Meetings play a vital role in business and daily life. Meetings are held for various purposes, including communication, information sharing, decision-making, and problem-solving. However, effective meeting management is essential for effective meetings and the desired outcomes.  Meeting management encompasses the following stages: defining the meeting's purpose, setting the agenda, identifying participants, running the meeting, and concluding. Each of these stages is crucial for meeting effectiveness.

Basic Principles of Meeting Management

The basic principles of meeting management are:

• Determining the purpose of the meeting: Determining the purpose of the meeting is the first and most important step in running it efficiently and effectively. This helps establish the meeting agenda, identify participants, and determine the meeting's duration.
• Creating the meeting agenda: A meeting agenda is a list of topics that must be addressed to achieve the meeting's objectives. Creating the meeting agenda ensures the meeting runs efficiently and effectively. The meeting agenda should be distributed to participants before the meeting.
• Limiting the number of participants: Limiting the number of participants ensures the meeting runs efficiently and effectively. Too many participants can cause the meeting to spiral out of control and lead to disengagement.
• Determining the meeting duration: Determining the meeting duration ensures the meeting is conducted efficiently and effectively. The meeting duration should be determined according to the meeting's purpose and agenda. The meeting duration should be communicated to participants before the meeting.
• Determining the meeting location: Determining the meeting location ensures the meeting runs efficiently and effectively. The meeting location should be a comfortable space where participants can sit and talk.
• Establishing a meeting layout: Establishing a meeting layout ensures the meeting runs efficiently and effectively. The layout should be such that participants can see and converse comfortably.
• Meeting Management: Meeting management ensures the meeting runs efficiently and effectively. The manager must guide the meeting and ensure that participants have a voice in order to achieve its objectives.
• Recording the meeting's outcomes: Recording the meeting's outcomes ensures the meeting is run efficiently and effectively. Decisions made and actions taken as a result of the meeting should be recorded in the meeting minutes.

Meeting Management Basic Elements

The fundamental elements of meeting management include determining the meeting's purpose, setting the agenda, managing the meeting, concluding the meeting, and providing post-meeting reporting and debriefing. These elements are crucial for ensuring a productive meeting and achieving the set goals.

Purpose of the Meeting

Every meeting should have a purpose. Before determining the purpose of the meeting, it's important to clearly define why the meeting is being held and what it aims to achieve. A clear understanding of the meeting's purpose ensures a productive meeting and the achievement of its objectives.

The following questions can be answered to determine the purpose of the meeting:

• Why is the meeting being held?
• What is intended to be achieved from the meeting?
• What topics will be discussed at the meeting?
• What will be the decisions taken at the meeting?

The purpose of the meeting is important for setting the agenda and planning what will be done during the meeting.

Agenda

Once the meeting's purpose is determined, the meeting agenda must be created. The agenda is a plan that outlines the topics to be discussed and their timeframes. The agenda should be tailored to the meeting's purpose. Topics on the agenda should be of interest to participants and contribute to the productive nature of the meeting.

The following points should be taken into consideration when creating the agenda:

• The agenda should be appropriate to the purpose of the meeting.
• The topics on the agenda should be topics that will attract the attention of the participants and contribute to the efficiency of the meeting.
• The topics to be included on the agenda must be appropriate to the duration of the meeting.
• The agenda must be communicated to participants in advance.

Management of the Meeting

Meeting management is essential for ensuring a smooth and productive meeting from beginning to end. The meeting leader must clearly communicate the meeting's purpose and agenda to all participants. During the meeting, participants should be given the opportunity to speak and express their opinions. During the meeting, discussions should be kept under control and not diverted from the meeting's purpose.

The following points should be taken into consideration for the management of the meeting:

• The meeting leader must clearly communicate the purpose and agenda of the meeting to all participants.
• The meeting leader should give participants the opportunity to speak and express their opinions.
• The meeting leader must keep discussions under control and prevent them from straying from the meeting's purpose.
• The meeting manager must take the necessary precautions to ensure that the meeting is productive.

Conclusion of the Meeting

At the end of the meeting, a summary of the decisions made and the actions to be taken should be conveyed to the participants. These decisions should be recorded in the meeting minutes.

To conclude the meeting, the following points should be taken into consideration:

• The decisions taken at the meeting and what needs to be done should be conveyed to the participants in summary form.
• Decisions made at the meeting should be recorded in the meeting minutes.

Post-Meeting Reporting and Information

Decisions made at the meeting and actions to be taken should be reported to the relevant individuals after the meeting. Furthermore, decisions made at the meeting and actions to be taken should be properly communicated to ensure that all employees are informed.

The following points should be taken into consideration for post-meeting reporting and information:

• The decisions taken at the meeting and what needs to be done should be reported to the relevant people after the meeting.
• The decisions taken at the meeting and the actions to be taken should be announced appropriately to ensure that all employees are informed.

Lean Model Meeting Management

The Lean Model is a management approach that aims to increase efficiency and effectiveness in business processes. The Lean Model can also be applied to meeting management.

The following points are taken into consideration in Lean Model meeting management:

• Meetings are held only when necessary.
• The purpose and objectives of the meetings are clearly defined.
• Participants are selected in accordance with the purpose and objectives of the meeting.
• The meeting agenda is prepared in accordance with the purpose and objectives of the meeting.
• The meeting place and time are determined according to the availability of the participants.
• During the meeting, participants are reminded of the purpose and objectives of the meeting.
• The meeting proceeds according to the agenda.
• Participants' opinions are listened to and an effort is made to reach a consensus.
• At the end of the meeting, the decisions taken and what needs to be done are determined.
• Meeting notes are shared with participants.
• Necessary steps are taken to put the meeting results into practice.

Lean Model meeting management helps increase the efficiency and effectiveness of meetings, preventing them from wasting time and resources.