In order to have a successful meeting, you need to prepare and encourage participation. In order to help you remember everything that you need, we’ve included a checklist to help you get ready.

Timing Your Meeting 

The ideal meeting time aligns with the work schedules of participants. Commonly effective times include one hour after the workday begins, shortly after lunch, and just before the last hour of the day for office staff and managers. For production teams, meetings may need to occur before or after shifts to avoid disrupting workflow. Breakfast meetings or lunchtime gatherings (such as brown bag sessions) can also be valuable options.

The most effective way to schedule a meeting is to set the next session at the conclusion of the current one. The least effective method is to contact each member individually. A middle-ground approach is to send a “When can we meet?” email. In this email, specify a date and time, and ask invitees to confirm their availability. Many email platforms offer scheduling tools that allow you to propose meeting times and receive responses regarding attendance. Some tools can even calculate the next available time when all participants can meet, assuming they are part of the same organization.

Deciding Who Should Attend

When deciding who should participate in the meeting, consider two main criteria:

• Individuals who will gain enough value from attending to justify their time.
• Individuals who can contribute meaningfully to the meeting’s objectives.

While these criteria can be subjective, they are crucial. For instance, someone might benefit more from receiving information after the meeting rather than being present. Alternatively, a participant might only need to attend part of the meeting to provide input on a specific topic. In some cases, an individual may be consulted beforehand and not need to attend at all.

A third important factor is the willingness of individuals to attend. Some people value firsthand experience in meetings, while others may be motivated by curiosity or personal interest. Excluding someone who feels slighted could lead to negativity that impacts team dynamics later. Occasionally, invitations may be extended for diplomatic reasons or office politics.

Leaders should be aware of the departments and roles represented by participants, as well as their familiarity with the topics to be discussed. Understanding their interest and need for information is also beneficial. If certain agenda items do not pertain to all participants, they may not need to be present for the entire meeting. If their input is required for a specific topic, consider placing that item first, so they do not have to wait unnecessarily. Alternatively, they can be ready to join the meeting when their input is needed.