10 Rules for Running Better Meetings

Organising and running successful meetings is a vital part of my daily BIM Project Management/Co-ordination Process. Here are ‘Top Ten’ Rules for running successful meetings. I also use this checklist for general project meetings.

Rule 1-Make the objectives of the meeting clear. 

A meeting should have a specific and defined purpose. Be clear about why you are meeting. Write down the purpose and objectives of the meeting. You should be able to do this in a few sentences in the form of a single page meeting Agenda with key bullet-points listing the objectives (max 10-15 points).

Rule 2-Invite only those people whose input is necessary. 

Decide early on who needs to be at the meeting. If you’re trying to find the solution to a problem, invite people who will be good sources of information for the solution. After the first meeting you will get to know who the ‘back seat spectators’ are and you can refine the attendee list at the next meeting.

Rule 3-Give as much advance notice as possible. 

Send out an announcement of the meeting by Email/Outlook meeting invite. In addition to stating the purpose of the meeting using bullet-points, include the date, time, location (room name/number) and how long the meeting will run, including call-in number if appropriate.

Rule 4-Stick to the meeting Agenda/Schedule. 

Decide how much time is needed for the meeting. Prepare an Agenda that lays out everything you plan to cover and consider incorporating a timeline that allots a certain number of minutes to each item. As a rule of thumb, I email the Agenda to people in advance, by inserting this to the original Email/Outlook Invite I send out (see above).

Rule 5-Start on Time & End on Time. 

If you have responsibility for running regular meetings, establish a reputation for being someone who starts and ends promptly. People appreciate it when you understand that their time is valuable. 60mins is generally the longest time that people can remain truly engaged. Maximum 90mins is permissible in certain instances. 2hrs is a NO NO.

Rule 6-Choose a convenient time and place. 

Schedule meetings during core office hours and try to avoid meeting very early or too late in the day. I usually go for between 9.30-12.30, which gives people time to get in the office and get a cup of tea/coffee. Plus, I can go to the meeting room 15 mins early to set up the laptop and wall projector/screen.

Rule 7-Distribute any handouts ahead of time so people can prepare.

Send the Agenda out at least 3-5 days in advance of the meeting. This way, the Agenda also serves as a reminder for the meeting. I tend to attach the Agenda to the original email/Outlook invite and I also print hard-copies of the Agenda on the day of the meeting which are available for everyone.

Rule 8-Send everyone a reminder a few days before the meeting. 

This isn’t always necessary if you’ve sent out an Agenda and reminder together. If you are using Outlook, check and see how many people have accepted your meeting and forward a reminder to the ones that haven't responded.

Rule 9-Ban all Technology. 

If people are allowed to bring iPads, tablets or mobile phones into the room, they won’t be focusing on the meeting or ‘productively’ making any contribution. Instead, they’ll be emailing, surfing the web or just playing around with their technology.

Rule 10-Follow Up. 

Type meeting Minutes and distribute timeously (ideally within 2-4 days) detailing responsibilities allocated to individuals, tasks delegated and any assigned deadlines. I usually email the meeting Minutes to everyone on the Minutes list, even those not having attended. And then this is attached to the bottom of the next meeting invite that goes out so people are aware of individual tasks which need to be addressed.

Once the meeting is finished, remember to clean up the room/cups/butties/chairs, and switch off any screens and projectors, ready for the next person.

Reference - The above list has been adopted from: Cartlidge, D. (2015). Construction Project Manager’s Pocket Book. Taylor & Francis, Abington, Oxon, UK.