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The last October issue of Professional Purchasing discussed the importance of managing meetings. ..." />

Better Meeting Management Pays

Date: 04/01/2013

The last October issue of Professional Purchasing discussed the importance of managing meetings. It pointed out the advantages and disadvantages that can be obtained from holding meetings. Here are further thoughts on the topic.

Gathering people together means taking them away from their other duties, and that can be costly. Add to that cost the time spent at the meeting.

Meetings help communication and generate ideas. The old adage "two heads are better than one" applies to people at a meeting. Getting input from those in attendance helps solve problems. On the other hand the involvement of too many people may simply confuse the issues.

Attendance by those who will not receive any benefit from the meeting or not contribute anything to the meeting is simply an unnecessary cost. Meetings that are too long or too frequent may do more harm than good. However, holding a meeting once in a while provides an opportunity for a team spirit and helps focus efforts on objectives.v

Meeting Checklist

Plan the agenda.

Only select the attendees who will benefit.

Announce the time, place, duration, and topics to be discussed well in advance so the attendees can plan their time and gather any necessary information.

Make sure someone takes notes and is assigned to document what was discussed and publish a copy to all attendees and to anyone else who should be informed.

End the meeting on schedule.

Follow-up on any assignments to make sure they were handled.



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