Note actions;

• Review and record

If you want to avoid the "let's all arrive and see what happens" method it just means you have to take time to consider what you want and should achieve, after which get on with it. People will thank you for not wasting their, or your, time.