Ways of Managing Business meetings Effectively

Business Meetings are hectic in this business world making life for executives or professional people to meet deadline or making it happen. There is need for proper planning for and chairing meetings. Special arrangements are needed to follow for large meetings such as board meetings or annual general meetings.
Types of meetings
1. Conference calls, telephone, video and conferencing.
2. Discussing the issue via email by sending messages to all relevant parties.
3. Webinars ,
Step in making it a success
1. Think carefully about whom to invite – very important people making decisions, those significantly affected by those decisions or those who have some specific knowledge to contribute, limit the numbers.
2. Provide relevant information to attendees
• Plenty of notice of the meeting’s time and venue
• Outline and circulate a draft of agenda and time on each topic
• Set objectives of the meeting ,start and end of meeting especially if you are holding a lengthy meeting asking people to drop in and out
• Relevant information documents such topics to be discussed may have to be sent to attendees publications send your contact details and others staff members such as staff in case of emergence.
3. Think about catering requirement if appropriate
• Provide lunch during long hours and asking for special dietary
4. Delegate taking minutes
• Find someone other yourself in taking minutes this makes it easier in handling the meeting.
5. Find and prepare the venue
• Other essentials required include enough tables, chairs, flip charts enough paper, there is enough light, heating or ventilation enough power points over head projector or laptop.
6. Cross check very thing is okay
• Begin on the time
• Welcome every one introduction on how to use the facilities
• Taking of mobiles phones
• Set back on the objectives of meeting
7. Keep a tight rein on the proceedings
• Making sure that attendees keep to one agenda point at a time
• Summarise at the appropriate intervals and restate agreed action points
• Firmly move the discussion forward if the subject became exhausted
8. Take control and monitor
• Make sure no one dominates the meeting by removing all small meetings in the crowd (sabotage)
9. Wrap it up
• The meeting by thanking everyone for their attendances and contribution. If possible let the attendances know when the next meeting is.
10. Make sure every one is clear on the follow up action required make sure that the person taking the minutes to write them up as possible so that they can be distributed to all the attendees. Bear in mind that most of the attendees will only glance briefly at the meeting minutes or refer back to them in order to locate specific piece information.
• Agreed actions
• The people responsible for them
• Deadline if appropriate
• Date of next meeting if you agreed to arrange another
11. Common mistakes
• You shouldn’t leave the arrangements to the last minute. Plan in advance and make sure every thing is in place early and spend the time you need.
Best sources of help
12. book
• manage meetings positively : how to take change and come up with results steps to success series
London: A & C Black, 2006.

• Websites
• It –analysis .com: www.it-analysis.com/article.php?articled=3728
• and www.it-analysis.com/article.php?articleid=3729
• Vista:www.vista.uk.com/virtual_meetings.html