9 tips for running more productive meetings

If meeting is not done right, it is a single killer for your productive time. Over at 43 Folders, Merlin Mann offers some quick tips to make your meetings worthwhile and more productive:

• Circulate an agenda
• Have a theme
• Set (and honor) times for beginning, ending, and breaks
• No electronic grazing. Period.
• Schedule guests
• Be a referee and employ a time-keeper
• Stay on target
• Follow up
• Be consistent

In my opinion, Setting a theme is the most important requirement for setting up a meeting. If your team is going to move forward from the project milestone – the theme should be ‘realign tasks and set new tasks’. If your team is going to find ideas for the project – the theme should be ‘brainstorm and generate ideas’. ‘Let’s talk about this project!’ is probably a board subject for a meeting.

9 tips for running more productive meetings