HBR 20-Minute Manager Boxed Set (10 Books) (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)

Running Meetings

48

Executing the agenda

You’ve put all that prep work in on the agenda and

on making sure the meeting will be a success, so once

you’re actually rolling, don’t be drawn off track to

non-agenda topics. By staying on your planned path,

you’ll keep the meeting focused and your attend-

ees happy, and ensure that you’ll address all of your

agenda items. It’s a careful balance, however, since at

the same time you want to make sure that you hear

all points of view from your attendees—after all, that’s

why you’ve invited each of them.

Keep the meeting moving

When you’re in the midst of the discussion, keep an

eye on the agenda and the time—or assign a time-

keeper. You can be informal (it can be as simple as

asking someone to raise a hand ...