Pen frustratingly tapping paper; foot twitching with urgency; eyes glancing to the clock every few seconds. Sound familiar? These are the common signs that a meeting has taken on a less-than-fruitful atmosphere and it is time to wrap it up.

Avoid being the cause of these ultimate time-wasters by adhering to the strict Before-During-and-After guidelines for hosting effective meetings in the workplace.

BEFORE

Establish the groundwork with a simple agenda. Put it down on paper; what is the purpose of this meeting? Who will attend? What is the time allotted for the meeting?

Pass out any needed materials before the actual meeting is held, to avoid people being distracted whilst trying to catch up on reading or notes.

Next, determine whether an in-person, time-consuming meeting is really the only means to the end. Could a conference call, email thread or memo accomplish the laid out goals? Resorting to meetings only when necessary will show employees and colleagues that you respect their time.

Request confirmation from all parties required for the meeting's goals to be achieved. Holding the meeting without any one of the key players is a determined waste of time.

DURING

As a leader, we must set the tone for the meeting. Positivity, activity and goal-driven motivation is necessary to enthuse team members. Begin by laying out the objectives, determining the course and pace of the meeting.

Reference the materials you requested others to read through, engage with them and make sure you know their input is relevant.

Make sure everyone who showed up gets the chance to share. Avoid letting bulldozer employees dominate the floor by encouraging a group sharing model, acting as a facilitator.

During the meeting, determine the appropriate course for follow-up so that it is clear what the next steps should be.

AFTER

Follow-up after the meeting is important because it parlays motivation and acts as a call to action. Do not let more than 24 hours pass without publishing the meeting minutes and directing everyone to their next task.

Establish accountability so that follow-up meetings can continue to be productive, making sure each team member realises their responsibilities and feels motivated to achieve them.