M3.33 Effective Meetings for Managers

Effective Meetings For Managers

Explain the following:

• The purpose of an agenda

An agenda gives the date, time, duration and location of an upcoming meeting and lists all the topics that need to be addressed. Meetings are often regarded as being a waste of time; therefore, the main purpose of having an agenda is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of meetings. The agenda will therefore be prepared, structured and reviewed many weeks in advance and will determine only those who should attend. The final agenda will be sent to all attendees a few weeks prior to the meeting allowing them time to complete any outstanding actions and prepare for the meeting. A chairperson will be appointed to control the meeting to the set agenda to ensure all topics are covered on time. Minutes of the meeting are taken so that actions are agreed and allocated to individuals for the next meeting.

• How to prepare for a meeting

Before any meeting can be arranged, defining the overall objective is important as it will entice people to commit themselves. An objective will help you identify those who should attend the meeting, and when those individuals are notified, they may suggest others to either attend or go in their place. When you have a provisional list of attendees an agenda can be drafted. To help prepare the agenda, attendees should be asked if they have any items to add to the agenda. Ideally, the chairperson should take responsibility for finalising the topics on the agenda. Having an agenda will help you know how long the meeting will take and therefore enable you to book a venue.

The next step is to determine the date, time and location for the meeting. The date should be agreed first, and then the attendees can declare their availability and location for that day. Ideally, the meeting should be held at a location where everyone can travel to with the least disruption to their day. There should be no compromise, but...