A common problem with meetings is that there are lots of people who all want to talk. Some people love the sound of their own voices and have opinions on everything. Some people refuse to stick to a point and want to but in with related or unrelated topics. It is even the case that meetings become battle grounds for personal conflicts that are detrimental to the problem solving required. This can lead to an unproductive meeting where the original aim falls by the wayside. So what can you do to keep a meeting on track and deal with these issues?

The first step is to set a meeting agenda and aim. Ensure that it is distributed to all attendees well in advance of the meeting. People can therefore arrive prepared and knowing what to expect. They can carefully consider the points they want to make and will be less likely to ramble on in the meeting. Make sure that the aim of the meeting is reiterated at the start to help people focus. Ensure that people are aware of the start and end time. Having a set amount of time gives you a valid reason not to tolerate attendees talking about unrelated topics since the meeting will overrun and the purpose forgotten.

When considering who will attend the meeting, think about those who have the skills and knowledge to help accomplish the goal. It is perfectly acceptable to bring in people who cannot contribute if you want them to learn something about the process or topic. If there are ten people however and only two of them will really be able to help, then you are putting the agenda at risk. Having too many additional people means you have more people to keep focused which is not always easy. At the same time, make sure that everyone required to be there to make a final decision is present. If you find that Bob in finance needs to be present to OK the final budget before everything else can be decided then it wastes everyone's time to have a meeting without him.

When someone makes a point unrelated to the topic being discussed, it is important to bring things back quickly and inoffensively. How can this be done without offending the person talking? Always acknowledge that the point they are making is valid, but not part of the current meeting agenda point. Suggest that they raise it at the end in the any other business section. Perhaps even write a note on your own agenda as a reminder which will suggest you are taking them seriously. If the meeting is dedicated to one purpose and therefore does not have such a section, suggest that it would be more appropriate to hold a separate meeting to discuss it.

If the point of the meeting is to talk about and solve a particular issue then a brainstorming spider diagram could be put on a white board or large drawing pad in the meeting room. As people are making valid points, add them to the diagram. This gives a clear sense of the continuing topic and will encourage people to stay close to the topic. As the person chairing the meeting you do not have to put irrelevant points on the diagram.

If you are using this approach then the diagram may well become the minutes or a big part of it. Always have someone taking minutes so that actions and points are taken down along with who made them and who will carry them out. This is important since it often forms the basis of future meetings. If you do not have this as a basis then it may be easier for people to add extra unrelated points or forget vital points that need addressing.

If you find that things still aren't working then you may like to research some slightly more unusual techniques to create a more focused and shorter meeting. I recently read a paper suggesting that meeting times were shorter if everyone was forced to stand up. While this made people more uncomfortable, it meant they didn't want to hang around longer than necessary before they got back to their nice confortable desks. Whatever you decide to try, don't be afraid to take control of the meeting as the organiser. If you let people ramble on then this will encourage them to do so and you won't have a hope of coming to a productive conclusion.