A camel is a horse designed by a committee! Meetings are a waste of time.
Meetings are energy zappers and boring.
With all that said, meetings can be made effective, engaging and meaningful.
Here is how to do it:

• Set an agenda.
  
• Include all persons relative to the meeting.
  
• Do not include people who are not needed or who cannot contribute.
  
• Set an allotted time for each agenda item.
  
• Stick to the time and the agenda.
  
• Follow up on "to do" items from the meeting.
  

1. Probably the greatest reason for a meeting failure is the lack of an agenda.
   If you do not have an agenda, you have a disaster.
   Without an agenda, you have a social circle that will degenerate into a hopeless, meaningless waste of time.
   Select only items that require consideration.
   Overcome the urge to include items that will not get a conclusion during the meeting.
   
2. If a person is not needed for the discussion, do not ask them, as you will blow their time.
   There is nothing more frustrating than to have someone in the meeting who wants to be somewhere else.
   
3. Include ONLY those persons who will contribute to the meeting and the outcome.
   If the meeting is a "sales" meeting, you do not want the accounting department present.
   If the meeting is about shipping, you do not need marketing people in the meeting.
   Be sure you DO include a secretary or someone who can get accurate notes and minutes of the meeting.
   
4. BEFORE the meeting, set a time limit for debate on each question or object on the agenda.
   Be realistic - if the agenda includes "setting the marketing budget for the year," do not allow 5 minutes for discussion and input.
   If the agenda includes "report of the sales trip to Memphis," do not allow 45 minutes - instead allow 5 minutes without discussion.
   A report does not require a discussion.
   
5. When a discussion runs on and on, the meeting is soon out of hand, and it is difficult to take it back.
   Stick to the list and only accept relevant discussion on each point.
   Do NOT allow discussion on items that are not part of the meeting.
   Someone is bound to have something they forgot to include, but do not be tempted to go there, or more time will be wasted.
   Put the issue on the next meeting agenda.
   
6. What value is a meeting if you do not follow up on matters that were discussed? Assignments should be made on who is going to do what.
   Provide a checklist so that a report can be made on what action was done on the matters discussed.
   

Meetings can be effective if these rules are followed; otherwise, people will have the same attitude towards meetings that I have - I despise them!