Experience has taught all of us that poorly managed meetings are not only unproductive; they suck the life right out of everyone other than the person who is supposed to make the meeting interesting.

So here are seven simple suggestions for better meeting management:

1. Reduce the number of meetings by finding other ways to address business. If it’s simply information-sharing or reviewing project status, for example, consider email.
2. If you’re undecided whether or not you need a meeting, ask yourself: do I need the input of other people. If not, you are probably just looking for an audience. If so, then invite the right people. If participants aren’t key to achieving a goal, they shouldn’t be there.
3. If you allow people to be systematically late or arrive unprepared, you are sending out a message that your meetings are unimportant.
4. Send out an agenda in advance so that participants can be fully prepared. Be sure it is action-oriented. Request that somebody take notes and highlight the decisions and follow up actions.
5. If you hold a meeting to solve a problem, start with a brainstorming session first to stimulate creativity; write ideas somewhere visible in the room.
6. Give participants brief summaries of more complex topics where necessary. DO NOT hand out lengthy documents. If people are flipping through a document, they’re not listening.
7. Close with a plan of action and circulate it at the end of the meeting. Ensure everyone leaves knowing what is expected of them.

I gleaned these seven suggestions from a longer list that appeared in the BDC newsletter of 2/16/2010. You can obtain a copy on request to support@prevueassessments.com.