In a meeting, two or more people come together, in particular to have discussions or produce a predetermined output, often in a formalized way.

In addition to coming together physically (in real life, face to face), communication lines and equipment can also be set up to have a discussion between people at different locations, e.g. a conference call or an e-meeting.

In organizations, meetings are an important vehicle for human communication. They are so common and pervasive in organizations, however, that many take them for granted and forget that, unless properly planned and executed, meetings can be a terrible waste of precious resources.

Because of their importance, a career in professional meeting planning has emerged in recent years. In addition, the field of Meeting Facilitation has formalized with an internationally-recognized "Certified Professional Facilitator" designation through the International Association of Facilitators (IAF)

Topics in meetings

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• Facilitation
• Open space conference

Types of meetings

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Meetings fall into three catgories:

• 1) Status Meetings, generally Leader-led, which are about reporting by one-way communication;
• 2) Work Meetings, which produce a product or intangible result such as a decision
• 3) Meetings which never should have happened, such as the Monday morning staff meeting which is on the calendar "just in case..." Work meetings are most effective when facilitated by a neutral facilitator who brings meeting design, processes and expertise in producing work collaboratively.

• Staff meeting -- typically a meeting between a manager and those that report to the manager (possibly indirectly).
• Team meeting -- a meeting among colleagues working on various aspects of a team project.
• Ad-hoc meeting -- a meeting called together for a special purpose
• Management meeting -- a meeting among managers
• Board meeting -- a meeting of the Board of directors of an organization
• One to one meeting -- a meeting between two individuals

Meeting styles

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• stand-up meeting
• breakfast meeting
• off-site meeting

Seven rules for meetings

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Training material for how to hold an effective meeting often lists rules such as:

1. Be clear about the meeting’s objective

2. Create a solid agenda

3. Prepare in advance

4. Discussion-management process

5. Use of time

6. Plan, discuss and assign roles

7. Pre- and post-meeting communication

See also

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• Action item
• Agenda
• conference room
• International Congress Calendar
• Meeting system
• Organizational development
• Quaker meeting for worship
• Scientific meeting
• Task list

External links

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• Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
• Professional Meeting Planners Network
• The 3M Meeting Network
• Professional Meeting Rooms in Edinburgh's financial district
• http://crs.uvm.edu/citizens/meeting.htm

MeetingsManagementOrganizational studies and human resource management

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