Unprepared managers tend to conduct unproductive meetings. There are at least six areas in which planning is needed. A written copy of the plan should be sent to members prior to the meeting. The first thing to ask yourself is, Do we need this meeting, and why? You need everyone to understand why the meeting is important or what they’re going to accomplish in a meeting.

Limit attendees, as too many people at a meeting slows things down and wastes the time of people who don’t need to attend. Participants should know in advance what is expected of them so they know what they are supposed to do at the meeting. Every formal meeting needs an agenda distributed beforehand.

Get team members’ input on which days of the week and times of the day are best for meetings, but before lunch is usually the most productive time. Be sure to select an adequate place for the meeting and plan for the physical comfort of the group. Meetings are typically scheduled for 30 to 90 minutes, as longer than this reduces the quality of decision making, but they shouldn’t run for longer than it takes to accomplish the objectives.

The leaders’ primary role is to facilitate discussion. However, the leader should determine the appropriate management style for the meeting based on the group’s development stage, and different items may need to be handled differently. Meetings via technology will never be as effective as interacting face to face, so meet in person.