These tips are based on an article on INC.com.
Prepare an agenda and make it available in advance
Whether or not a meeting will be effective is decided long before it ever begins. Set a clear agenda and send it out at least a day in advance because, without an agenda, the meeting can easily turn into a discussion of topics no one expected, ones that may not even be relevant. A clearly defined agenda not only prepares everyone for what will be discussed, but also encourages participants to come up with ideas and questions they would like to raise during the meeting. And who knows: with a little pre-prepared content, your subordinates might even start coming to the meeting with enthusiasm.
Allocate responsibilities and designate "directly responsible persons"
We all know the scenario: everyone agrees on what needs to be done but at the next meeting you find out that no one has done anything. Accountability is lost in a collective fog if no one is clearly assigned to specific tasks. A simple solution is to assign "Directly Responsible Individuals" (DRIs). Each task, decision or action step should have one specific "owner" who will be responsible for its completion or further progress. This will not only increase the chances of things moving forward, but also make it clearer who is in charge of what and whether any of your subordinates are overworked.
Summarise each meeting each time and send brief minutes
People are only human; their memory is not always reliable, so what was discussed and agreed at the meeting can easily be forgotten. Therefore, it is a good idea to summarise the main points at the end of each meeting and send out a short note as soon as possible afterwards, ideally on the same day. The minutes should be concise and clear, and contain the main conclusions, decisions and tasks, including the persons directly responsible. This will ensure everyone stays on the same page and has clear instructions on what needs to be done before the next meeting.
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