No one ever set out to host a bad meeting. But many well-intentioned conveners fail because they don’t provide the right structure to deliver on the goal of their meeting.

We asked members of Apolitical to explain how they plan and host their meetings so you can learn from their experience. Here’s what they told us, edited lightly for clarity.

Prateek Buch, Senior Data Advisor, National Leadership Centre, UK government

What are some of the things you do when planning meetings to ensure they are fruitful and effective?

  • Invite the right people! Ensure a diverse range of views, and if decisions need to be taken, get the decision-makers in the (virtual) room
  • Set expectations and an outcome ahead of time, and confirm at the beginning of the meeting: “we're gathered here today to... does anyone want to add/change that?”
  • Send as much information out in advance as is practical, without overwhelming people or putting them off from attending. Is there a paper they can read, a link to click — and what are you asking them to do having read it?
  • Plan, but not in too much detail, how to chair. Is it formal/informal, are introductions necessary/practical, questions at the end/throughout?

What are some mistakes you make/see people make when organising and running meetings?

I admit, I do some of these myself:

  • Assuming all attendees know what the meeting is about, aiming to achieve, and/or where the previous conversations left off. Don't assume — it’s better to go back over things briefly than exclude people
  • Failing to acknowledge that people are different, and that life happens. Schedule meetings to suit people's needs, use techniques that suit attendee's styles, wherever possible
  • Abusing the chair: this happens when the chair goes off on a Monologue, exclude voices they disagree with or fail to address tension or points of view.
  • Tech fails, including asking people to join using software they can't use
  • If decisions are reached, failing to note them and reflect back to the group
  • The worst offence is having a meeting when an email/Slack message/WhatsApp would suffice, and its counterpart offence of relying on emails when a meeting is necessary

Can you share one or two super handy tips that you've learned to plan (or execute) meetings better?

  • Use as many Liberating Structures facilitation techniques as you can, they're great!

  • If appropriate, use emotional check-ins to ascertain the mood of the (virtual) room

  • When planning a meeting, Doodle polls help find suitable times, but try to find common tech, outcomes, and facilitation routes too — a well-timed meeting, run badly, is just as bad as a meeting nobody can attend!

Tip: Is a meeting the best way to progress? If so, ask yourself why and how. Every person needs to have a voice and the ability to move things on/contribute. — Victoria Camp, Transformation Manager, Caerphilly Council

Tip: Having just one person speak for the entire meeting is a surefire way for people to lose interest and drift off, especially remotely. Give attendees a role within the meeting so they are invested or ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak. — Scott Seaward User Researcher at The Office for National Statistics

Tip: Get clear on the outcome(s) that you want to achieve, then ensure you have the right participants in the room. If you're looking to make a decision, clearly communicate that to participants in advance so that they can request authority, or send someone higher up**.** — Ericka Stephens-Rennie, Free Agent, Government of Canada

Hero Laird, Pathfinder, Canada School of Public Service

Views expressed here do not necessarily express the views of my employer.

What are some of the things you do when planning meetings to ensure they are fruitful and effective?

  • Ask WHY: can this be done without meeting? Know why you are meeting. Avoid regular meetings unless the culture to use them effectively is there.

  • Ask WHO: be intentional about invitations (who can actually make a decision? Who will actually contribute content?). Do not base invitations on who thinks they should be there based on ego or title. If there are politics, address those outside of the meeting or set a meeting to address them.

  • FOLLOW THROUGH: book three hours of your schedule for every one-hour meeting (this will vary depending on your role). If you do not have time to follow up from the meeting, do not host or attend the meeting.

  • Facilitation and other prep matters, as does the forum. However if the first three are in-place, you're 90% of the way there.

Tip: Leaders eat last. The person with the most influence on the outcome of the meeting should speak last. They should only ask questions and provide context before that. Limit the paper in the room. If you give people handouts, they won't be paying as much attention to the speakers. — Scott Edwards, Business Analyst and Innovation Lead, Manitoba Government

Tip: Effective meetings are engaging meetings. Designing a meeting from scratch — whether in-person or online — I like to think of it as an experience for participants. This lens helps me to think and pay attention to details that I might not consider otherwise. — Isabella Gady, Design Strategist and Research, 3x3 Design, and former public servant

Tip: make sure each meeting action item is assigned to someone when wrapping up the meeting. — Ryan Lutz, Assistant Manager, Research and Strategy; The Kennedy Center

Maddi MacDonald, Corporate Engagement Strategist, Province of Nova Scotia

Virtual meetings: What are some of the things you do when planning meetings to ensure they are fruitful and effective?

  • When meeting virtually, participants are significantly more likely to stop paying attention. To keep the attention of the room, be concise, don't mumble, and use visual supports where appropriate (e.g. screen share your update notes).

  • Always allow for the first 10 minutes of the meeting to be unproductive. It is simply the reality of meeting virtually that numerous items can prevent a group from starting on time (e.g. network connections, poor wifi, uncharged headphones, software updates, crying baby, home deliveries, etc.). Build this buffer time into your meeting time.

  • If you are leading a meeting, you need to be proactive in keeping folks engaged. There are a number of ways to do this, including calling on folks randomly to contribute to the conversation/give an update. Participants are more likely to focus if they know their participation is being facilitated in this way.

  • Make use of instant messaging when in a group meeting. If you are facilitating a session, ask everyone if they are following along by sending a thumbs up or typing "yes" in the chat.

Tip: I would say the biggest mistake people make is to think that because more people join the meeting, it is going to be more effective. Usually, it’s the opposite. When too many people are in the meeting, not only can it create misunderstandings, but inviting people to a meeting where they are not needed is a waste of time for them. — Claudia Rivas, Consultant of the World Bank Education Unit

Tip: The biggest mistake I see people make is transactional convening. A skilled convener must hold the co-design process. I’ve seen many facilitators lose the trust and engagement of a group of people, by convening transactionally, for example by focusing on getting through a list and pre-planned tasks, being overly anxious about time, taking a parental tone and telling people off for going too slow and moving on from an activity when time runs out, whether people and groups are ready or not — Kelly Ann McKercher, Design Lead NSW Health Pathology

Tip: Meetings that don't work often don't have clear objectives. It's important participants know what is being asked of them. It's also important to have someone leading the meeting. Without a person to play the role of facilitator conversation can devolve and go off topic quickly. — Jordana Globerman

Jennifer M. Miller, PhD, Independent Scholar

What are some mistakes you make/see people make when organising and running meetings?

  • Avoid using icebreakers and introductions for large virtual meetings where people will not be working closely together. Find other ways to communicate who is who, such as displaying an org chart or team roster.
  • Start and end meetings on time, even if they are virtual. Put a topic at the start of the agenda that you will be able to cover even if a few participants are late.

Can you share one or two super handy tips that you've learned to plan (or execute) meetings better?

  • For business or professional meetings, have an agenda, even if you are only meeting with one other person. For small meetings, the agenda can be as informal as a list of bullet points.
  • As an attendee, you can be much more effective in meetings by coming prepared. Read the agenda and pre-meeting documents. Make a plan for what you want to accomplish and contribute.

Thank you to all Apolitical members who shared their tips with us: Victoria Camp, Jennifer M. Miller, Scott Edwards, Claudia Rivas, Kelly Ann McKercher, Scott Seaward, Maddi MacDonald, Ericka Stephens-Rennie, Prateek Buch, Ryan Lutz, Jordana Globerman, Hero Laird and Isabella Gady.

(Picture credit: Nappy.co)