Once you decide to host a meeting, you might decide to invite everyone you think needs to know about the information you are going to be sharing. This is not the best approach, however, if you wish to have a successful meeting in which valuable business goals will be accomplished.

Your first steps are to choose a topic for your meeting, set goals and objectives for the meeting, and then decide on a time, place and location to meet. A clear meeting agenda will keep the meeting focused and on task. Even more importantly, it will give you the momentum you need to drive forward towards your goals.

Go for Your Goals

Therefore, let your meeting agenda be your guide. Select only the people you know will be able to contribute to the goals and objectives of the meeting and who can stay on task. For example, if you have one member of staff who is so swamped with meetings you can barely find a time for you all to meet, it might be best to just inform them of the main outcomes after the meeting has been held.

A face-to-face meeting with everyone in the same room should be held for a genuine reason, not just because it’s been a while since you’ve all been in the same room. The attendees you invite should all bring particular skills and attributes to the meeting to help you achieve your goals. They should also be motivated enough to take all of the action steps that will come out of the meeting.

Consider Their Best Qualities

When choosing who to invite, think not just about the nature of the work that needs to be done, but human nature as well. All of your staff have a range of skills and abilities. They probably also have a certain set of character traits which might be more or less valuable depending on your meeting agenda.

For example, some might love the thrill of a start-up, but be less successful at managing a mature product. Some people love to begin projects but have a hard time finishing them. Other staff might be wildly creative, while others are very firmly in the box. You might also notice that some staff are more analytical than others.

Well Placed in the Company or Industry

Select managers who will oversee important parts of a task or need to allocate you resources for it. Invite anyone you feel is ‘in the know’ about your topic so you can tap into their expertise.

Personality is Key

Another aspect to consider is personality. Some people are chatty and unfocused while others are quiet but point to problems and issues like a laser. Others are so negative, they suck the life out of even the most exciting projects. Therefore, communication style can also be a deciding factor in which personnel you invite.

Movers and Shakers

Select the kind of people who take action. Once you have gone through your agenda, there should be a set of important next steps to carry out in order to make the most of what was accomplished at the meeting. Therefore, invite a certain ratio of movers and shakers to the meeting in order to be certain that your team will follow through with all that has been decided.

Once you are more careful in determining who really needs to be at a meeting, you should notice a real difference in your ability to meet your meeting’s goals and objectives. In this way, you can use each meeting as a stepping stone to further success.