How to run a meeting

Discuss ideas & feedback — brainstorming new concepts, sharing retroactive feedback, and creative problem-solving. 

Context and details to provide participants a baseline understanding of the subject should be included. This is information that doesn’t necessarily need to be communicated live.

Parkinson’s Law (or it’s inverse) holds true here:Work expands or contracts to fill the time available for its completion. 

Make decisions — weighing upsides and downsides of decisions, sharing point-of-views, and coming to a decision.

The leader is responsible for the overall atmosphere of the meeting, and that it’s positive, safe, and productive.

Share information — cascading information to others, answering questions, and providing new knowledge.

Broadly, there are 4 outputs from meetings:

Participants contribute to meeting discussion and agenda items. 

Achieve alignment — getting all stakeholders to agree on a subject.

To kick-off the meeting, these items should be communicated first: