When it comes to meetings, keep in mind that less is more. Any meeting will be shorter and more productive if you invite only those people who are directly involved in the matters under discussion.
Whenever possible, schedule a meeting in the morning, when people are more alert. But avoid 'first thing in the morning' sessions. The day before or after a weekend or holiday is also a bad time.
A few days before the meeting, put your agenda in writing and distribute it to all the participants. Tell them how much time will be devoted to each topic, and allow extra time at the end just in case some topics run over.
To stay on schedule, refer to the agenda as the meeting progresses. If someone gets long-winded, wait until he takes a breath and say, 'I'm afraid we've run out of time on this topic, so let's summarise'.
To keep participants on their toes, ask each one to give a brief presentation.
To draw out a creative but shy person, tell her in advance that you'd like her ideas on a particular topic, then call on her. Or go around the table, asking each person in turn for a comment.
