How to prepare for a meeting: 9 steps to lead it effectively

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Meetings are crucial for developing a company’s strategy and making business decisions. To lead a meeting well, you need to properly prepare before it takes place.

Be fully ready with these nine steps on how to prepare for a meeting to ensure it's productive and efficient.

Meeting preparation: 9 steps to follow 

1. Establish a purpose for the meeting.

Every meeting should have a clear, defined purpose. Before you start planning the logistics of your meeting, ask yourself:

• Why does the meeting need to happen?
• What should we accomplish during the meeting?
• What do we need to achieve following the meeting?

Your answers to these questions will guide the direction and tone of the meeting.

2. Select meeting attendees.

When you’re setting up a meeting, it’s important to only invite people who really need to be there. This keeps discussions on track and makes the most of everyone’s time.

Depending on the meeting’s objectives, you might include team members who:

• Can give extra context during the meeting.
• Need the information to complete upcoming projects.
• Will provide the next steps to take.

3. Decide the meeting’s location.

Once you know who is attending the meeting, you can determine whether the meeting should be held in person or virtually:

• If attendees work remotely, you should set up a virtual meeting.
• If attendees work in the office, you should find a physical meeting location.
• If there are both remote and in-person attendees, you can either:
  • Make the meeting virtual for everyone.
  • Make the meeting virtual for remote attendees and add a meeting room for those who are in the office.

4. Create an agenda.

The next step in preparing for a meeting is to set an agenda. Agendas tell the attendees what to expect during the meeting. They also help everyone stay focused on the task at hand.

You can create an agenda by:

• Listing topics and/or projects to discuss.
• Allotting time for each topic.
• Deciding who will lead each segment.

When creating your agenda, think back to the questions you asked yourself during step one. These answers will help you figure out what needs to be accomplished.

5. Gather pre-meeting reading material.

Put together any background information participants should read ahead of time. That way, everyone will come to the meeting prepared.

Be sure to clarify what materials must be reviewed before the meeting and what is nice to know. If you send a 75-page document for them to look over, for example, attendees should know what sections directly pertain to the meeting.

6. Send a meeting invitation.

Next, send a meeting invitation to all attendees. For virtual meetings, you can use online platforms like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Zoom to schedule and send invites.

You should add all the information above, including:

• A link to the virtual meeting and/or the physical location of the meeting.
• The time and length of the meeting.
• The purpose of the meeting.
• The agenda.
• Any pre-reading materials.

If possible, send the meeting invite at least two weeks in advance to give the attendees enough time to prepare.

7. Set clear expectations.

If someone is presenting data or leading part of the meeting, communicate what you expect from them beforehand. This can be done through an email or one-on-one meeting (separate from the meeting’s calendar invite).

Expectations may include:

• How long they will have to present their information.
• How you want them to present their information (verbally, with a PowerPoint, etc.).
• If you expect them to answer questions from other attendees after they present.

8. Do a dry run of the meeting.

Since you’re asking everyone else to prepare in advance, you should too! Prepare for the meeting by:

• Creating a presentation (if needed).
• Writing down all the points you want to make.
• Re-reading data or information that will be discussed.
• Practicing what you’re going to say during the meeting.
• Listing questions to ask or challenge the team.
• Thinking of questions the team may have and how you’re going to answer them.

9. Check technology.

Technical issues can disrupt even the most well-planned meetings. Test your equipment, internet connection, software and any other technology that will be used during the meeting. Run these tests the day before the meeting so you have enough time to fix any issues you run into.