business meeting essay

What is an effective meeting?

Top view of creative businesspeople having meeting

“This meeting should have been an email.” Emblazoned on coffee mugs, endless memes, and your colleagues’ faces on their ninth video call of the day, this sentence may end up being a catchphrase of the modern era.

As the pandemic rewrote the rule book for coworking and office culture, new processes and untested systems allowed inefficiencies to creep in —inefficiencies that included meetings scheduled for the sake of unstructured discussion or even basic human interaction rather than for productivity. While interacting might be easier than ever, value-creating collaboration isn’t—and its quality seems to be deteriorating .

Effective meetings aren’t just about keeping ourselves from going around the bend. When meetings aren’t run well—or when there are too many of them— decision making becomes slower and the quality of decisions suffers. According to one McKinsey survey , 61 percent of executives said that at least half the time they spent making decisions—much of it surely spent in meetings—was ineffective. Just 37 percent of respondents said their organizations’ decisions were both timely and high quality. And, in a different survey , 80 percent of executives were considering or already implementing changes in meeting structure and cadence in response to the evolution of how people worked during the pandemic.

What’s more, when leaders try to solve for inefficient decision making, they too often look to organizational charts and vertical-command relationships. Rarely, in McKinsey’s experience, do they see the real issue at hand: poor design and execution of collaborative interactions. In other words, you guessed it, ineffective meetings.

It doesn’t have to be this way. When meetings are run well, they not only foster better decisions but also leave attendees feeling energized and motivated to carry the momentum forward independently. For tips on how to put a stop to video call fatigue and restart your team’s productivity, read on.

Learn more about McKinsey’s People & Organizational Performance Practice .

What does time management have to do with effective meetings?

“The only thing on Earth that never lies to you is your calendar ,” says renowned business author and McKinsey alum Tom Peters. “That’s why I’m a fanatic on the topic of time management. But when you use that term, people think, ‘Here’s an adult with a brain. And he’s teaching time management. Find something more important, please.’ But something more important doesn’t exist.”

Endless, diffuse meetings, according to Peters, take up far too much of executives’ precious working time. Half of leaders’ time, he says, citing an idea from the Israeli executive Dov Frohman, should be unscheduled. What should they do with all that unstructured time? One typically cheeky suggestion from Peters is to read more.

The reality is that effective meetings and good time management exist in a virtuous circle. Good time management means you feel empowered to turn down unnecessary meetings—and better meetings mean you spend the rest of your time feeling more purposeful in carrying out your work.

How can leaders address the problem of time scarcity?

McKinsey’s experience shows that leaders may want to stop thinking about time management as primarily an individual problem and start addressing it institutionally. Increasingly, time management is an organizational issue with roots deeply embedded in corporate cultures.

Unsurprisingly, the solution seems to be balance. Executives in one McKinsey survey who reported being satisfied with the way their time is allocated spent 34 percent of their working time interacting with external stakeholders (including boards, customers, and investors), 39 percent in internal meetings (including one-on-ones with direct reports, leadership team meetings, and other employee gatherings), and 24 percent working alone.

Here are five ways to achieve optimal balance in allocating time :

Have a ‘time leadership’ budget—and a process for allocating it. When adding a project or initiative, companies should analyze how much leadership attention, guidance, and intervention each will need. In our experience, this is the best way to move toward the goal of treating leaders’ time as a finite resource—one that is as precious as a company’s financial capital.
Consider time when you introduce organizational change. Understanding the time required to achieve goals is critical to the long-term success of any organizational change. The hours needed to manage, lead, or supervise an employee can leave managers with little time left over. Getting this balance right can be tough—having too few managers could lead them to feel overwhelmed, with more direct reports than they can manage. But having too many managers can cause redundancies and unnecessary complexity.
Ensure that individuals routinely measure and manage their time. Time analysis exercises can yield surprising results—and can inspire time management that more closely aligns with organizational priorities. Including time-related metrics in performance reviews is another driver of behavioral change.
Refine the principal calendar. Revisit all standing meetings and make an honest assessment of which ones are being held out of habit and which ones are genuinely useful.
Provide high-quality administrative support. In a survey of executives on how they allocate their time , 85 percent of those who considered themselves effective time managers reported that they received strong support in scheduling and allocating time. Only 7 percent of ineffective time allocators said the same. In the case of one global chemical company, the administrative assistant of the CEO considers it her responsibility to ensure that the organization’s strategic objectives are reflected in the way she allocates the CEO’s time.

Learn more about McKinsey’s People & Organizational Performance Practice .

What are three questions you should ask yourself before scheduling a meeting?

Good meetings nurture better decision making . On the flip side, inefficient meetings not only waste time but also create distraction and confusion even when people are working independently. Here are three questions you can ask when scheduling a meeting that can help create the clarity needed for efficient decision making.

Should this even be a meeting at all? Recurring meetings are particularly susceptible to migration from the original purpose toward something more diffuse. Check in with stakeholders to ensure that the frequency is right (weekly meetings could be changed to monthly, perhaps), or think about whether decisions could be best made by an individual—with, of course, guidance from others.

Then go deeper. Examine whether your company’s culture is to encourage meetings rather than individual decision making. To remedy this, if you’re a leader, think twice before reflexively accepting any meeting invitation as it appears in your inbox. The goal should be to treat leadership capacity as a finite resource— just like your company’s financial capital .

What is this meeting for? A meeting’s title and its purpose are not the same. When the latter isn’t clear, meetings can seem frustrating at best and futile at worst. To help avoid this, companies can appoint a “chief of staff” for certain efforts or products. This person collates materials before meetings, ensures that they are distributed ahead of time, and verifies that the due diligence has been done to necessitate a meeting in the first place. This can lead to better-informed participants, which in turn can lead to more effective time spent in meetings—and, ultimately, better decisions.

What is everyone’s role? Even if a meeting has a clear purpose, it’s of little use if there is no one present deputized to make a decision . Equally, even if it’s clear who the decider is, it’s a mistake to hold a meeting when people are unsure of participants’ roles. McKinsey analysts have seen poor role clarity stymie productivity and cause frustration, especially when decisions involve complicated business activities that cut across organizational boundaries. Blurry accountability is especially costly in an era where speed and agility confer a competitive advantage .

Meeting participants can be divided into four roles:

Decision makers should be the only participants with a vote, and the ones with the responsibility to decide as they see fit. Sometimes decision makers will need to “disagree and commit,” to use a phrase coined by Jeff Bezos in a 2017 letter to Amazon shareholders.
Advisers give input and shape the decision. They typically have a big stake in the decision’s outcome.
Recommenders conduct analyses, explore alternatives, illuminate pros and cons, and ultimately recommend a course of action to the advisers and decision makers. The more recommenders the better—for the process, not the decision meeting itself.
Execution partners don’t give input in making the decision but are deeply involved in implementation. For optimal speed and clarity, execution partners should be in the room when the decision is made so that they can envision how the implementation will evolve from the decision.

OK, I’ve eliminated all unnecessary meetings and assigned specific purposes to each one. Now what?

Great work. Now you can assign each meeting to one of the following three categories , and make specific shifts to improve the outcomes.

Decision-making meetings. This category includes routine decisions, like quarterly business reviews, as well as complex or uncertain decisions, like decisions about investments. In order to make high-quality decisions quickly, it’s critical to clarify exactly who is going to make them. Some of these meetings can be held virtually, but complex decision-making meetings are better in person. These meetings should result in a final decision (even if not everyone agrees).
Creative solutions and coordination meetings. These include innovation sessions—for instance, in support of a new product—as well as routine working sessions, like daily check-ins. Rather than telling people what to do, leaders should work to empower employees to make their own (supported) decisions and to spend more time on high-quality coaching sessions. As with decision-making meetings, creative solutions and coordinating meetings can be virtual—but most innovation sessions should be in person. Innovation sessions should result in potential solutions and prepare for a decision meeting, whereas routine working meetings can result in next steps.
Information-sharing meetings. Live interaction can be useful for information sharing, especially when an interpretive lens is required or if the information is sensitive. But information-sharing meetings are often regarded as having limited value. Many organizations have recently moved to drastically improve meeting efficiency. Netflix, for example, has limited the duration of meetings to a maximum of 30 minutes and requires that meetings involving one-way information sharing be canceled in favor of other mechanisms like a memo, podcast, or vlog. Early data from Netflix shows that the company has reduced meetings by more than 65 percent and that more than 85 percent of employees favor the approach. The goal of these meetings should be to increase awareness of the new information shared in the meeting.

What are some best practices for video meetings?

Establishing best practices for meetings might seem like common sense—but they are not commonly practiced. Here are some helpful tips from Karin M. Reed , author of the 2021 book Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work :

Time: The most effective meetings are short meetings. Rather than scheduling a two-hour call with ten agenda items, cut it down to a 20-minute meeting with two agenda items. There are limits to people’s endurance and attention spans in the virtual environment.
Participants: When determining the number of attendees for decision-making meetings, the sweet spot is five to seven. More than seven attendees in any meeting can result in an unwieldy discussion.
Appearance: Pay attention to your appearance when hosting a videoconference. It’s not a matter of vanity—it shows respect for your conversation partner and can help you get your message across. Light your face properly: facial expressions are critical to conveying a message. And anything that takes attention away from you, whether it’s a crackly audio connection or a silly picture of Uncle Rupert in the background, will distract from your message.
Eye contact: Look at your camera lens when you’re talking, not at your screen. This goes against our natural impulses, but eye contact is critical when you’re having a conversation. And to maintain eye contact on a video call, you need to look at your camera.
Inclusion: Leaders should engage in proactive facilitation to ensure that everyone has the chance to say their piece. Cold calling on people—gently, and with good intention—lets people know that it’s their time to speak. Even if someone doesn’t have anything to add, they will have felt included.

For more in-depth exploration of these topics, see McKinsey’s People & Organizational Performance Practice . Also check out organizational structure–related job opportunities if you’re interested in working at McKinsey.

Articles referenced:

“ If we’re all so busy, why isn’t anything getting done? ,” January 10, 2022, Aaron De Smet , Caitlin Hewes, Mengwei Luo, J. R. Maxwell , and Patrick Simon
“ Author Talks: Karin M. Reed on virtual meetings ,” April 20, 2021
“ To unlock better decision making, plan better meetings ,” November 9, 2020, Aaron De Smet and Leigh Weiss
“ Want a better decision? Plan a better meeting ,” McKinsey Quarterly , May 8, 2019, Aaron De Smet , Gregor Jost , and Leigh Weiss
“ Tom Peters on leading the 21st-century organization ,” McKinsey Quarterly , September 1, 2014, Aaron De Smet and Suzanne Heywood
“ Making time management the organization’s priority ,” McKinsey Quarterly , January 1, 2013, Frankki Bevins and Aaron De Smet

Want to know more about effective meetings?

If we’re all so busy, why isn’t anything getting done?

To unlock better decision making, plan better meetings

Author Talks: Karin M. Reed on virtual meetings

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The Right Way to Start a Meeting

Liane Davey

Make a good first impression.

We all know there’s a price to pay for a making bad first impression: A limp handshake conveys low confidence; a wrinkled suit makes you seem lazy; oversharing comes across as emotional instability. But do you ever think about the first impression your meetings make? Frequently restarting meetings for stragglers sends the message that participants have more control than you do. Issues opened for discussion with no clear purpose get hijacked by participants with a clearer agenda than yours. Monologues validate everyone’s fears that your meeting is going to be about as valuable (and as scintillating) as watching an hour of C-SPAN.

LD Liane Davey is a team effectiveness advisor and professional speaker . She is the author of The Good Fight and You First , and the coauthor of Leadership Solutions . LianeDavey

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The Role and Main Aspects of Business Meeting

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Published: Apr 30, 2020

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The importance of effective meetings.

March 13, 2019 John Keyser Efficiency , Leadership , Success Factors 2

Meetings are vitally important – if done well. Meetings help people feel included, trusted, and that they are important team members, as well as giving them the opportunity to contribute to the success of our companies.

Meetings and individual one-on-one conversations are fuel that runs our companies.

Our organizational culture is critically important and drives the consistency of our success, or lack thereof. And our culture is not determined solely by our most senior leaders. The principles, practices and behavior of our middle managers is equally important. We’ve likely all heard “People don’t leave their companies, they leave (quit) their bosses.” This is true.

Meetings give important opportunities for our team members to contribute their ideas and also letting them know our expectations, needs and wants from them.

Unfortunately, a lot of meetings, well, most, are ineffective. We speak with literally hundreds in the workplace each year as we are facilitating our leadership coaching and assessments of organizational culture and leadership (360s). A theme which comes up often is meetings, e.g., the number of meetings and the inefficiency of the meetings. This is worth addressing as it certainly is important.

One highly effective leader offered to me that “We can work or we can meet.” While I chuckled, I have thought about that ever since. So many have said “Ugh, another meeting. There are so many and so little is accomplished.”

Of course, again, meetings are essential. No question. Yet, they should be purposeful and efficient.

Here are ideas to consider:

What is the purpose of the meeting? If it is for information sharing, can it be shared by email? This could save time. Then the meeting could be to ask questions and to clarify – and to make decisions.
Meetings are typically scheduled for an hour, as that fits a calendar. Why not 45 minutes, or 30? Let’s respect people’s time.
Start meetings on time and end on time. In my prior career, based on feedback from our people, we committed to follow this principle.

Our agenda discussions began on the button, not 5 after, and ended at the scheduled time. When someone showed up late, which of course will happen, we would not circle back to repeat what we had covered. Guess what? People arrived on schedule.

Are the right people invited to the meeting? And only those that need to be there?
Have we asked our team members in advance for their ideas of discussion topics?
Are agendas distributed in advance – ideally three days in advance? I learned from reading Susan Cain’s insightful book, Quiet , that introverts may have the most to contribute, the most helpful ideas, but likely only if they know the topic(s) well ahead of a discussion. Otherwise, as they are deep thinkers, the discussion may end while they are still thinking, and their ideas and contributions go unspoken. Just think about meetings. Generally, isn’t it the same people who usually speak out?
Are we encouraging everyone to offer input and contribute their ideas?
Are we assuring everyone that respectful disagreement and debate are desired? We do not want “yes” men and women, but, for certain, when the discussion and meeting end, we unite and all are supportive of decisions and no complaints afterwards.

Our suggestion to avoid endless, ineffective and inefficient meetings is to ask the people in these meetings:

When should we meet?
How can we make our meetings more productive?

At the end of each meeting, check in with everyone, and to please be honest – How are they feeling about the meeting? And are they in agreement about and supportive of decisions?

Let’s do our best to end these ineffective meetings. Remember, the best ideas are bottom up ideas, so ask our people for their ideas about making our meetings meaningful.

As leaders, let’s respect our people’s time and enable them to add the most value, and then our people, our culture, our teamwork, our morale, and our companies will thrive.

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Meeting agenda examples: How to plan, write, and implement

How to write an effective meeting agenda + template article banner image

Your agenda tells your team what to expect during a meeting and how they can prepare for it. Ideally, you’ll use your agenda to connect your team with the meeting’s purpose, assign tasks or items to team members, and designate a realistic amount of time to each agenda item. A great meeting agenda maximizes the meeting’s effectiveness and keeps your team on track.

An effective agenda communicates the purpose of your meeting, gives your team the chance to prepare their agenda items, and keeps everyone on track.

Whether you’re preparing for your next board meeting, staff meeting, or business meeting, we’ll help you write an agenda that will maximize your meeting’s potential.

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What is a meeting agenda?

A meeting agenda serves as a structured roadmap for your meeting, detailing the topics and activities planned. Its primary role is to provide meeting participants with a clear framework, outlining the sequence of events, the leader for each agenda item, and the time allocated for each task. By having this agenda as a guide both before and throughout the meeting, it helps to facilitate an efficient and productive flow of discussion.

How to write a meeting agenda

Crafting a meeting agenda is a key step in ensuring a focused and productive meeting. Here's how to do it effectively.

1. Clarify meeting objectives

The first step in writing a meeting agenda is to clearly define any goals. In clarifying the goal, be as specific as possible. This specificity helps guide the discussion and ensure that the meeting remains focused. It also helps stakeholders prepare for the meeting.

For example, if the goal is to finalize the budget for the next quarter or discuss new business, participants would come prepared with relevant data and insights.

A well-defined goal also helps set the meeting's tone and align everyone's expectations. This clarity leads to a more structured discussion and a more productive meeting overall.

[inline illustration] how to state the purpose of a meeting in an agenda (infographic)

2. Invite participant input

Inviting input from participants before finalizing the agenda is a critical step in creating a comprehensive and inclusive meeting plan. This involves reaching out to potential attendees and asking if there's anything specific they would like to discuss or add to the meeting agenda.

For example, if you're planning a meeting for a project team, you could send an email asking each member to suggest topics they feel are important to address. This could reveal issues or ideas you hadn't considered, ensuring a more well-rounded agenda.

Incorporating participant input not only makes the agenda more comprehensive but also increases engagement. When team members see their suggestions included, they feel valued and are more likely to participate actively in the meeting. It also ensures that the meeting addresses the concerns of all attendees.

Gathering input can be done through various channels, like email, shared docs, or team collaboration tools. The key is to make it easy for meeting participants to contribute and to ensure their suggestions are considered and, where appropriate, included in the final agenda.

3. Outline key questions for discussion

Making a list of important things to talk about is important for keeping the meeting on track and focused. Start by identifying the main meeting topics that need to be addressed and framing them as questions.

For instance, if the meeting is to discuss the progress of an ongoing project, key questions might include:

What are the current roadblocks in the project?

How are we tracking against the project timeline

What resources are needed to maintain the pace of work?

These questions serve as talking points and a guide for the discussion, ensuring that all relevant topics are covered. They also help in structuring the conversation, making it easier for participants to prepare and engage effectively.

4. Define each task’s purpose

Each task or topic on the agenda should have a clearly defined purpose. This transparency helps participants understand the importance of each discussion point and how it relates to the overall goal of the meeting.

For example, if one of the agenda items is to review recent client feedback and performance metrics, the purpose might be to identify areas for improvement in customer service. By stating this purpose, participants can focus their thoughts on this specific objective, leading to a more targeted and fruitful discussion.

Defining the purpose of each task also helps prevent the meeting from going off track. When participants understand why a topic is being discussed, they are less likely to veer off-topic, making the meeting more efficient.

5. Allocate time for agenda items

Effective meeting management requires allotting time for each item on the agenda. This includes determining the amount of time needed for each meeting topic or task and scheduling the meeting appropriately.

For instance, if you have five items on your agenda, you might allocate 10 minutes for a brief update, 20 minutes for brainstorming, and 15 minutes for discussing action items. This time allocation should be based on the complexity and importance of each topic.

Effective time management requires being realistic with your time estimates and factoring in extra time for unforeseen conversations or inquiries. This approach helps in keeping the meeting within the scheduled time frame, respecting everyone's time, and maintaining focus.

6. Assign topic facilitators

Assigning facilitators for each topic on the agenda can greatly enhance the effectiveness of the meeting. A facilitator’s role is to guide the discussion, make certain that the conversation stays on track, and that all voices are heard.

For example, if one of the agenda items is to discuss sales strategies, you might assign this topic to a senior salesperson. Their expertise and familiarity with the subject can help steer the conversation productively.

Facilitators should be chosen based on their knowledge of the topic and their ability to manage group discussions. They should also be briefed on their role and the expectations for the discussion.

7. Write the meeting agenda

Finally, compile all the elements into a structured and comprehensive agenda. The agenda should include the meeting’s goal, a list of topics to be discussed with their purposes, time allocations, and assigned facilitators. This structure provides a clear roadmap for the meeting, ensuring that all important points are covered.

Share the agenda with all participants well in advance of the meeting. This allows them to prepare and ensures that everyone is on the same page. A well-written agenda is a key tool in running an effective and productive meeting.

Tips to create an effective meeting agenda

Let’s start with some of our favorite tips on creating great meeting agendas so you can make the most of yours:

Create and share your meeting agenda as early as possible. At the very latest, you should share your meeting agenda an hour before the meeting time. This allows everyone to prepare for what’s going to happen. Your team can also relay questions or additional agenda items to you for a potential adjustment before the meeting. Besides, when your team members have a chance to properly prepare themselves, they’ll have a much easier time focusing during the meeting.

Link to any relevant pre-reading materials in advance. This can be the presentation deck, additional context, or a previous decision. Everyone arriving at the meeting will be on the same page and ready to move the discussion forward rather than asking a ton of questions that take up relevant time.

Assign facilitators for each agenda item. Remember that feeling of being called on in school when you didn’t know the answer? It’s a pretty terrible feeling that we’re sure you don’t want to evoke in your teammates. By assigning a facilitator for each agenda item before the meeting, you allow them to prepare for a quick rundown of the topic, questions, and feedback.

Define and prioritize your agenda items. Differentiate between the three categories of agenda items: informational, discussion topics, and action items. Clarifying the purpose of each agenda item helps your team member understand what’s most important and what to focus on. You’ll also want to prioritize which items are most important and absolutely have to be discussed during the meeting and which ones can be addressed asynchronously, should the clock run out.

Use your meeting agenda during the meeting to track notes and action items. That way, all of the meeting information is in one place. If anyone has questions about decisions or action items from the meeting, they have an easy place to find it. Bonus: Do this in Asana so you can assign out action items and next steps to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Asana also integrates with Zoom and pulls in your Zoom recording or meeting transcript directly into the meeting agenda task.

[inline illustration] 3 types of agenda items (infographic)

Create flow by categorizing your agenda items. To maximize productivity, you’ll want to create a meeting agenda that flows well. Batch similar items together and ensure they can build off of one another. For example, list any informational items before the discussion items so your team has all of the information going into the discussion.

Allocate enough time for each item on your agenda. Nobody will complain about a meeting that runs short—keeping everyone longer than anticipated isn’t as much fun. Plan sufficient time for each agenda item by calculating an estimated time and adding a couple of minutes as a buffer. This will help with keeping your team on track and moving on from a topic when the time runs out.

By sticking to these best practices, you can ensure that your meeting agenda is a reliable tool and does the job—before, during, and after your meeting.

Why are meeting agendas important?

Whether you work from home and take virtual calls or sit in the office and meet in person, meetings can be incredibly draining. Beginning with some small talk may be nice to get to know each other better or catch up on what everyone did this past weekend but it certainly isn’t goal-oriented or productive. A meeting agenda can help your team maximize the potential of each meeting you hold.

Our research shows that unnecessary meetings accounted for 157 hours of “work” in 2020, compared to 103 in 2019. Considering a 40-hour work week, that’s almost four weeks of wasted time. This is where your meeting agenda comes in. If you’re doing it right, writing your meeting agenda is the first and best indicator of whether or not your meeting is actually necessary. If you find that everything on your meeting agenda can be discussed asynchronously , you can cancel the meeting and share your message in a time-saving email.

That isn’t to say all meetings should be replaced by emails. If you’re sure that the meeting is justified and necessary in order to drive your team’s progress, have that meeting. However, always make sure that you create an agenda before getting together so your team members know what you’ll be discussing and why the meeting matters.

Here are a few more great reasons to have meeting agendas:

Your agenda allows everyone to prepare for the meeting. Ideally, every item on your agenda will have a dedicated topic facilitator. When everyone going into the meeting knows what their responsibilities are in advance, they have time to prepare and will be more efficient during the meeting.

It shows you’re considerate of your team’s time. When your team receives a well-thought-out meeting agenda, they’ll immediately see that the meeting is actually necessary. Besides, it’s also a roadmap that will keep you on track during the meeting and ensure no time is wasted.

[inline illustration] be considerate of your team's time in a meeting (infographic)

An agenda sets clear expectations of what will and won’t be discussed. Think of a meeting agenda as a way of setting boundaries and ensuring that only topics on the agenda will be talked about. If anything comes up during the meeting that needs to be discussed, write it down in your minutes and return to it later. Either at the end of your meeting—if you got through it faster than expected—asynchronously, or in the next meeting.

It keeps your team on track. Your meeting agenda will prevent your team from drifting off—whether that’s discussing non-agenda topics (like the barbecue at Kat’s place last night) or taking too much time for an item that had specific time allocated.

Your agenda will provide purpose, structure, and opportunities to collaborate. With a clear plan for everyone to follow, your team will go into the meeting knowing the purpose and goal of the meeting. Your meeting agenda also allows your team to direct their attention toward opportunities to collaborate, whether that’s during a brainstorming session , a town hall, or your daily standup.

Track next steps and action items so nothing falls through the cracks. Keep your agenda open during the meeting to capture any next steps or action items . By adding them directly into the agenda, these items won’t be forgotten when the meeting ends.

Meetings are great opportunities for your team to bond but the time spent on small talk can be worked into the first few minutes of the agenda rather than surfacing every now and then during the meeting, disrupting the flow and productivity or your team’s discussion.

Meeting agenda examples

We’ve discussed what makes a good meeting agenda and what you should avoid doing but, as always, it’s easiest to learn from a real life example. Let’s take a look at a project kickoff meeting agenda created in Asana:

[Product UI] Meeting agenda, project kickoff in Asana (Tasks)

As you can see, each item has a timebox and a teammate assigned to ensure everyone knows when it’s their turn and how long they have to lead their discussion or give their presentation. The agenda also has relevant files attached and is shared with all team members for visibility and better collaboration.

Meetings are a staple in the professional world, each with its own unique focus and dynamics. Understanding how to tailor your meeting agenda to the type of meeting you're conducting is key to ensuring effective communication and teamwork. Here are some common types of meetings and examples of how to structure their agendas.

Team meeting agenda

Team meetings serve as a platform for team building, decision making, and brainstorming. They can vary in frequency and duration but are essential for ensuring alignment and forward momentum. Effective team meeting agendas should include recurring items for regular meetings and space for new, ad-hoc topics. It’s also vital to track next steps and responsibilities assigned during the meeting. An example of a 45-minute team meeting agenda might cover metrics, a round-table plan, identification of blockers, and recognition of team members' contributions.

Daily Scrum meeting agenda

Daily scrum meetings, or stand-ups , are brief, focused gatherings aimed at keeping the team aligned during a sprint. These meetings typically cover blockers, a recap of the previous day’s work, goals for the current day, and progress towards sprint goals. The agility of these meetings helps in maintaining momentum and addressing issues promptly.

Project kickoff meeting agenda

Project kickoff meetings bring together cross-functional teams to start a new project. These meetings set the tone for the project and align everyone on objectives and expectations. The agenda should cover the project brief, roles and responsibilities, meeting cadence, actionable next steps, and a Q&A session to clarify doubts and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Retrospective meeting agenda

A retrospective meeting is a type of recurring meeting focused on reflecting on a past period of work, usually at the end of a project cycle or sprint. Its main purpose is to share information among team members about what worked well and what didn't. During the meeting, the entire team discusses various meeting topics, including successes, challenges, and blockers that impacted their work. This process helps in identifying areas for improvement and developing strategies to address any issues. Retrospective meetings are vital for continuous team development and ensuring better outcomes in future work cycles.

One-on-one meeting agenda

One-on-one meetings , whether they are between a manager and a direct report, peer-to-peer, or skip-level, are crucial for discussing work projects, roadblocks, and career development. They are foundational for building trust.

A good agenda for these meetings should balance topics like motivation, communication, growth, and work-related discussions. Avoid status updates; those are better suited for stand-up meetings. Sample questions for a weekly one-on-one might include assessing highlights and lowlights of the week, discussing any blockers, and inquiring about work-life balance.

Remote one-on-one meeting agenda

Remote one-on-one meetings require a slightly different approach, with a focus on rapport-building and clear communication. Since physical presence is lacking, these meetings benefit from a shared online agenda accessible to all participants. Key points could include checking in on general well-being, discussing current work assignments, and addressing any immediate concerns or assistance needed.

Skip-level meeting agenda

Skip-level meetings, involving senior managers and employees not in their direct report chain, offer a chance to connect across organizational levels. These meetings are ideal for discussing broader career development and providing feedback to senior leadership. Agenda items might cover clarity on company strategies and goals, personal professional objectives, and suggestions for organizational improvements.

Leadership team meeting agenda

Leadership team meetings are vital for strategic decision-making and issue resolution at the highest levels of an organization. An effective agenda for such meetings might include personal updates, reviewing key metrics, sharing wins and insights, discussing important messages, addressing pressing issues, and allocating time for an open discussion or "hot seat" session where specific topics are addressed in-depth.

Each type of meeting, be it an all-hands gathering, one-on-one discussion, performance review, or team brainstorming session, requires a thoughtfully crafted agenda to avoid unproductive meetings and keep discussions on track.

By using these meeting agenda examples, you can ensure that each meeting, regardless of its format, contributes meaningfully to the organization's goals and enhances teamwork and collaboration.

Running an effective meeting

It’s one thing to have an amazingly organized and detailed agenda that your team can reference before the meeting—using it as a tool during the meeting is a whole other ballpark. These tips will help you make your meeting agenda as useful during the meeting as it is as a preparation tool

Stick to your agenda. The best agenda becomes useless if you don’t stick to it during the meeting. Try not to bounce back and forth between agenda items but rather stick to the priorities you established earlier.

Stick to your timeboxes. It absolutely helps release some tension and lighten the mood if you have a bit of small talk or a quick check-in at the beginning of your meeting. That’s why you should allocate three to five minutes to this—and stick to the timeframe. Pictures of Kabir’s son’s adorable Halloween costume can be shared elsewhere so you have enough time to reach your meeting’s goals now.

Designate a note taker. At the beginning of the meeting, designate a note taker who will write down any questions, feedback, tasks, and ideas that come up during the meeting. You can rotate this position so everyone on your team gets to contribute at some point. Ideally, these notes are taken in the same place as the meeting agenda—this will make it a lot easier for team members to follow the notes and link them to agenda items. Notes can also be directly entered into Asana for real-time updating and tracking

Follow up after the meeting. Typically, the note taker will be responsible for following up with the meeting notes afterward. The notes should include any decisions that were made during the meeting, tasks that need to be completed, and questions that remained unanswered. If possible, assign teammates and add due dates to action items to keep accountability high. To ensure that these action items are tracked and completed, they should be promptly added to our Asana project management tool.

Make the most out of every meeting

With Asana, you can keep your meeting agenda, meeting minutes, and meeting action items in one place. Effortlessly share the agenda with your team and assign agenda items in real time so nothing falls through the cracks.

Streamlining your meetings with one central tool will reduce the amount of work about work your team faces, connect everyone to the purpose of the meeting, and allow for productive meetings everyone enjoys.

Related resources

Provider onboarding software: Simplify your hiring process

8 steps to write an effective project status report

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Timesheet templates: How to track team progress

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The 100 most useful phrases for business meetings

By: Alex Case | Category: Business Communications | Topic: Vocabulary

Last Updated: 15th Oct. 2023

This is a list of essential phrases for being able to communicate in English during business meetings

The most useful phrases for the beginning of meetings

Ending the small talk and getting down to business phrases, dealing with practicalities of the meeting, the most useful phrases for the body of a meeting, the most useful turn taking (interrupting, etc) phrases, the most useful phrases for ending meetings.

M eeting people for the first time

(We’ve emailed many times but/ We’ve spoken on the phone but) it’s so nice to finally meet you (face to face).
You must be (name) .
Here’s my business card.

Small talk at the beginning of a meeting

Did you have any trouble finding us?/ Did you have any trouble getting here?
How was your journey?/ How was your flight?
Is this your first time (here) in (name of place) ?
Nice day/ Lovely day/ Horrible weather/ Rather hot/ A bit humid (today), isn’t it?

Transitions phrases for moving smoothly from one stage to another

Well (then),…/ Okay (then),…/ Right (then),…/ So,…/ Anyway,…/ Anyhow,…

Saying something nice about the small talk

…I’d love to chat more, but…
…you must tell me more about that later, but…
…it’s been lovely to catch up, but…

Giving a reason for finishing the small talk

…we have a lot to get through today, so…
…we have to be out of here by 12, so…
…I have another meeting at 11, so…

Getting down to business phrases

… let’s get down to business/ I think we should make a start/ shall we get started…

Language after the suggestion to make it softer and prompt a reaction

…, if you don’t mind/ if that’s okay (with you).

Responding to getting down to business phrases

Of course./ Sure. (Let’s.)

Polite language at the beginning of a meeting

Thanks for coming (all the way here/ so far) today (so early in the morning/ on such a cold day).

Talking about the agenda

Does everyone have a copy of the agenda?

Introducing the topic of the meeting

As you (all/ should/ probably/ might) know,…
As I wrote in my email (yesterday/ about this meeting/ sending the agenda),…
The main reason for this meeting is…
What we need to decide/ talk about/ think about today is…
The (main) topic/ subject/ aim/ objective/ purpose/ goal of this meeting is…

Getting other people to speak/ Asking for ideas/ Asking for opinions/ Getting people involved

(Do you have/ Does anyone have) any (other/ particular) thoughts/ comments/ opinions/ views (on this)?
What do you think (about this/ about that)?

Giving strong opinions

I really think…
I strongly believe/ I really believe/ I firmly believe…
I’m (absolutely/ completely/ 100%) certain/ convinced/ positive that…

Giving weak opinions

I’m no expert on this, but…
(I’m not sure/ certain, but) I would guess/ I would imagine/ I would suppose…
This is only my opinion, but…
I would probably say that…
In my limited experience,…

Strongly agreeing

I totally agree.
(That’s/ You’re) exactly right./ Exactly!
(You are/ That’s) absolutely right!/ Absolutely!
I feel exactly the same way./ I feel just the same way.

Weakly agreeing/ Reluctantly agreeing

You might be right./ You could be right./ You may be right.
I suppose you’re right./ I guess you’re right.

Strongly disagreeing

(I’m sorry but) I really don’t agree.
(I’m afraid) I have to disagree.

Weakly disagreeing/ Politely disagreeing

(I’m afraid) I don’t really agree.
I’m not sure that I agree.
I mostly agree, but…
(That’s a) good point, but…
I feel almost the same way, but…

Making suggestions/ Coming up with ideas (when brainstorming etc)

I would suggest/ I would recommend/ I would advise…
My (main) suggestion/ recommendation/ advice would be to…
The best solution/ The best course of action would probably be…
We should (probably) consider/ think about…

Asking for evidence/ Asking for support for opinions/ Asking for reasons

What makes you say that?

Interrupting

Sorry to interrupt, but…
Can I come here (for a moment)?
(Before you go on,) can I just say…?
If I can just (interrupt) (for a moment),…

Allowing people to speak/ Inviting people to speak/ Allowing people to interrupt

(Of course/ Sure), (please) go ahead. (What would you like to say?/ Please have your say.)

Stopping the other person interrupting/ Keeping the turn

Sorry, can I just finish this one point (first)?/ Sorry, can I just what I’m saying (first)?
Sorry, just one (more) thing before you have your say,…

Getting the turn back/ Getting the discussion back on track

(Now) where were we? Oh yes,…/ (Now) where was I? Oh yes,…
(Anyway/ Well), as I was saying…
Could you (possibly) give me a hand with/ lend me a hand with…?

Checking/ Clarifying/ Dealing with communication problems

Sorry, what do you mean by…?
(By…) do you mean…?
So (in other words), what you’re saying is…
Sorry, did you say… (or…)?

Helping come to an agreement (when people can’t agree)

Maybe we can decide this with a show of hands.
Please raise your hand if…
I think I can suggest a compromise.
Can anyone suggest a (possible) compromise?

Delaying a decision/ Continuing the discussion later

We don’t seem to be making much progress (on this), so let’s continue this discussion by email, shall we?
Maybe we can come back to that later/ in a later meeting (if we have time).
Maybe we should sleep on this and try again next week.

Changing topic/ Moving on

Okay, we’ve still got a few points to get through, so…
Right, I think we’ve covered that, so…
…let’s move on to the next point/ topic on the agenda, shall we?
…let’s turn our attention to…

Checking agreement (by everyone/ about everything)

Are we (all) agreed?

Summarising what you have discussed and agreed, and responding to that

So, to summarise our discussion/ So, to sum up our agreement,…

Checking there’s nothing left to talk about, and replying to that

Is there anything else that we need to discuss (before we finish)?
No, I think we’ve covered everything, thanks.
Actually, there is just one more thing (that I’d like to discuss/ that we need to discuss).

Smoothly finishing/ Giving reasons for finishing the meeting, and responding to that

Anyway, I’m afraid I have another meeting in 10 minutes, so we’ll have to stop there (if you don’t mind).
Well, I think someone is waiting for this room, so shall we call it a day (if that’s okay)?
So, I’d like to be able to discuss this more, but I know (name) has to be somewhere, so we’ll have to come back to it another time, I’m afraid.

Bringing the actual meeting to a close

So/ Okay/ Right (then), let’s call it a day/ wrap it up there (and continue…) (, shall we?)

Polite and friendly language at the end of a meeting

Thanks, that was very useful./ Thanks, that was very productive.
Thanks for (all) your (great) contributions/ ideas. (They were very helpful).
Thanks for making the time to meet us./ Thanks for taking the time to meet us.
Thanks for inviting us.
It was great to see you (again).
It was (so) nice to (finally) meet you.
Have a good weekend/ a good trip/ fun/ a good time/ a safe journey.

Talking about future contact

I look forward to seeing you again soon.
(As I said) I’ll (check with my boss and) get in touch/ be in contact/ email you (about)…
See you at…/ See you next…/ See you on…/ See you soon./ See you, then./ See you then./ See you later.

Good small talk questions at the end of a meeting

Do you have to go (straight) back to your office?
(Do you have) any more meetings today?
(Are you) finished for today?
(Do you have) any plans for the weekend?

Now you've learned the 100 most useful phrases for business meetings you might also be interested in our lists of vital business English abbreviations, telephoning language and emailing language - essential phrases for business communication:

The 150 most useful Business English abbreviations
The 100 most useful telephoning phrases
The 100 most useful emailing phrases
The 100 best small talk questions

Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com

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How To Write Effective Meeting Minutes (with Templates and Samples)

New to writing meeting minutes.

Whether you’ve been tasked with taking notes for a committee or you’ve been appointed Secretary to the Board of your organization, preparing meeting minutes doesn’t have to be an arduous task. Here are some tips and ideas that will help you get started with writing and preparing effective meeting minutes, as well as a meeting minutes sample and a meeting minutes template that you can follow.

This guide on how to write meeting minutes was prepared by WildApricot to help the volunteers and/or staff of small non-profits and membership organizations who may be new to the task of taking and preparing minutes of meeting for committees or Boards of Directors.

Click here to download a meeting minutes checklist and template

What Are Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes are the written record of what was discussed and decided during a meeting. They typically include the date and time of the meeting, a list of attendees, a summary of the topics discussed, decisions made, action items assigned, and the time of adjournment.

Minutes are essential for providing an official account of the meeting, ensuring accountability, and helping attendees recall important details. They are usually prepared by a designated person, such as a secretary or administrative assistant, and are approved at the subsequent meeting.

What Should You Include When Writing Meeting Minutes?

The five steps that you must include are:

Pre-Planning
Record taking – at the meeting
Minutes writing or transcribing
Distributing or sharing of meeting minutes
Filing or storage of minutes for future reference

For more detail on each step, read on!

Read more: 13 Meeting Minutes Templates for More Productive Nonprofit Board Meetings

Who Should Write the Meeting Minutes?

Meeting minutes are typically written by the designated secretary or administrative assistant of the group or organization. In some cases, a specific member of the group may be assigned to take minutes for a particular meeting.

The person responsible for writing the minutes should be someone who is attentive, detail-oriented, and capable of accurately capturing the discussions and decisions made during the meeting.

Meeting Minutes Template:

Here’s a simple template you can refer to next time you need to take meeting minutes:

Organization Name

Meeting Minutes

Opening: The meeting was called to order at [Time] by [Name] at [Location].

Present: [List of all present members]

Absent: [List of any members who were not present]

Approval of Agenda: The agenda was reviewed and approved.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed and approved.

Business From the Previous Meeting:

[Summary of any motions or topics from the previous meeting, including decisions made]

New Business:

[Summary of any new motions or topics raised, including decisions made]

Additions to the Agenda:

[Summary of any additional items raised during the meeting]

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at [Time] by [Name]. The next meeting will be held on [Date] at [Location].

Minutes submitted by: [Name]

Minutes approved by: [Name]

How to Create Your Meeting Minute Process

As mentioned above, there are essentially five steps involved with meeting minutes:

Pre-Plan Your Meeting Minutes

A well-planned meeting helps ensure effective meeting minutes. If the Chair and the Secretary or minutes-taker work together to ensure the agenda and meeting are well thought out, it makes minute taking much easier.

For example, depending on the meeting structure and the tools you use, the minutes-taker could work with the Chair to create a document format that works as an agenda and minutes outline as well.

Set the Agenda of a Meeting

At the very least, it’s important to get a copy of the meeting agenda and use it as a guide or outline for taking notes, setting up your mom format, and preparing the minutes – with the order and numbering of items on the minutes of meeting matching those of the agenda.

In addition, the agenda and/or meeting notice also provides information that will need to be included in the minutes, such as:

the names of all the meeting attendees, including guests or speakers
documents that are sent out with the agenda or handed out in the meeting – copies (digital or hard copy) of handouts should be stored with the meeting minutes for future reference and for sharing with those who were unable to attend the meeting (and others as determined by the meeting’s Chair).

Clarify Expectations

When you take on a new role as minutes-taker or Secretary, be sure to ask the Chair of the committee or Board what their expectations are of your role during the meeting, as well as the type of detail he/she expects in the minutes.

For example, if your Board or committee will be dealing with motions, or voting on items/issues, be clear on whether you need to offer names of those making motions, seconding, etc. If you will be dealing with this type of procedures, you (and your Chair) may want to refer to Robert’s Rules of Order .

What Should Be Included in Meeting Minutes?

Before you start taking notes, it’s important to understand the type of information you need to record at the meeting. As noted earlier, your organization may have required content and a specific meeting minute format that you’ll need to follow, but generally, meeting minutes usually include the following:

Date and time of the meeting
Names of the meeting participants and those unable to attend (e.g., “regrets”)
Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes
Actions taken or agreed to be taken
Voting outcomes – e.g., (if necessary, details regarding who made motions; who seconded and approved or via show of hands, etc.)
Motions taken or rejected
Items to be held over
New business
Next meeting date and time

You can find more templates and details on formatting meeting minutes here.

The Minutes Writing Process

Once the meeting is over, it’s time to pull together your notes and write the minutes. Here are some tips that might help:

Try to write the minutes as soon after the meeting as possible while everything is fresh in your mind.
Review your outline and if necessary, add additional notes or clarify points raised. Also check to ensure all decisions, actions and motions are clearly noted.
For Board of Director’s minutes in particular, we recommend including a short description of each action taken, as well as the rationale behind the decision
If there was a lot of discussion before passing a motion, write down the major arguments for and against
Edit to ensure brevity and clarity, so the minutes are easy to read
Be objective
Write in the same tense throughout
Avoid using names other than to record motions and seconds.
Avoid personal observations — the minutes should be solely fact-based
If you need to refer to other documents, don’t try to summarize them. Rather, simply indicate where they can be found or attach them as an appendix

Meeting Minute Best Practices:

Create an outline.

As discussed earlier, having an outline (or template) based on the agenda makes it easy for you to simply jot down notes, decisions, etc. under each item as you go along. If you are taking notes by hand, consider including space below each item on your outline for your hand-written notes, then print these out and use this to capture minutes.

Check-off attendees as they join the meeting

If you know the meeting attendees, you can check them off as they arrive, if not have folks introduce themselves at the start of the meeting or circulate an attendance list they can check-off themselves.

Record decisions or notes on action items

As the meeting progresses, it will be critical to annotate decisions and key points made in your outline as soon as they occur to be sure they are recorded accurately. Include the names of the owners of the action items and other key personnel involved.

Ask for clarification if necessary

Don’t be afraid to speak up if you need clarification on something that was said in the meeting. It’s your job to make these meeting minutes as accurate as possible.

For example, if the group moves on without making a decision or an obvious conclusion, ask for clarification of the decision and/or next steps involved.

Don’t try to capture it all

You can’t keep up if you try to write down the conversation verbatim, so be sure to simply (and clearly) write (or type) just the decisions, assignments, action steps, etc.

Record the meeting

If you are concerned about being able to keep up with note taking, consider recording the meeting (e.g., on your smart phone, iPad, recording device, etc.) but be sure to let participants know they are being recording.

While you don’t want to use the recording to create a word-for-word transcript of the meeting, the recording can come in handy if you want to review the meeting for clarification.

Download our Meeting Minute Checklist for Associations and Nonprofits with sample minutes taken at a meeting and learn how to take better minutes.

Meeting Minutes Samples:

Still wondering if you’re taking notes correctly? Here’s a sample of what meeting minutes at a board meeting might look like.

Sample meeting minutes from the beekeepers association

Do Meeting Minutes Have To Be Approved?

Yes, meeting minutes typically need to be approved to ensure accuracy and completeness. The approval process usually occurs at the beginning of the next meeting, where attendees review the minutes from the previous meeting and either approve them as written or suggest corrections.

Once approved, the minutes become the official record of the meeting. This process helps maintain transparency and accountability within the organization.

Before you share your meeting minutes, make sure that your board chair has reviewed and either revised and/or approved the minutes for circulation. They are not an official record of a meeting unless this has taken place.

Distributing or Sharing Meeting Minutes

As the official “minutes-taker” or Secretary, your role may include dissemination of the minutes.

Online sharing

The method of sharing or distribution will depend on the tools that you and your organization use. Since minutes and other documentation can create a pile of paper, it’s great if you can use a paperless sharing process. For example, if you are using a word processing tool (e.g., Microsoft Word) that doesn’t offer online sharing, you might want to create a PDF of the document and send this and the other attachments or meeting documentation via email.

Alternately, if you are all using Google docs – for meeting invitations, agenda and additional document sharing – you can simply “share” the document with that group once it has been finalized. Committee or Board members can simply read the documents online and save a few trees!

Sharing in the Cloud?

If your organization is using a cloud-based membership management system (like WildApricot ), you can publish the minutes as a web page and give access only to the committee or Board members, depending on your organization’s needs. Through members-only webpages, you can create a secure online Intranet for your Board and committees.

Start a free trial of WildApricot today. Click here

Tools Specifically For Meeting Minutes:

If you are wondering about the types of tools you might use specifically for meeting minutes, here are some tools that organizations we’ve worked with have found helpful:

Google Docs: Also supports collaborative note taking. [Here are some meeting minute sample templates in Google docs. If you send out a meeting request using Google Calendar, you can attach a Google doc agenda outline. Once minutes are crafted (using the outline), you can simply share the document with the group using their email addresses.]
OneNote : (if you are a Microsoft user) – Very fast and allows for organization of notes. Also support audio recording with corresponding note time-stamping.
Notion: Notion is a great platform for organizing meeting minutes. It’s hierarchical document structure is a fantastic way to organize your meeting minutes in any way you want.
Evernote : Great note taking tool.
Agreedo : supports creation of meeting minutes and tracking the results.
minutes.io : allows you to quickly take meeting minutes with hotkey shortcuts and the ability to work online or offline.

Filing/Storage of Meeting Minutes

Most committees and Boards review and either approve or amend the minutes at the beginning of the subsequent meeting. Once you’ve made any required revisions, the minutes will then need to be stored for future reference.

Some organizations may store these online (e.g., in Google docs or SkyDrive) and also back these up on an external hard drive. You may also need to print and store hard copies as well or provide these to a staff member or Chair for filing.

What Is the Purpose of Meeting Minutes?

You shouldn’t be intimidated by the term “minutes”, since it’s actually a little misleading. After all, your committee or Board doesn’t want or need a record of its meeting proceedings minute by minute! But it is important to capture the essence of the meeting, including details such as:

decisions made (motions made, votes, etc.)
next steps planned
identification and tracking of action items

Minutes are a tangible record of the meeting for its participants and a source of information for members who were unable to attend. In some cases, meeting minutes can act as a reference point, for example:

when a meeting’s outcomes impact other collaborative activities or projects within the organization
minutes can serve to notify (or remind) individuals of tasks assigned to them and/or timelines

Download our Meeting Minute Checklist for Associations and Nonprofits with examples and learn how to take better minutes.

Why Are They Called Minutes of a Meeting?

According to Today I Found Out , the “minutes” of “meeting minutes” don’t refer to the minute measurement of time, but to the “minute” (my-newt) notes taken during meetings.

And… If You’re a Nonprofit with Regular Board and Member Meetings

If you’re a nonprofit with regular board and member meetings and you want to save time and money managing your organization, get a free trial of WildApricot , an all-in-one membership management software which allows you to:

Easily schedule online events with instant online payment processing and automated invoices.
Create a stunning website with online member applications.
Access an easy-to-search and filter contact database.
Send out professionally-designed newsletters and emails.
and much more.

Find out all the features of WildApricot’s free membership management software here .

WildApricot is also the the #1 rated membership management software used by over 20,000 organizations every day. Get your free trial now .

In Closing…Enjoy Your New Role!

Meeting minutes are important – after all, they capture the essential information of a meeting. But taking and preparing minutes doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We hope this article helps meeting minutes newbies in getting started in creating effective meeting minutes for your organization.

Thank you for reading our guide on how to write meeting minutes!

The Membership Growth Report:

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More From Forbes

Why viewing a business meeting as a story enhances success.

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Bryce Butler is the founder and managing director of Access Ventures .

Over the course of my career, I have quite literally led thousands of meetings. Whether it was a board meeting, a team meeting or even a platoon meeting on the front slope of my Abrams tank, I have learned the importance of approaching my meetings prepared but also with a well-constructed meta-narrative for the direction of the meeting and, subsequently, the players within.

Capturing and maintaining participants' attention is a formidable challenge in today's business environment. And yet, humans are hardwired to respond to stories—it's how we've communicated for millennia. Participants become active listeners when a meeting follows this format. As I've learned firsthand, this heightened engagement can lead to more productive discussions and better retention of key points.

Meetings are a necessary and often mundane part of our professional lives. Too often, we approach them as a necessary evil to business life when we get together to "assign tasks" or "check in on progress." But like in literature, cinema or theater, every business meeting should be seen as a story with a beginning, middle and end. With each participant as well, we need to understand their unique role, or "part," and then help everyone see and understand the story arc that leads us through confusion and conflict toward resolution and unity.

To help achieve this, I'd recommend meeting organizers ask themselves some key questions before each meeting:

• What role do I need each person here to play? For example, who might immediately be a champion and partner? Who might be skeptical and need additional time or information? Am I able to preempt possible questions and lead the team on a journey that arrives at a collective destination, or do we simply report tasks and update KPIs?

• What questions might arise post-meeting? Can I anticipate and plan for these based on participants' roles? Anticipating options fuels a proactive approach, enabling the exploration of solutions and their alternatives. This enhances discussions, informed decisions and a clearer path forward. It ensures the meeting narrative evolves into a thoughtful exploration of choices and their consequences.

• What conclusions will they make, and how can I help them see a path toward that resolution? This allows you to strategically present information and arguments to shape those conclusions, ensuring the meeting's discourse aligns with the desired outcomes. It also provides a cohesive storyline that guides participants toward the intended decision or consensus.

Beyond those initial questions, meeting organizers should follow some basic steps to implement this approach effectively:

• Define a clear purpose. Start by setting a clear meeting goal, which becomes the central theme. For example, if you're part of a nonprofit organization tackling local housing insecurity, the meeting could revolve around aspects like identifying vulnerable populations, securing funding, collaborating with local support services, advocating for policy changes, creating public awareness and finding market solutions. Each discussion and decision contributes to the overarching narrative of reducing housing insecurity and improving lives in the community.

• Craft a compelling agenda. Create an agenda that mirrors the narrative arc—from the introduction to the climax and resolution. Each agenda item should contribute to advancing the meeting's storyline. By structuring the agenda in this way, you create a narrative arc that begins with introducing the purpose and gradually builds toward the climax, which is the development of a comprehensive plan to address housing insecurity. Each agenda item contributes to the storyline by addressing crucial aspects of the strategy, making the meeting engaging and focused on achieving the central goal of ending housing insecurity in the community.

• Engage participants. Craft an agenda that mirrors a narrative arc, from introduction to climax and resolution. Each item should advance the meeting's storyline. This structure builds engagement, starting with the purpose and culminating in a comprehensive plan to combat housing insecurity. Every agenda point should address key strategy aspects, ensuring focus on the central goal of ending housing insecurity.

• Encourage collaboration. Frame discussions as critical plot points in the meeting's narrative. Define the problem with data, facilitate a brainstorming session to generate a wide range of ideas, collaboratively choose the most promising, and prototype and run a series of evaluation and feedback loops. Running a meeting in this way ensures that the solutions developed are more likely to meet the actual needs and preferences of those facing housing insecurity, leading to more effective and empathetic outcomes.

• Maintain momentum. Keep the narrative arc in mind throughout the meeting to maintain momentum. Ensure that discussions progress logically toward the meeting's climax and resolution.

• Summarize and reflect. At the end of the meeting, summarize the key takeaways and reflect on the journey. This reinforces the meeting's narrative and ensures that participants leave with closure.

Benefits Of This Approach

Just as we become emotionally invested in the characters and events of a story, participants in a meeting can become emotionally engaged when the meeting is structured as a narrative. It transforms a meeting from a sterile exchange of information into a human experience with emotional resonance.

Viewing meetings as narratives, similar to how we engage with stories, creates emotional connections and purpose. This shifts participants' mindsets, enhancing problem-solving, innovation and alignment with organizational goals. This alignment enhances coordination, minimizes duplication of efforts and fosters a shared sense of mission. It also motivates action, leading to more persuasive and impactful meetings, ultimately improving decision-making and problem-solving outcomes.

Every meeting is a story waiting to be told, with its own narrative arc and compelling characters. Understanding this arc—from the intro to the resolution—can transform your meetings into engaging and productive experiences. By recognizing the importance of each phase, you can craft meetings that captivate participants, drive collaboration and ultimately lead to meaningful resolutions. So the next time you're in a meeting, remember that you're not just discussing agendas and action items; you're participating in a narrative with the potential to shape your organization's future.

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Effective Business Meetings and Conflict Management Essay

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Effective Meetings

Managing conflicts.

A business meeting is an event where three or more people gather with a view to interact and achieve a common agenda (Tropman, 2010, p12). Business meetings are characterised by purposeful exchange of views and ideas that culminates into agreeable solutions and common understanding. There are different forms of meetings depending on nature and scope. Some meetings initiate discussion on emerging issues while others brief members on an ongoing process (Tropman, 2010, p13). Meetings present a good or bad experience for participants depending on how they progress.

A good meeting should consider the feelings and suggestions of all participants. For instance, it is vital to consult among participants to determine the appropriate time and venue of the meeting. This ensures that all participants feel at ease while attending the meeting. Adequate preparation should precede a good meeting to ensure all participants are aware of relevant background information (Tropman, 2010, p19). A good meeting should adhere to procedure to ensure full participation by all attendants. For instance, a meeting should begin and end at the stipulated time to avoid inconveniencing participants. A good meeting should stick to the agenda and deal with matters that are relevant to the items of agenda. Any deviation leads to unnecessary delays and could cause omissions and alterations of the items of agenda (Tropman, 2010, p22). A good meeting should reach an agreeable position and yield positive outcomes. Meetings that fail to accomplish the above objectives result in poor outcomes. They often end up as bad meetings.

Communication technology can go a long way in improving the quality of a meeting. Organizers can seize the benefits of communication technology to ensure success of a meeting (Tropman, 2010, p27). For instance, email can help in sending notice of a meeting to all participants. The email may contain all necessary information about the meeting such as venue and time. Other tools such as fax can also improve the quality of a meeting (Tropman, 2010, p32).

A conflict is a situation where opposing parties hold divergent views regarding a common issue of importance (Goldsmith, 2002, p8). Conflict occurs when people differ on an issue to an extent where there is little or no room for cooperation. Conflict emanates from a multiplicity of factors such as limited resources, misplaced values and priorities, abdication of duties, change in environment, and competition (Goldsmith, 2002, p9). Conflict can be either constructive or destructive. In destructive conflicts, conflicting parties deviate from real issues and engage in meaningless confrontations that do not add value to the process of resolving the conflict. Destructive conflicts rarely achieve positive results. In most cases, they lead to a vicious and bitter conflict (Goldsmith, 2002, p11).

Constructive conflicts achieve balance between the interests and concerns of both parties. Both parties engage in mature discourse in a bid to achieve an agreeable position on their areas of contention (Goldsmith, 2002, p13). Both parties seize opportunities that present a way out of the conflict. In constructive conflicts, both parties are willing to compromise for the sake of the resolution process. Positive conflict can serve as a tool for improved decision-making. For instance, organizations can benefit from a situation of conflict by learning from outcomes of a conflict. The organization can major on the positive outcomes of a conflict to ameliorate its decision-making procedures (Goldsmith, 2002, p18). Positive conflict can provide vital lessons for an organization to ensure that such a conflict does not recur.

Tropman, J. (2010). Effective Meetings: Improving Group Decision Making . London: SAGE.

Goldsmith, J. (2002). Conflicts . Newyork: Aspen Publishers.

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Research shows that business meetings, discussions and training are happening online IELTS Essay

IELTS Essay Topic

Research shows that business meetings, discussions and training are happening online nowadays. do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Model Answer

In this contemporary epoch , many official meetings and training take place online instead of in real offices. This essay will argue that the advantages of this outweigh the drawbacks. The essay will first demonstrate that flexibility and good for the environment are the main advantages of this, followed by an analysis of how the primary drawback, namely poor connectivity, is not valid.

The main reason is that online meetings are flexible, and due to this it becomes easy for everyone to be part of it. These meetings can be conducted at any point of the day just by giving prior notice and people can be part of it from the comfort of their homes. For instance, online meetings can be joined on mobiles which makes it more flexible. Moreover, Online meetings also help conserve the environment due to a decrease in the number of vehicles plying on the road. This helps not only to reduce air and noise pollution but also traffic congestion. A recent survey depicted that there was a drastic reduction in traffic in the covid period as schools and offices were being conducted online and it had a positive impact on the environment.

Those opposing it say that these online meetings are not efficient because of poor connectivity. A lot of disturbances occur in these meeting because of it and due to which sometimes the subject of the meeting is not understood by most people. However, in this modern era, a lot of service providers have launched various high-speed plans at a low cost that are affordable for all. For example, Airtel has launched various plans that provide high-speed connectivity with minimal disturbance, especially for office purposes.

On balance, the fact that researches sponsored by private are flexible and help in the conservation of the environment outweighs the argument that poor connectivity affects online meetings.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Business

by Dave | Sample Answers | 16 Comments

This is an IELTS Sample Answer for Task 2 Writing from the test on January 20th, 2018 in the Asia region (different regions have different tests to prevent cheating).

It was a little bit tricky because of one strange part of the question but overall not the most difficult task 2 writing i’ve seen., read this sample answer and analysis and complete the vocabulary exercises below it in quizlet., be sure to avoid the mistakes that most students make on writing by signing up for my exclusive ielts ebooks here on patreon., check out the links to articles and videos to become more familiar with the topic. it’s really important to have some experience with a wide range of topics for all parts of the test., if you want to read another sample answer you can check out this one on climate change ., here you can find all my other sample answers ., for sample speaking questions and tips from the test check out our youtube channel ., task 2 ielts sample question.

Recent research has shown that business meetings and training are increasingly taking place online. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Sample Answer

Many businesses today choose to hold meetings and do training online, rather than in person. while this has certain drawbacks related to interpersonal relationships, i still feel this is a positive trend because of its positive impact on employees with families. in this essay, i will discuss both sides in detail., conducting the majority of business meetings online has a potentially negative effect on the social dynamics of a company. the preference for online communication sacrifices essential elements of human interaction in the name of a more efficient, utilitarian process. when people sit in a room together, for training or a meeting, they are more likely to form strong interpersonal bonds. they will be able to see each other’s body language better and there is a good chance they may socialise in person afterwards. for example, employees might go for drinks or even just have a private chat about the meeting or training while still at work. this is much less likely to happen when people are working from home or a remote location and using online tools like skype to communicate., companies that choose to do more training and have more meetings online are making life more convenient for their employees with families. at some point in their lives, most people must face the challenge of working and having a family. if both the mother and father work, then one of them might have to give up their job to stay home or they will have to hire an expensive caretaker to look after their child during the day. if more meetings and training took place online, this could free up time for people in certain jobs, such as it workers, to work entirely from home and look after their children during the day. they will still have to make time for the training and meetings but at least they won’t waste valuable time commuting to the office., the move towards increased online training and meetings may sacrifice some of the social aspects of work but this is more than made up for by the convenience it allows working families. in many families today, both the mother and father have to work to make ends meet and we should support any efforts to relieve their financial and physical burdens., you can download it here., introduction: 1. many businesses today choose to hold meetings and do training online, rather than in person. 2. while this has certain drawbacks related to interpersonal relationships, i still feel this is a positive trend because of its positive impact on employees with families. 3. in this essay, i will discuss both sides in detail., 1. the trickiest part of this question is the mention of ‘business meetings and training.’ you have to make your answer general enough to include both of those slightly different situations but also specific enough to have well-supported and relevant main ideas. i have done this by mentioning training and meetings a few times throughout the answer., 2. the first sentence simply restates the topic. don’t waste much time on this sentence – write it simply and quickly., 3. the second sentence clearly states my opinion, which is necessary to get at least a band 6 for task achievement., 4. the third sentence simply states that i will talk about both sides. this sentence is not very important – write it quickly so you can focus on the main body paragraphs., body paragraph 1: 1. conducting the majority of business meetings online has a potentially negative effect on the social dynamics of a company. 2. the preference for online communication sacrifices essential elements of human interaction in the name of a more efficient, utilitarian process. 3. when people sit in a room together, for training or a meeting, they are more likely to form strong interpersonal bonds. 4. they will be able to see each other’s body language better and there is a good chance they may socialise in person afterwards. 5. for example, employees might go for drinks or even just have a private chat about the meeting or training while still at work. 6. this is much less likely to happen when people are working from home or a remote location and using online tools like skype to communicate., 1. the first sentence is a topic sentence that includes my main idea for the whole paragraph (online meetings and training has negative effect on how well people get along). it is key to include both training and meetings, but not talk specifically about one or the other, just to be safe., 2. the second sentence extends my main idea by pointing out that even though companies may become more efficient, they will be less ‘human.’, 3. the third sentence further supports my main idea by claiming that people meeting physically form stronger bonds., 4. the fourth sentence supports this idea by saying that body language and socialising are important parts of interpersonal relationships., 5. the fifth sentence gives the example of colleagues going out for a drink or chatting after a meeting., 6. the sixth and final sentence claims that online communication will (likely) prevent this from happening., body paragraph 2: 1. companies that choose to do more training and have more meetings online are making life more convenient for their employees with families. 2. at some point in their lives, most people must face the challenge of working and having a family. 3. if both the mother and father work, then one of them might have to give up their job to stay home or they will have to hire an expensive caretaker to look after their child during the day. 4. if more meetings and training took place online, this could free up time for people in certain jobs, such as it workers, to work entirely from home and look after their children during the day. 5. they will still have to make time for the training and meetings but at least they won’t waste valuable time commuting to the office., 1. the first sentence is a topic sentence that includes my main idea for the whole paragraph (online training and meetings are more convenient for employees with families)., 2. the second sentence further supports my main idea by pointing out that most people have to juggle family and work life., 3. the third sentence further supports my main idea by giving the example of working parents who might have to give up their job or hire a caretaker., 4. the fourth sentence develops this example by saying that online meetings might free up certain occupations to work entirely from home., 5. the fifth and final sentence extends this by including the detail that even though they will still have to do the online meetings and training they will save time on commuting., conclusion: 1. the move towards increased online training and meetings may sacrifice some of the social aspects of work but this is more than made up for by the convenience it allows working families. 2. in many families today, both the mother and father have to work to make ends meet and we should support any efforts to relieve their financial and physical burdens., 1. the first sentence restates the main ideas from the sample answer as well as my overall opinion. make sure you have an overall opinion., 2. the second sentence adds an extra detail (stating how important it is to support working parents) that is needed to get above a band 7 for task achievement according to some, but not all, examiners., vocabulary practice, quizlet is one of the best websites on the internet that you are not using (unless if you are using it – then good), don’t believe me click on the link below and use it to easily learn some high-level vocabulary from the sample answer above:, quizlet vocabulary study.

Practice the vocabulary from this IELTS Sample Answer here!

Business / Working from Home Articles

The perks of working from home, how working from home ruins everything, the best work at home jobs, productivity hacks for working at home, how to run a great virtual meeting, acadmic article on online meetings , business / working from home videos, father interrupted working at home, working at home vs an office, comparison working from home / an office, news report: want to work from home, 8 funniest office commercials, no more meetings, short pixar film: inner workings, seinfeld meeting, example notes, here are some notes i made on the vocabulary from the ielts sample answer (from our instagram page ).

Our IELTS Sample Answer notes!

Now it’s Your Turn! Comment below on our IELTS Sample Answer:

Is it a good idea for businesses to do training online? To hold meetings online? How much time do you waste in meetings every week?

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16 Comments

But this essay type is not asking for your opinion. Should still choose a side?

Yes, always choose a side even if it doesn’t ask for an opinion!

but it asked for advantageS not just on advantage? same goes for disadvantageS, not just one? so how can we show just one idea and keep on developing?

This is a tricky area because some examiners might mark you down for not developing enough and others for not including more than 1. My advice is to relate your advantages to each other and have 2 of them so that they complement each other.

I think an examiner would have to be very strict to mark someone down for developing one main idea fully but it is better to be safe.

Is that clear?

hi dave thanks a lot for providing th PDF for downold. hope to have it for the rest of the essays

You’re welcome!

I only make them sometimes though because they take a while. I keep them all on my online courses: course.howtodoielts.com/online-course

one of them might have to give up their

Can we write “one of who” instead of “one of them” In above sentence?

Yes, you can write ‘one of whom’

Your essays are perfect and well written. I am glad that I am spending time here reading all your essays. Just stumbled upon this one as I see that you have added the opinion here. Is it really necessary because many other trainers have strictly denied adding opinion, if not asked for? Now, I am totally confused. Also, what if I don’t do that, Is it going to hurt my score?

I think that is odd that other trainers would say that – who said it?

You can trust the band descriptors for task achievement that require a clear ‘position’ – the safe bet is to include one, or at least phrase it as an opinion, no matter what.

Sorry for adding the link of the video just like that. Here the teacher says don’t include your opinion. https://youtu.be/pJ-Vyqxn1To?t=690

Thanks for sending that Mitchel.

I’m not sure if he every worked as an examiner and though most of his advice is good, there are some errors in what he says.

For the essays that say ‘Discuss both sides’ – even if it doesn’t say ‘give your opinion’ – you must give your opinion or get a 5 for task achievement.

That’s a bit unfair I know, but any former examiner will tell you that.

It is also safe to include an opinion and won’t hurt your score in any way since the band descriptors ask for a ‘position’ regardless of question type.

In advantages and disadvantages, can I talk about only 1 advantage and 1 disadvantage, provided that my idea is fully developing?

It’s a little risky.

It asks for advantageS and disadvantageS plural so a strict examiner could mark it down for task achievement to band 4 or 5.

To be safe, have an overall idea like ‘the advantages all relate to business’ and then a couple within that.

Hi, Dave. I really appreciate your work. I’m very confused about that you give your opinion in this essay. A former IELS examiner Liz (you may know her) said in her website that ” if the question doesn’t ask for your opinion, don’t give it”. What exactly should I do when I meet a question like this? Thank you for sharing!

I always include it to be safe – technically everything you write is an opinion so it can never hurt your score.

Just be safe in case there are some picky examiners out there!

I knew a lot of examiners who were too strict or idiosyncratic in their marking so I always think it is better to err on the side of caution.

Does that answer your question, Alice?

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US senator calls on retired F-16 pilots to come 'fight for freedom' in Ukraine after meeting with Zelenskyy

Ukraine is finally operating F-16s, but President Zelenskyy said Kyiv lacks trained pilots.
With this in mind, a US lawmaker is urging retired F-16 pilots from the West to go to Ukraine.
"They will hire you here," Sen. Lindsey Graham said during a visit to Ukraine this week.

A US senator who recently visited Ukraine has issued a call for retired F-16 pilots to join Kyiv's air force, where they can fly the American-made aircraft in a "fight for freedom" against Russia.

Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal met on Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who told the lawmakers that he wants to establish a program to enlist retired F-16 pilots from NATO countries to help strengthen his country's air force.

"We support this effort," the senators said in a joint statement on their trip published on Monday. "Ukraine is already fielding units of freedom fighters on the ground, and this volunteer force should be replicated in the air."

After a long wait, Ukraine finally received its first F-16s a few weeks ago. Zelenskyy unveiled the fighter jets at a public event at the start of August, calling the much-celebrated arrival of the aircraft a "new phase of development" for Kyiv's air force.

But Ukraine didn't receive many F-16s in the initial delivery, and Zelenskyy has cautioned that the country lacks enough trained pilots to fly the aircraft. With this in mind, Graham, who served for years in the US Air Force, put out a call to Western pilots who have already received training on the fighter jet.

"If you're a retired F-16 pilot and you're looking to fight for freedom, they will hire you here," the South Carolina senator said at a press conference during his visit to Ukraine. "They're going to look throughout NATO nations for willing fighter pilots who retired to come help them until they can get their pilots trained."

Watch: Drone footage shows thousands of Russians fleeing Putin's draft to fight in Ukraine

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In this contemporary epoch, many official meetings and training take place online instead of in real offices.This essay will argue that the advantages of this outweigh the drawbacks. The essay will first demonstrate that flexibility and good for the environment are the main advantages of this, followed by an analysis of how the primary drawback, namely poor connectivity, is not valid.
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This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Gazi Jarin, a 24-year-old software engineer, about working at Amazon when it introduced a "return to hub" policy.
11 Meeting Etiquette Rules You Should Follow at Work
Follow these standard rules for proper meeting etiquette: 1. Be punctual. Being on time for meetings shows maturity, professionalism and courtesy to the rest of the meeting attendees. Leaders want their meetings to run efficiently, so eliminating distractions associated with lateness is an essential step in this process.
Elon Musk Has Been Holding Weekly Meetings With His ...
Elon Musk has spent time in meetings trying to figure out how to get Trump re-elected, per the WSJ. Musk had weekly, hourlong meetings with his pro-Trump super PAC in spring, per The Journal. The ...
Why Isn't Kamala Harris Giving Interviews or Holding News Conferences
Ms. Harris has fielded some questions from journalists, but out of the public eye. On several occasions since becoming the presumptive nominee, she has held off-the-record meetings with reporters ...
United CEO expresses confidence in Boeing after meeting new boss
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby takes part in a panel discussion at the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., October 4, 2021.
US Senator Tells Retired F-16 Pilots to 'Fight for ...
A US senator who recently visited Ukraine has issued a call for retired F-16 pilots to join Kyiv's air force, where they can fly the American-made aircraft in a "fight for freedom" against Russia.
Evergrande onshore unit's administrator seeks details from creditors
The administrator of a major Evergrande onshore unit has asked creditors to provide details about the debt the embattled property developer owes to them ahead of the first creditor meeting to be ...