Meeting Planning and Follow-Up Checklist

Before The Meeting What is your meeting goal or objective? Is a meeting the best way to handle your problem? Would a memo, conference call, e-mail, videoconference, presentation, etc., be better than a meeting? What must you leave the meeting with (i.e., decision, consensus, ideas, commitment, etc.) for it to be a success? What is the sequence of topics that must be addressed to accomplish your meeting objective? In what ways must you address each topic and for how long? Who must be at your meeting for you to accomplish your objectives? Where should the meeting be held to increase comfort and control influence? When should you meet and for how long? Have you notified all meeting participants in a timely fashion and provided meeting materials early enough that they will have time to prepare? Have you prepared and sent a detailed agenda to all participants? During The Meeting Did you arrive early enough to prepare the meeting room and get yourself ready? Did you start the meeting on time? Did you confirm that everyone received and understood the agenda and was ready to work? Did you offer an overview of the meeting, its goals and how you expect to achieve it? Did you introduce the first agenda topic and indicate how you wanted it addressed? Did you encourage the less talkative and muzzle those who hog the floor? Did you alert the meeting members when agenda items were within two to five minutes of their allotted time? Did you capture unfinished business? Did you summarize and confirm conclusions, decisions, commitments and action items? Did you thank participants? Did you take notes?

After The Meeting Did you complete a short, clear summary of the meeting, with emphasis on decisions and commitments that were made? Within 36 hours of the meeting, did you distribute the meeting summary to every participant and anyone else with a need to know? Did you begin and/or complete any and all actions that you committed to during the meeting? Did you follow up with meeting participants who made a commitment to do something? Did you thank participants who added superior input to your meeting? Did you probe any participants who were quiet or who expressed reservations with topics or outcomes?