Dear Meeting Guru, I need to teach our organization these things about meetings: 1. When to set up a meeting. 2. Who should be invited. 3. What to prepare for a meeting. 4. How to run a meeting. 5. How to follow up to a meeting. 6. Anything to make a meeting more effecient. Anonymous

Blessed Meeter,

Your concern about meetings is commendable. Inefficient meetings cost organizations billions of dollars each year in otherwise productive employee work time.

To teach your employees how to be more productive in meetings, give each of them a free subscription to EffectiveMeetings.com by directing them to www.effectivemeetings.com/subscribe.asp. Then assign them the task of finding the answers to the particular problems you pose. They will find a wealth of information located throughout this resource center.

For specific information about 1) when to set up a meeting, read "To Meet or Not to Meet".

For 2) who should be invited, 4) how to run a meeting and 5) how to follow up to a meeting, check out "Leading a Meeting." It recommends that you invite only those directly involved in the particular meeting goal and outlines the responsibilities of a meeting leader.

For 3) what to prepare for a meeting, try "How to Create an Agenda".

And for other information about particular meeting questions, peruse Meeting Guru responses.

If you’re having trouble convincing employees that spending time planning and evaluating their meeting productivity is worthwhile, you can calculate the cost of your meetings to put the force of finance behind you. www.effectivemeetings.com/diversions/meetingcost.asp

As the wise philosopher Confucius once said, "Men of superior mind busy themselves first getting at the root of things; when they succeed, the right course is open to them." You will not only learn the right course but teach others to do so as well. Such is the path to wisdom and productivity.

Until next time… may good meeting karma always be with you.