3 Guidelines to Keep Project Meetings Productive

One of the most frequently heard complaints in project post mortem sessions is that there were too many ineffective meetings that took precious time away from important work. Of course, meetings are often the best way to keep project team members connected, focused and informed.

But think carefully about who needs to attend, how often you meet, and if the meetings are always productive.

Here are 3 key project team meeting guidelines to follow to increase effectiveness:

1. Always Have a Clear Agenda: It is amazing how many meetings get called without clear objectives and roles.  Send out an agenda ahead of time with specific objectives and a timeline so meeting attendees come prepared and know how much time to allot for each area.  If you get invited to a meeting without a clear agenda – do not attend.
2. Only Include People You Need: While many matrixed organizational cultures and project teams are very participatory, make sure that you limit attendees to only those who have a stake in what will be discussed or have expertise that is critical to the discussion. You can always send meeting notes to other stakeholders on the periphery.
3. Agree Upon Decisions and Next Steps: Recap and get agreement on decisions, next steps and responsibilities before you end the meeting. Always send a follow-up email summary and include project team members who did not attend the meeting so they know what transpired and what’s next.