The chairperson's guide to effective meetings

Meetings are a costly, sometimes cumbersome and frequently inefficient, but often necessary way of doing business. Initial planning for a meeting should actually involve consideration of how to do without it if possible. Given that a meeting is necessary, there are specific steps for the chairperson to take to ensure that the proper kind of meeting is planned and that steps are taken to make it as efficient as possible. The chairperson is responsible for making all arrangements, preparing and distributing an agenda, and leading the meeting in a manner that facilitates maximum productivity. Whether any particular meeting is ineffective or not is largely dependent on the chairperson's meeting leadership skills.