8 tips to keep your meetings productive

Having started a new job two weeks ago, building client relationships is one of the most important things I need to do to effectively manage my client’s accounts. This can’t be done without regular face-to-face contact.

But, I won’t disagree completely with Hacked Off Flack—I have been in many meetings that have proven to be a complete waste of time, turning into lengthy debates rather than short, sharp decision-making sessions.

With that in mind, here are some tips to ensure your meetings remain productive.

1. It’s all about the agenda.

Draft a realistic agenda before the meeting and issue it to all parties for additions and reference (about a week before if possible). This will ensure that everyone is in agreement on what needs to be discussed and will stop anything from being missed or tangents from taking over. Try to plan how long you think each item will last and decide your meeting length around this. Most importantly, stick to it and steer people back to the agenda if necessary.

2. Someone take notes.