From the Inc. magazine article, “Meetings 101: Was That a Good Meeting, or a Bad One?” The complete article by Jamie Walters of Ivy Sea appeared on 2 January 2003, and is available here: http://www.inc.com/articles/2003/01/25007.html

What distinguishes an effective meeting from one that is a complete waste of time? Here are five factors that help ensure a good meeting:

1. Having a good reason to meet in the first place;

2. Having an agenda that clearly states the purpose of the meeting and key steps to satisfying that purpose by the end of the meeting;

3. Stating a timeframe at the beginning of the meeting and sticking to it, with few exceptions;

4. Requiring that participants come prepared to discuss the topics on the agenda, meaning that participants have received the agenda and have been told what's expected from them personally;

5. Having some degree of skilled facilitation -- someone who can keep participants focused on the agenda items and can navigate prickly interpersonal issues so that the meeting is effective instead of dysfunctional.

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