1. SET THE AGENDA

It may seem like an obvious requirement, but a lot of meetings start with no clear sense of purpose. The meeting’s agenda can be summarized on a handout, written on a whiteboard or discussed explicitly at the outset, but everyone should know why they’ve gathered and what they’re supposed to be accomplishing. The agenda provides a compass for the conversation, so the meeting can get back on track if the discussion wanders off course.

2. START ON TIME. END ON TIME.

Nothing can drain the energy from a room quite like waiting for the person in charge to show up. Time […]