A business meeting is an official gathering of people to conduct business that is related to their common interests. They have specific purposes and are guided by rules and regulations to ensure that they are efficient and fair. Business meetings can take place in person or via video conference. Making business meetings more efficient can be achieved by creating an agenda and giving time for discussion.
When the meeting begins it is important to define the agenda quickly and clearly and ensure that everyone understands what is expected from them. The meeting leader should also specify how decisions will be made either by consensus, majority vote or by the chairman on his own – to avoid confusion over who is responsible for what tasks. Make sure everyone is present before starting the discussion. This will allow them to fully participate in the discussion.
It is not uncommon to spend too much time on small, but important issues at the cost of more important subjects. This can be avoided by setting an end date for the discussion and adhering to it. Likewise, it is wise to establish a time limit for the meeting, since very few meetings produce anything of any value within two hours. This could save hours of secretarial telephone calls at the conclusion of the day to fix an unintentional meeting time on the agenda.
Sometimes, a person has something to say, but is so nervous about what others might think that he is unable to keep his thoughts to himself. The chairman should be alert to this and work to elicit such comments by expressing an interest in them and pleasure at their usefulness (as instead of expressing satisfaction at their acceptance).