Productive and Meaningful Meetings

A talk at church today reminded me that how productive and meaningful a meeting (or a training!) is determined by what happens before and after the meeting. What happens in the meeting is important, but how prepared the attendees are will determine how much they get out of the meeting or training. In other words, have the attendees completed their individual work and assignments for the meeting? Also, what the attendees do after the meeting is important. Have new assignments been made with deadlines and who is responsible?