Step #1: Make Sure You Need the Meeting

          As simple as it sounds, the first step to planning a great meeting is to asses whether or not the meeting is necessary. Have you ever sat at a meeting and wondered why you were there? Or felt frustration that you took time out of your schedule to attend a function that could have been communicated with a simple hand-out? This is where the first step is derived from.

          What is the message that you are trying to convey? If you have an answer to this question, you are "[beginning] with the end in mind;" as written by Stephen Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This will help you determine whether or not the meeting is appropriate to accomplish your own goals. Ask yourself if the meeting will accomplish one of the following questions:

Will the meeting solve the problem?

Will the meeting improve the process?

Will the meeting help to make an ongoing plan?

          If you cannot answer one of these questions with a simple "yes" or "no", consider other vehicles to communicate your message or to accomplish your goals. Some other communication vehicles may include email discussions, company newsletters, or phone conferences. In considering these options you must put yourself in your attendees shoes. 

          Consider the annoyance that you have felt with unscheduled phone conferences. This may include a game of Phone Tag, or the feeling that you were ambushed with an issue at hand. Or, the more modern game of email antics. Waiting at your computer screen to see another peers answer pop-up in your inbox can take hours, days, or even weeks. 

           By putting yourself in your audiences' shoes, you can determine what the best vehicle is to get the best results.

Written By: James Willies
Sources:
          Meeting Basics http://www.effectivemeetings.com/meetingbasics/meetings.asp
          Planning a Meeting http://www.rwjf.org/files/publications/RWJF_PlanningAMeeting.pdf