The most important reason for a meeting is MAKING DECISIONS!

A recent article in Investors Business Daily stressed the importance of having good meetings when formulating and implementing strategies.  It was a reminder of some good commonsense practices.  I add the following:

• Keep a clear focus on decision making.  Too much time is spent in the typical strategy meeting on “educating each other.”  Return (again and again) to the question: What decisions do we need to make now and in the future?
• Make it safe to say, “I don’t know.”  When we are dealing with strategies, we have numerous unknowns and those unknowns might be a cause of threat or opportunity. The rule is: it is more important to focus on what you don’t know than what you do know.
• The meetings that happen before the big event are just as important in identifying strategic issues.  Use that as a time to get people thinking and talking about the future. 

You can find the article at this link:  http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/541368/201007231615/Stage-Planning-Meetings-That-Have-Great-Results.aspx

What tips and practices have you seen used for making meetings more effective?

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