HOW TO CONDUCT A MEETING

One of the biggest complaints about most organizations is meetings . . . they waste too
much of our precious time. This is bad news for organizations. Meetings are important
because that is where an organization’s culture and climate perpetuates itself. Meetings
are one of the ways that an organization tells its workers: “You are a member.” If you
have bad, boring, and time-wasting meetings, then the people begin to believe that this is
a bad and boring company that does not care about time. Likewise, great meetings tell the
workers, “This is a GREAT organization to be working for!” Also, remember that bad
meetings lead to more bad meetings which cost even more money.
Why are there so many bad meetings? Poor planning by the meeting’s organizer and a
lack of involvement by the participants. Listed below are some guidelines for conducting
effective meetings.
PREPARE FOR THE MEETING
1. Define the objectives and desired outcomes. Know what you are trying to achieve by
having a meeting.
2. Determine if a different activity could be used besides a meeting. A lot of wasted
meetings are called when a couple of phone calls, e-mail or one-on-ones would have
worked better.
3. Determine topics to cover and the best format for the discussion of each one. Know
what you want to get accomplished by the meeting.
4. Estimate the length of the meeting. People need to know how long to plan for the
meeting.
5. Create an agenda that is carefully scripted.
6. Deliver agenda in advance so that the participants have time to plan and prepare for
the meeting.
7. Make every meeting a learning event: incorporate creative and cutting edge education
on a topic.
8. Use a variety of tools and activities to make the meeting productive and fun . . . get
them charged up!
PREPARE TO ATTEND A MEETING (for participants)
1. Know the purpose of the meeting. Know what your purpose for attending is.
2. Gather all data that you need to bring to the meeting.
3. Know the agenda of the meeting and ensure your agenda coincides with the meeting
agenda.
4. Know your role and the path that you are going to follow.
5. Arrive on time and be prepared to stay until at least the planned stop time.
6. Take the meeting seriously, but do have some fun while attending.
SET UP THE MEETING PLACE
1. Select a physical setting that is comfortable, big enough, and will serve the purpose.
2. Create a warm and attractive atmosphere conducive to interaction.
3. Provide appropriate refreshments.
4. Have appropriate visual aids and learning aids on hand.
5. Always do something a little different and new. Make them glad that they came.
ASSIGN A NOTE TAKER (MINUTES)
1. Who attended.
2. What problems were discussed.
3. Key decisions reached.
4. Next steps: who needs to accomplish a task, start and end date of task and what is
exactly needed.
START THE MEETING
1. Communicate the purpose and desired outcomes to all participants.
2. Clarify the type of participation and interaction desired.
3. Set the ground rules: when the meeting will end, how each member will be heard,
what is expected.
4. Show that you value their ideas, opinions and questions.
CONDUCT THE MEETING
1. Take time to tell and hear stories.
2. Clarify and paraphrase key ideas.
3. Ask for different points of view; protect new ideas.
4. Use brainstorming techniques.
5. Record ideas and notes on a flip chart.
6. Stay focused on the agenda topics. Do not wander off topic or become distracted.
7. Assign next steps throughout the meeting. Make all next steps specific assignments.
KEEP THE MEETING FOCUSED AND MOVING
1. Get information and data from the meeting. Ensure all people are heard.
2. Let the people carry the content; you guide the process.
3. Acknowledge and reinforce constructive contributions.
4. Use the agenda to stay on track.
5. Vary the pace: speed up, slow down, take breaks.
6. Keep the group aware of where they are in the process.
7. Periodically summarize key points and ask for agreement.
8. Help the group reach consensus and reach conclusions.
Copyright 1997 by Don Clark: donclark@nwlink.com

Next topic

How to Conduct a Meeting

(Foonberg's Ten Rules)
Lawyers spend a lot of time in meetings. You will be in meetings
with clients, staff, other lawyers on your side of the matter, other
lawyers on the other side of the matter, judges, insurance adjusters,
vendors, etc.
A well-run meeting results in confidence in you as a leader. You
will be recognized as a person in charge upon whom clients and others
can rely and look to for leadership and counseling. A poorly run
meeting will result in everyone being angry or frustrated and blaming
you for wasting their time when they had more important things
to do.
While this chapter is intended primarily for face-to-face meetings,
it can apply equally to telephone conferences and video conferences
with others.
These rules can help you save your time and money.
1. Have a written agenda even if there is only one item being
discussed. Do not assume that people know the purpose of the meeting.
The purpose of the agenda is to be sure that everyone understands
why they are there and the purpose of the meeting. Unless
you have a written agenda, Mr. A. will think he is there to discuss
one thing, Ms. B. may think she is there to discuss another thing,
and you may think the purpose of the meeting is to attend to a third
matter. There may be no communication between you. Each will be
discussing a different subject, unaware of the fact that you are not
communicating with one another Do not allow "surprises" that you
are not prepared to discuss. Tell the person, "I am sorry, that is not
on the agenda. I will be glad to put it on the agenda for the next
meeting." You must be firm. If necessary, call for a new meeting after
the present meeting, at which time you will discuss the new
subject. Do not allow you or your client to be booby-trapped with lastminute
agenda items.
402
0000013 How to Conduct a Meeting (Foonberg's Ten Rules) Page 1 of 4
"How to Start and Build a Law Practice" 5th Edition, © 2004 by Jay Foonberg. Reproduced with
Mr. Foonberg's
permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or
disseminated in any form or by
any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written
consent of Jay Foonberg. The
book is available from the American Bar Association.
Managing the Law Office I 403
The person who habitually comes late to meetings is challenging
you and your ability to lead. Stop them with public statements the
others can hear You may wish to ask them to see you privately after
the meeting. You can then relate the total hourly dollar value of the
people in the meeting as your reason for starting on time and progressing
without going back over previously discussed items.
2. If there is no written agenda because of time urgency or because
the meeting is an unscheduled meeting, announce at the beginning
of the meeting; "The purpose of this meeting is...." Again,
unless the purpose of the meeting is clearly set forth, people will not
be communicating with one another. If someone else has called the
meeting and has not provided a written agenda or made an announcement
of purpose, you should make the statement. You could
say something like, "Pardon me, Mr. Jones, I want to be sure I understand
what we will be discussing today. Am I correct in saying
the purpose of this meeting is ... ?" By making this statement, you
will be saving everyone's time, including your own, and you will be
establishing yourself as a leader rather than a follower on the team.
You might even state, "Let me write this down. The purpose of this
meeting is...."
3. Try to set a beginning and ending time before the meeting
so that people can plan their activities around the meeting. Without
an ending time, you risk people getting up and walking out because
of other commitments, real or contrived. They will blame you for
not completing their daily work assignments. Try to end all meetings
on schedule or earlier. It is better to continue a meeting to another
mutually agreeable time and place than to go on and on. The
amount of time devoted should normally depend on the importance
of the subject.
If someone comes in late (normally announcing they had something
more important to do in order to establish how important they
are), embarrass them by stating, "I'm sorry you're late. Come see me
later or read the minutes to find out what you missed." If they go
into the reasons they missed, stop them immediately. State, "I'm
sorry, we've already discussed this." If they are habitually late in
order to establish self-importance, tell them you won't bother them
with the meetings, and will not invite them in the future, and decisions
will be made without their input. Try not to go beyond ninety minutes
without a break or an ending.
0000013 How to Conduct a Meeting (Foonberg's Ten Rules) Page 2 of 4
"How to Start and Build a Law Practice" 5th Edition, © 2004 by Jay Foonberg. Reproduced with
Mr. Foonberg's permission.
All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated
in any form or by any means
or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of
Jay Foonberg. The book is
available from the American Bar Association.
404 I How to Start and Build a Law Practice
4. Announce in the written agenda, or orally, whether the purpose
of the particular meeting is merely to discuss a problem, exchange
input, or to take some action that may be influenced by what
happens at the meeting. People will become angry when meetings
take place and nothing happens when they are expecting something
to happen.
S. Limit the amount of time any one person can speak, at any
one time. Richard Ferguson of Alberta, Canada, who was chair of
the Canadian Bar Association's Law Practice Management and
Technology Section, actually gives a small egg timer to each person
at the meeting and announces the person either has three or six minutes
to say what they want to say.
6. Do not let people ramble beyond the three or six minute
limit. Show them the palms of your hands and tell them, "I'm sorry,
your time is up. We'll come back to you if there is time after everyone
else has had their say. Perhaps next time you would like to prepare
a written handout in advance so we can give your thoughts
more attention." Alternatively, you may wish to repeat the Foonberg
Rule of knowing when to stop talking. I often relate the following,
mentioned earlier: Once, during a trial, the judge said to me, "Mr.
Foonberg, I'm inclined to rule in favor of your clients, but keep talking
and you may convince me to change my mind." This tells the
person, "You've made your point. We all understand you. You are
beginning to anger us by unnecessarily going on."
7. End the meeting on time with an announcement of personal
responsibilities and decision making. "We only have five minutes
left. Let's be sure we understand our next steps. John, you are going
to.... Mary, you are going to...." You might state, "We have decided
to change our system," or "We have decided not to change our
system." "We have not decided what to do about the X problem."
Be sure each person (including yourself) has a clear understanding of
what they are expected to do and of what was or was not decided.
8. Set time limits for accomplishing next steps. "John, you'll
have your report by the 15th." "Mary, you'll send a memo to each
of us (or to me) by the 20th." "Sam, you'll contact Mr. Jones by Friday
and let us all know the response." Record these time limits and
remind people in writing immediately after the meeting of what they
are expected to do.
0000013 How to Conduct a Meeting (Foonberg's Ten Rules) Page 3 of 4
"How to Start and Build a Law Practice" 5th Edition, © 2004 by Jay Foonberg. Reproduced with
Mr. Foonberg's
permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or
disseminated in any form or by
any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written
consent of Jay Foonberg. The
book is available from the American Bar Association.
Managing the Law Office I 405
9. Thank each person orally for their input. Try to say something
about what each person has said, done, or contributed. Praise
them in front of the others as a reward for attending and participating.
If appropriate, thank them in writing. Be flexible. Every
meeting develops its own dynamics. There's nothing wrong with
ending a meeting in half the scheduled time when there's nothing left
to discuss or decide or if the meeting is out of control. It's all right
to extend a meeting just a little if the goals of the meeting are being
met in an orderly manner. A well-run meeting leaves all those who
attend with a sense of empowerment and control over their lives,
and establishes you as a leader
10. Pay attention to both motive and motif. Try to hold the
meeting in a clean, well-lit room. Place a new legal pad and a new
pencil at each seat. Some big Wall Street firms and European law
firms put out new legal pads with the firm's name, city and telephone
number across the top of the legal pad and on the new pencils,
hoping the attendees will take them as a form of marketing.
Some firms also provide napkins with the firm name. Provide liquids,
but try to avoid caffeinated or alcoholic drinks, which may
cause people to leave frequently to go to the restroom. Cookies,
which can be eaten without making a mess, are preferable to sticky
cakes or candies. Tell the receptionist the names of those expected to
be in attendance at the meeting so he or she will know what to do
with their incoming calls. Assure the attendees that the receptionist
knows the attendees are in the meeting and will take messages.
0000013 How to Conduct a Meeting (Foonberg's Ten Rules) Page 4 of 4
"How to Start and Build a Law Practice 5th Edition, © 2004 by Jay Foonberg. Reproduced with
Mr. Foonberg's permission.
All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated
in any form or by any
means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written
consent of Jay Foonberg. The
book is available from the American Bar Association.
Next agenda

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How to conduct effective meetings

This title has 14 articles. Click here to see all the articles rated and ranked by Helium
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by William Lutz

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In the professional work environment, nothing is more frustrating than participating in a

meeting that is poorly run. After attending such a meeting, an individual may feel relief
that the pain and agony are over, but feel disgusted that at least one hour of their life was
completely and totally wasted. The fact is, too many meetings are run poorly. Hopefully,
the eight easy steps will make your next meeting a success!

1. Why Meet?
This may be an obvious question to answer, but there are many times some people meet
just to meet. This occurs most commonly in those organizations or groups that have a
standing time and place to conduct business. While it may be nice to catch up with our
colleagues, if there is no business to discuss, seriously consider canceling the meeting.

2. Focus on the goal

Okay, you have decided that you need to have a meeting. Well, before you start booking
your conference room, take a few minutes and focus on what is the goal of meeting. Are
we meeting to announce a new program? Is this meeting being used to solicit volunteers
for a special project? Is this meeting going to inform participants about progress on a
particular program? Whatever the reason, having an idea of the objectives of the meeting
will allow your agenda preparation to go smoother.
3. Who should I invite?
Sometimes, this step is never really thoroughly thought through. In some instances, we
just invite our friends, or people that we know will help, or people that we have to invite.
Whatever the reason, think about whom you are inviting and why you are inviting them.
Ask yourself if they have particular resources that will be helpful? Do they have a
positive attitude? Bottom line, have some idea of what your invitees can bring to the
board room.

4. Find your room and get it scheduled

Once you have an idea of how many people you plan to invite, get it scheduled and find a
place to have your meeting. Make sure there are plenty of chairs and tables for
participants to use. If the meeting is at a meal time, consider providing a light meal.

5. Agenda preparation
If you are not going to do any of the steps in this list, at least do this one; before any
meeting of any size, prepare an agenda and distribute before the meeting, if possible.
Have a good understand of what you want to discuss and what order you want the
discussion to take place and get our ideas on paper. This will allow you to have the flow
of the meeting clear in your head before the meeting and it will give a clear idea to your
attendees on what to expect.

6. Attending the meeting

Make sure you arrive at the meeting location before your meeting begins. Make sure that
there are plenty of chairs and tables and make sure the attendees have copies of all
agendas and materials that will be discussed during the meeting.

7. Administer the meeting

When the meeting begins, you may find it helpful to review the agenda and go over
ground rules for the meeting. While you do not have to have a rigidly structured meeting,
there should be some sense of order. Such as, participants should only speak one at a
time, and individual should keep their comments to the topic at hand. It is also critically
important that you designate someone to take notes at the meeting as a clear record of
what was discussed.

8. Close the meeting

After the meeting, you should make sure to thank the participants for attending and
inform them that you will provide copies of the minutes to them within a short period of
time. You may also want to discuss scheduling a follow-up meeting, as well and make
sure that information is reflected in the minutes. The minutes provide the information
your attendees need to make sure that future issues are adequately addressed and to keep
the lines of communication open between all participants of the meeting.

Learn more about this author, William Lutz.

Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:
How to conduct effective meetings
• 1 of 14

by William Lutz

In the professional work environment, nothing is more frustrating than

participating in a meeting that is poorly run.... read more

• 2 of 14

by Hal Lillywhite

Meeting: An event in which minutes are kept and hours are wasted. Sadly, the
above definition does fit some meetin... read more

• 3 of 14

by Lesley Mason

This isn't about whether the meeting is necessary you wouldn't be holding it, if it
wasn't, right? This isn't abo... read more

• 4 of 14

by Eric Santani

I guess that you have attended meetings and come out of them and wondered
why. Many meetings are a pure waste of time... read more

• 5 of 14

by R Shimoda

For those in Corporate America, one of the most dreaded phrases is "there's a
meeting you need to attend". The heavy... read more

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