I find the best meetings are well-defined beforehand. The purpose is clear from the outset, leaving to a quicker time to a clearer and more solid result. Outcome-driven meetings feel more positive and are simpler to arrange too.

Use the following to define an Agenda.

• Questions or Tasks to be discussed, and ideally why a meeting is needed. Carefully consider scope … try to cover too much and people loose focus. Use a series of small discrete meetings if needed.
• Roughly what you think the expected outcome might look like.
• Include Ownership of each topic – who will drive the discussion.
• Include Outcome Assignment – who is up to address each item.
• Any recommended pre-meeting reading/preparation.
• Links to specific related material.

Once the meeting wraps up, send a short email (or create a similar record) with bullet points which summarizes the outcomes. Copy the agenda in and for each item summarize the discussion and the outcome and next steps. If it’s your meeting, you send the minutes, always within 24hours.