{"id":943,"date":"2026-01-06T17:15:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fordosborne.com\/?p=943"},"modified":"2026-01-06T17:16:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:16:28","slug":"how-to-run-a-meeting-like-a-boss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fordosborne.com\/?p=943","title":{"rendered":"How to Run a Meeting Like a Boss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Raise your hand if you\u2019ve ever found yourself running a meeting that got away from you. You couldn\u2019t keep everyone on point. The subject strayed waaaaay far away from what you intended. The meeting went far over the allotted time and at the end of it you didn\u2019t feel like you accomplished anything<\/em>, despite your best intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running a meeting is both an art and a science, with equal parts going with the flow and following a prescribed path. Following are five tips that might help next time you find yourself in charge of a meeting where you need to accomplish a specific goal. The examples below are for planning a retirement party, but these tips apply for everything from party planning to a deep dive into a company\u2019s financial situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stick to an agenda.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While it isn\u2019t always practical or appropriate to the audience, I try to have a written agenda that I share with meeting attendees either on screen if the meeting is online, or out loud if it is in person. Jot down the agenda you want to follow and make sure you can cover the subject matter in the allotted time. I\u2019ll use a completely  agenda could look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting to Discuss Sarah\u2019s Retirement Party<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Introductions<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Venue<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Theme<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Menu<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Decorations<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Tasks<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Next meeting<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Set expectations.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Start the meeting by introducing yourself and telling everyone what you want to accomplish and how you intend to do it. Also tell everyone when you expect the meeting to end, and how participants can reach out if they have to leave early. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thank you for joining us today. I\u2019m Stacey, and I\u2019m the Director of Communications. Today we\u2019re going to figure out what we need to do to plan a retirement party for our CTO, Sarah Jones. We\u2019re going to start with introductions, then discuss the venue, the theme, the menu, and decorations. Then we\u2019ll assign tasks and determine if we need another meeting to touch base before the party. I have a hard stop at 2 PM. If you need to leave early, please leave me your email or phone number before you go so I can follow up. Let\u2019s start with introductions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Allow everyone to have a voice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If the meeting is collaborative, make sure you ask everyone\u2014even those who haven\u2019t volunteered a comment or suggestion\u2014if they have anything to add. If the meeting is instructive (i.e. you are providing information or direction to a team), be sure to save time for questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What are the rest of your thoughts on a venue?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Know when to end the meeting.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There\u2019s no rule that a meeting has to last as long as you had planned. Here are a few ways a meeting can change and how you can handle it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n