Do you want to prevent meetings from running late?

Are you looking for tips to help you keep things under control and in check?

A telltale sign of a poorly managed meeting is one that runs late.

You know the scenario all too well.

A meeting should end in five minutes’ time, but for some reason the meeting organizers decide to extend the meeting.

Everyone sitting around the conference table groans, rolls their eyes, and wishes the meeting would end as soon as possible.

In this post, you’ll find tips to help you prevent meeting from running late.

While an extended meeting might come with the best of intentions, it often does more harm than good.

People become cranky and irritable, plus, everyone’s schedule is forced to shift forward. It’s certainly not a pleasant experience.

Follow the below steps to ensure a meeting stays within the scheduled and allotted time.

Begin on time. 

An important part of managing a meeting well is to start a meeting on time.

Doing so shows others you are serious about getting things done.

Plus, when you begin on time, you won’t have to worry about making up for lost time.

Let people know well in advance that the meeting is going to begin on time. The meeting is not going to start five minutes late, two minutes late, or even one minute late.

It is going to start on time. Period. Make it absolutely clear the meeting will begin when it is scheduled to begin.

And what if anyone should balk at this practical request? You can remind people that their promptness truly matters.

If everyone arrives on time, the meeting can be held as scheduled, and the meeting can end on time.

Prepare meeting equipment and materials in advance.

It’s important to have all your meeting materials prepared before the meeting begins.

This covers everything, from audiovisual equipment setup, to printouts collated and distributed throughout the room. You don’t want to needlessly keep attendees waiting.

In order to do this, you’ll want to plan on entering the meeting room fifteen minutes to a half-an-hour before the meeting is scheduled to begin. This allows you sufficient time to set up the furniture, test electronic equipment, and layout meeting materials.

Do keep in mind, the more people attending a meeting, the more time you’ll need to set up. When in doubt, give yourself extra time for setup.

Keep an eye on conversations.

Conversations have a place in meetings. After all, that’s how issues are discussed, and problems are solved.

Unnecessary, off-topic and side conversations, however, can interrupt the flow and pace of the meeting. These conversations should be kept to a bare minimum…at the most!

Inform attendees at the start of the meeting that side conversations and off-topic remarks will be not be tolerated. Let people know that such conversations will be promptly addressed and ended by the meeting organizer.

It goes without saying that you should pay close attention to the attendees during the meeting. Who’s speaking at any given moment? Are side conversations or whisperings taking place?

If you come across such conversations, briefly pause the meeting, and politely ask the offenders to end their conversation, and focus on the task at hand.

Avoid adding last-minute items to the agenda.

Adding extra items to an agenda will throw off the goals and time frame of a meeting. Remember, people are attending a meeting for a specific reason.

They are not attending a meeting for an impromptu, “Hey, while you’re here, let’s discuss the upcoming holiday party and the status of the lobby renovations.”

What’s a good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to additional items on the agenda?

It’s as simple as this: if you haven’t scheduled it on the agenda, don’t discuss it.

If an off-topic item comes up, state the item is not on the agenda, and will not be discussed. Then, proceed with the agenda as planned.

How about you? What’s one aspect of a well-run meeting that you think makes everyone happy? Join in the conversation and leave a comment below!