Business organisations conduct meetings either to convey an important information or for strategic planning and making decisions for various issues facing the firm. A well planned and effective meeting is important to any business entity in many ways: Effective meetings are cost effective and produces a sense purpose and accountability to all the members attending the meeting. Also, many things are settled in a short and reasonable time and with less efforts, which increases innovating rate and responsiveness to market demand.
In order to hold a good meeting, you first need to produce a written agenda and distribute it to all the members planning to attend the meeting. This helps the members to become acquainted with the objectives of the meeting and to prepare themselves beforehand. All the members need to review the attendance list of the meeting to familiarize themselves with fellow members attending. This will avoid surprises on the day of the meeting when you meet people you did not expect to attend the meeting.
During the day of the meeting, you should be punctual by arriving at the venue early and also commencing the meeting as scheduled in the agenda. Well scheduled meetings minimize inconveniences and delays in making an urgent decision.
Meeting attendees can make a meeting more effective by rewriting important points and discussing them with other members before the meeting commences in order to gather ideas to raise in the meeting. They should also take short notes as the meeting progresses to identify further questions and actions to take. All members should be attentive in the meeting and avoid distractions such as using mobile phones or other activities which are likely to drive away the attention of the members.