How to Effectively Hold a Meeting

The cornerstone of successful organisations, meetings are an essential platform for collaboration, informed decision-making, and problem-solving. When done right, they can help teams communicate effectively, align on key goals, and drive progress, both for individuals and teams.

However, many meetings continue to fall short due to poor planning, disengaged attendees, and vague objectives, resulting in wasted time and falling productivity. A study by Atlassian revealed that 78% of employees feel they attend too many meetings, with UK professionals spending over 25% of their work week in meetings – a number that continues to increase as individuals rise up the corporate ladder.

To ensure meetings are a valuable use of time rather than an unproductive obligation, this guide will outline best practices for planning, leading, and following up on meetings that deliver real impact.

A well-run meeting has a clear purpose, a structured agenda, active participation from all participants, and effective time management to prevent unnecessary delays. Your meeting should encourage open discussions while staying focused on the topic at hand and achieving specific outcomes that drive essential progress.

To ensure this, great leadership is key. A great leader will approach meetings with intentionality by setting out clear expectations, guiding the conversation and keeping it on track, enabling all attendees to play their part, and ensuring that key takeaways are followed up effectively. 

The success of any meeting will start before it begins, with proper planning put in place to ensure discussions stay focused on the topic at hand, time is used effectively, and participants leave with clear discussion points and takeaways from the meeting. With 76% of employees preferring in-person meetings, thoughtful preparation is key to maximising engagement.

Your meeting should have a clear purpose from the outset. What is the ‘why’ – is a meeting actually necessary?

Whether the meeting is for making a decision, solving a problem, brainstorming new ideas or providing project updates – defining your objective will help to determine who should attend and the key areas for discussion.

A simple framework to guide this is the Three P’s of Meetings:

If an objective isn’t clear, reconsider whether a meeting is needed at all.

Meetings should include only those essential to achieving your meeting’s objectives. Research from Stanford University suggests that meetings become inefficient with more than eight attendees, as discussions become harder to manage.

To improve structure, assign key roles:

Note-taker – Captures key discussion points, decisions, and follow-ups

Facilitator – Guides the discussion and keeps things on track

Timekeeper – Ensures your meeting stays within the allotted timeframe

To avoid wasted time, send all relevant materials (reports, background information, discussion points) before your meeting takes place to the relevant attendees. This will allow all participants to come prepared ahead of time and contribute more meaningfully, it will reduce the need for lengthy explanations and make discussions more efficient.

A robust agenda will act as a roadmap for your meeting. It should be specific and action-led, prioritising topics based on importance and relevance, with allotted time to reduce unnecessary delays. Your agenda should also avoid vague topics, such as “project updates”, in favour of clear objectives, such as “review project milestones or identify roadblocks.” Additionally, leave room for questions, new insights or perspectives, which should not derail the core discussion at hand.

Choosing the right time and venue for your meeting is crucial for ensuring a productive session. The timing of the meeting will also play a significant role in your participants’ energy levels and focus. Aim for times when everyone is likely to be alert and engaged by avoiding meetings early in the morning or late in the afternoon when many people experience dips in energy, like the infamous 3pm slump.

For in-person meetings, select a setting that is comfortable, free of distractions, and equipped with the necessary tools. If your meeting is virtual, choose a reliable video conferencing platform with strong connectivity and interactive features. According to recent studies, 78% of people find video conferencing ideal for team meetings and stand-ups, while nearly 62% prefer video for meetings with customers or partners.

If you’re looking for a professional, comfortable environment for your next in-person meeting, our newly refurbished meeting rooms at Old Street WorkRooms offer the perfect setting. With seating for up to 10 people, each room is equipped with super-fast Wi-Fi and essential soundproofing, ensuring a distraction-free experience. Catering options are also available upon request, ensuring your team is fuelled and focused throughout the meeting.

An effective meeting is one that starts on time, stays focused, and results in clear decisions. With busy schedules and competing priorities, making the most of every minute will be essential.

Being punctual will set the tone of your meeting. It shows respect for your attendees’ schedules and reinforces the importance of staying on track.

Start by outlining your meeting’s purpose, the key discussion points, and your desired outcomes. This is also the time to establish ground rules, such as keeping comments concise and asking for equal participation and engagement.

As your meeting progresses, refer back to the agenda to prevent your meeting from going off course. If unrelated topics arise, acknowledge them but suggest circling back to the topic at hand and addressing these points later. Keep conversations aligned with the agenda to prevent unnecessary delays and ensure that all key topics are covered within the allotted time.

A successful meeting isn’t just about presenting information but also about the dialogue. To encourage input from all attendees, ask open-ended questions while inviting silent participants to share their thoughts. If discussions stall, the use of prompts like “What are the potential challenges with this method?” or “Does anyone feel that there are any alternative solutions?” can keep the conversation going and help all parties to align.

Assign time limits to each agenda item to prevent a singular topic from dominating the conversation. If a particular issue requires further discussion, consider scheduling a follow-up meeting instead. Keep an eye on the clock and gently steer discussions back on track when necessary.

If tensions arise due to differing opinions, it will be important for the facilitator to acknowledge the disagreement but to keep the discussion solution focused. Unmanaged conflict can derail productivity, but it will be key to ensure that all voices are heard. To counteract this, reframe disagreements as opportunities for better decision-making rather than as obstacles in order to maintain a positive atmosphere.

At the end of your meeting, thank all parties for attending and briefly recap the main discussion points and decisions made so that everyone is clear on the outcomes and can highlight any unresolved issues that may need further attention.

Notes taken during the meeting should be concise and structured and provide a designated owner responsible for each task, along with a clear deadline. Once finalised, circulate the meeting minutes promptly so all participants have a clear reference and a shared understanding of the next steps.

A meeting without a follow-up is just a conversation. Prior to the next meeting, check in on assigned tasks to see whether progress is being made. Sending a quick follow-up email or scheduling a brief check-in can also keep initiatives moving along and prevent delays. Leaders should also acknowledge completed tasks, reinforcing a culture of continuous progress.

Even with the best preparation, there’s always room for improvement when it comes to hosting meetings. By leveraging innovative digital tools, refining virtual meeting strategies, and continuously evaluating effectiveness, you can ensure meetings remain a valuable use of time and resources.

The right tools can make your meetings more efficient. The use of video conferencing, document-sharing tools, and project management software can help to streamline communication across teams and ensure everyone stays aligned, while AI-driven transcription services can simplify notetaking and action tracking.

With the rise of remote and hybrid work, virtual meetings have become an essential part of office life. In fact, the use of virtual meetings grew from 48% to 77% between 2020 and 2022. When structured effectively, 67% of those surveyed noted that they can be just as productive as in-person discussions. Additionally, 70% of workers find virtual meetings less stressful than traditional face-to-face meetings.

Concise communication remains key. A study has found that highly engaged employees report less screen fatigue from virtual meetings than those who are disengaged, so encouraging active participation, using interactive features like polls and chat functions, and keeping meetings upbeat can all help to boost engagement and reduce exhaustion.

Additionally, another way to enhance virtual meetings is by recording sessions. This allows absent team members to catch up on discussions without requiring additional follow-ups, making meetings more accessible and reducing the need for repeated conversations.

Not every discussion needs a meeting. Before scheduling, check whether it is something that could be resolved via email, a quick call, or a shared document.

You should regularly assess the effectiveness of your meetings to help refine future ones. After each session, reflect on key factors:

A successful meeting is more than just a well-run event; it’s about driving real value that feeds directly into the success of your team and organisation. By following these key points, you can create an environment where discussions are purposeful, decisions are informed, and outcomes are actionable.

When meetings are structured and executed effectively, they become powerful tools for collaboration and progress, and you can ensure that every meeting becomes an opportunity for meaningful results.