Meetings in project work

Meetings are an indispensable tool for coordinating project work. They are of crucial importance not only from a professional perspective, but also for stakeholder management. In order to achieve a good result quickly, the meeting chair and participants must adhere to certain rules and understand what constitutes a good meeting.

A meeting can be considered valuable when it is carefully prepared and based on a well-structured agenda with one or more clearly defined objectives. Participants are informed in advance, and only those whose presence is genuinely required, for example to contribute expertise or make decisions, are invited to attend. Throughout the meeting, every participant has the opportunity to express their views, with the chair actively encouraging quieter individuals to contribute. Regardless of their position within the organisational hierarchy, all participants are treated as equals, and their contributions are respected. To ensure an orderly discussion, the chair or a designated participant maintains a speakers' list, which all attendees are expected to follow.
Any disagreements that arise are addressed during the meeting wherever possible. If an immediate resolution cannot be reached, a firm deadline or follow-up meeting is agreed to ensure the issue is resolved. By the end of the meeting, every participant should be able to summarise the outcomes in their own words and clearly explain the tasks they have been assigned. Ideally, everyone leaves the meeting with a positive impression and a clear understanding of the agreed next steps. Finally, a record of the meeting is produced and approved by all participants. It is considered good practice to include any notes recorded during the meeting, for example on a flip chart or whiteboard, to ensure that all discussions and decisions are documented comprehensively.

If a meeting is considered necessary, thorough preparation is essential to ensure that it achieves its intended objectives. The process should begin by defining the topics to be included on the agenda and establishing the outcomes the meeting is expected to deliver. Once these have been determined, the organiser should identify the individuals whose attendance is genuinely required, either because they can contribute relevant expertise or because they are responsible for making decisions. At the same time, it is advisable to consider participants' likely views on the agenda items. Potential disagreements, resistance, or behaviour influenced by personal interests or organisational politics may affect the progress of the meeting and should therefore be anticipated wherever possible.
In addition to planning the content of the meeting, careful attention should be given to the practical arrangements. This includes determining an appropriate duration for the meeting and ensuring that a suitable room with the necessary technical facilities is available. Organisers should also establish which information participants require in advance and which supporting materials, such as handouts or presentation slides, will be needed during the meeting. Furthermore, consideration should be given to individuals who should be informed that the meeting is taking place, despite not needing to attend, such as members of senior management or other key stakeholders.
Finally, the responsibilities for conducting the meeting should be clearly assigned. This includes appointing a chair or facilitator to guide the discussion, a minute-taker to document the proceedings and decisions, and a timekeeper to ensure that the meeting remains on schedule. Careful preparation in both organisational and substantive respects provides the foundation for an efficient, well-structured, and goal-oriented meeting.

The success of a meeting depends largely on the skills of the chair or facilitator. This individual is responsible for ensuring that the meeting is conducted in a structured, efficient, and goal-oriented manner. At the beginning of the meeting, the chair should ensure that proceedings start on time, confirm which participants are present, and identify any absentees. A minute-taker should be appointed to record the discussion and decisions. Where appropriate, a brief round of introductions should be conducted, allowing participants to introduce themselves and outline their expectations for the meeting. The chair should then present the agenda and clarify the objectives of the meeting so that everyone has a shared understanding of its purpose and intended outcomes.
Throughout the meeting, the chair is responsible for guiding the discussion and maintaining focus on the agreed objectives. This includes intervening when conversations drift away from the agenda, preventing lengthy monologues or side discussions from disrupting the meeting, and ensuring that the planned schedule is respected. Equally important is the creation of an open and respectful atmosphere in which all participants feel able to contribute. Quieter individuals should be encouraged to share their views, while inappropriate or disrespectful behaviour should be addressed promptly. Where complex issues arise, suitable visual aids, such as flip charts or whiteboards, can be used to improve understanding. Any disagreements should be managed constructively, with the chair seeking to resolve conflicts wherever possible. If participants begin to lose concentration, appropriate breaks may be introduced. To maintain a clear overview of progress, the chair should summarise the discussion at regular intervals. If time becomes limited, less urgent agenda items may be postponed so that sufficient attention can be given to the most important topics.
At the end of the meeting, the chair should ensure that all decisions and agreed actions are clearly documented. If any agenda items remain unresolved, a follow-up meeting should be scheduled to address them. The minutes should identify each agreed action, the person responsible for carrying it out, and any relevant deadlines. Whenever possible, participants should review and approve the minutes before leaving the meeting. The meeting should conclude with a brief feedback session, providing participants with an opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness of the meeting and suggest improvements for future discussions.
 
If a participant has not prepared sufficiently, the moderator can briefly summarise the essentials – combined with the friendly request to at least skim through the documents sent in advance next time. If a participant joins the meeting too late, it is advisable to involve them in the proceedings immediately – for example: “Could you briefly help me here with the whiteboard?” Or: “Good that you are here too. What is your opinion on project XY?” In this way, the moderator prevents the newcomer from distracting other participants or taking too long to concentrate on the meeting content. Employees who were not present but should know the content of the meeting or have even been assigned tasks must be informed as far as possible on the same day and confirm receipt of the information.

Minutes should contain at least the following information:
 

• Project identification (project name, abbreviation, number)
• Occasion/topic
• Date, start, end, location
• Participants as well as absent persons who must be informed about the meeting results (minutes distribution list)
• Person responsible for the meeting, minute-taker
• Agenda
• All results, including tasks and responsibilities
• Signatures
• List of appendices and references to relevant documents
• Completion deadlines in relation to the minutes (e.g. when they must be available to whom

If disputes or uncertainties arise during meetings, the relevant passages can be recorded in verbatim minutes. If a legal dispute or court proceedings arise later, it may be important to be able to trace who said what to whom and when. The counterpart is the outcome minutes, in which only important interim and final results are recorded.
At the end of the meeting, there should still be enough time for the minute-taker to read out the minutes in bullet points. This gives participants the opportunity to check whether they have recorded everything correctly. If necessary, they can ask questions or clarify wording. This prevents uncertainties, misunderstandings and disputes arising later due to differing interpretations of the contents of the minutes.
The easiest approach is to use a template for the minutes. This keeps the effort required by the minute-taker within limits, because they only need to complete the relevant fields and do not have to think about whether they have all the necessary data together. If the visual appearance is uniform, project staff can also find their way around the documentation more easily.

All parties involved in the discussion should receive the minutes, if possible, on the day after the meeting. This ensures that everyone has the same level of information and can refer back to the results in the event of uncertainty (e.g. “homework” from the meeting). In practice, a so-called open-items list has proved helpful. It lists all assignments given during meetings.

From the perspective of the initiators, the following points apply to a meeting:
Meetings should only be held when they are necessary. Otherwise, they should be cancelled if they prove to be obsolete after all. For this reason, it should always be agreed with those involved when they have time. Of course, only those who genuinely need to be there should be invited. Otherwise, they can use their working time elsewhere. Before the meeting, the objective of the meeting should be made clear to the participants so that everyone is thoroughly prepared, for example with the help of information material. The information and the associated agenda should be adhered to. However, unforeseen matters, such as conflicts, should have their place but should not take over the meeting. At the end, a feedback round can be conducted in order, for example, to explore what could be done better next time. The results developed during the meeting should then be implemented by the initiators or passed on in such a way that they can, for example, be implemented by those affected in project marketing.

From the perspective of the participants, the following points apply to a meeting:
A meeting should only be attended when attendance is sensible and / or necessary. If, for example, the invitation does not seem sensible, this can be communicated.
However, if participation is required, one should arrive prepared in order to be able to contribute constructively and attentively. Uncertainties, opinions and doubts should be addressed, but contributions should be justified as briefly as possible. Majority opinions may be questioned, as in some cases they may be due to the participants following the crowd. In addition, the person chairing the meeting should be supported by refraining from side conversations and completing any possible tasks before the next meeting.

A meeting that is intended to provide participants with substantial content is not simply planned without further thought. It requires careful preparation, clear objectives, an appropriate selection of participants and consistent moderation. Only in this way can time, content and responsibilities be managed sensibly. Only when preparation, implementation, minute-taking and follow-up are coordinated can a meeting contribute to binding results and effectively support project work.