planning and running effective meetings for business,...

In my next posts I'll try to reflect on some essential elements to run an effective meeting.
Priorities, Outcomes, Sequence, Timings, Agenda, Date, Time, Venue.

meeting priorities
What is the meeting's purpose? Always have one; otherwise don't have a meeting. Decide the issues for inclusion in the meeting and their relative priority: importance and urgency.
You can avoid the pressure for 'Any Other Business' at the end of the meeting if you circulate a draft agenda in advance of the meeting, and ask for any other items for consideration. ('Any Other Business' often creates a free-for-all session that wastes time, and gives rise to new tricky expectations, which if not managed properly then closes the meeting on a negative note.)