Meetings

Meetings are scheduled gatherings of people intended to exchange information, make decisions, plan actions, or coordinate work. They can be conducted in person, via video conference, or as hybrid events. The objectives typically include sharing updates, solving problems, aligning on goals, allocating resources, and validating proposals. Common types include team meetings, project meetings, board or committee meetings, client meetings, and stand-ups. A meeting typically follows an agenda, a facilitator, time limits, and minutes. Participants discuss items, decisions are made or deferred, and action items with owners and deadlines are assigned. Minutes are circulated and stored as records. Best practices include clear objectives, pre-reading, appropriate duration, relevant attendees, participation, and time discipline. Effective meetings have purposeful dialogue, clear decisions, and accountable owners for follow-up tasks. Common pitfalls include meetings without a clear purpose, unclear or disputed decisions, too many attendees, lengthy discussions, interruptions, overruns, and poor note-taking. Formats include in-person, video, and hybrid setups; tools include agendas, minutes, action-item trackers, and collaborative documents. Impact and evaluation: monitoring attendance, action-item completion, and participant satisfaction to improve meetings. In agile settings, stand-ups are brief daily check-ins focusing on progress, planned work, and blockers. Related concepts include agenda setting, minutes, and meeting etiquette.