When Good Meetings Go Bad, and How to Fix Them

Unfortunately, even if you’ve followed all the guidelines for conducting an effective meeting, things can still go wrong. You’re dealing with human beings, after all! They can derail even the most carefully thought-out agenda.

The best way to handle problems is to prepare for them as much as possible ahead of time by thinking about the attendees you’ve invited who tend to cause problems. A windbag? Consider asking him in advance of the meeting to focus his comments on a particular aspect for which you value his opinion. A constant critic? Follow up your meeting invitation with a suggestion that she lead the discussion on a particular aspect of your decision.

What to do if . . .

The following intervention ...

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