Wondering how to organize meetings at work that people will actually enjoy?

Looking for some practical tips to help make things run a little smoother?

Meetings are an integral part of any business.

And as an entrepreneur, you know how important it is to make the most out of any meeting.

Unfortunately, meetings have an unfortunate reputation for being unnecessary and poorly managed.

You may think you need to put out all sorts of bells and whistles in order to captivate your audience.

But there’s one thing that can make your audience sit up and take notice.

Want to know the secret? It’s to ensure your well-organized meeting ends on time.

Here are six ways to plan a meeting that will catch your audience’s attention, both now and in the future.

Identify your meeting’s goal.

The first thing you’ll want to do is to identify the main goal of your meeting.

What specifically do you want to achieve as a result of holding your meeting?

For instance, are you looking to reach a consensus on a decision, generate ideas at a brainstorm, update a group on recent events, or discuss the next course of action for a business matter?

Make sure your meeting’s goal is crystal clear. You should be able to describe your meeting’s goal in one to three sentences.

The more concise you can be in your description, the better.

Carefully create a meeting agenda.

Take a moment to draft several agenda items for your meeting.

At a minimum, be sure to include opening and closing remarks, along with three to five unique agenda items.

You can start the process by brainstorming a few different agenda items and adding in relevant details as you go along.

What past items do you need to review? What present items should be discussed? What future items should be addressed?

Remember, the point here is not to include every conceivable item into your agenda, but only that which matters to your meeting’s goal.

Prime your audience in advance.

Nothing sets the stage for meeting success like clear and concise communication.

Describe what you wish to accomplish during the meeting and how attendees can participate in a way that supports all involved.

You can achieve this by circulating your agenda a day or two in advance of your meeting.

You can include a note that describes how people should prepare for the meeting, such as reviewing the agenda in advance, bringing a notebook and a pen, and be open to a real-time discussion, with little to no interruptions or distractions.

Set meeting expectations early.

It’s extremely important to vocalize your meeting goals front and center.

Not only do you want to cover all items on your agenda, but you want to run the meeting as efficiently as possible.

Let attendees know how they can help make the meeting a success.

Ask them to review the agenda, refrain from side conversations, and give their undivided attention so that the meeting may end in a prompt manner.

Immediately identify and address disruptions.

Take care to immediately address any disturbances or disruptions to the meeting as soon as they occur.

This visibly signals an interruption in the meeting and lets others know disruptions will not be tolerated.

Let attendees know that this course correction is all in the interest of time; disruptions add unnecessary time and issues to the meeting.

Agenda items need to be addressed, so the meeting may end in an efficient and timely manner.

Plant the seeds for future meeting success.

Just because your meeting is a one-time event, doesn’t mean it exists in a vacuum.

At the conclusion of the meeting, thank attendees for their assistance and participation in making the meeting a true success.

Don’t be shy about letting attendees know whether the meeting ended early or on time. Make a point to openly address either of these items at the meeting’s end.

This declaration will help prime attendees for future meeting success; attendee cooperation combined with smart meeting management means productive and fruitful meetings for all.

Learn how to manage your time at work

Time management is an important skill that everyone should learn and practice if they want to be successful at work.

My time management guide can help you learn how to manage time in meetings, prioritize tasks, and arrive on time to appointments.

If you want me to help you manage your time at work and at home so you get things done and feel in control, then check out my time management coaching services. Book a strategy session with me today!

How about you? How are you going to plan meetings in future? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!

This article originally appeared on Inc.com.