Meetings are important in any organization, but too many companies lost time in countless meetings that bring to nothing. If you ask your staff or colleagues about the effectiveness of some meetings, some of them will answer that they do not know what was the purpose of it.Well planned meetings mean good projection for your company. The DB Communication Department of Sihanoukville[1] enlist 10 advices of how to plan a good meeting.

1. Make your agenda known.

The persons that come to a meeting knowing very well the agenda, have a best disposition to it. Mysterious meetings give the impression of waste of time. Why we are here? What is the matter? This questions must be answer time before the meeting. Use the Internet. Send emails before the meeting with the time table of it. Ask your people to prepare suggestions, observations and reports for the meeting.

2. Objective.

The meeting must have a clear purpose. Remember: We are busy. What we want to reach in this meeting?

3. Time.

You must establish the time where the meeting will start, but - it is also important -the time where it will finish. It creates a best attitude in the persons to participate of it. They will prepare themselves to stay the time that was established. Meetings without end create stress.

4. No electronics.

Participants at the meeting must not use cell phones and laptops. We should be clear on it, otherwise, there will be persons doing other tasks while 'listening' the meeting.

5. Invited to the meeting with time limit

If there is a special invited to the meeting - a person who was invited to give an opinion or recommendation -, this person must have his/her time - for example, 15 minutes - and he/she does not need to stay all the time of the meeting.

6. Be a meeting leader.

Every meeting must have a clear leader. He/she must control the time, order and schedule of it.

7. On the topic.

Be strict on the topic. Do not allow somebody to go out of focus.

8. Evaluation and following.

What is agreed in the meeting must be followed and it must be evaluated at the next meeting.

9. Be consistent.

If you adopt this rule for your meetings, be consistent on it. Don't change it and your meetings will get a discipline and effectiveness.

10. Create 'oasis times'.

Don't be so formal all the time. Include breaks in the meetings with friendly moments.