I like to walk into meetings knowing the result I want.

1. What does success look like?
I like to walk into meetings knowing the result I want. And understanding the difference that result is going to make. A clear outcome and success criteria let me know when it's time to end the meeting.

2. Who needs to be there?
I want to make sure the right people are in the room in the context of the desired outcome. For example, it’s a waste of time trying to make a decision unless all the relevant parties commit to showing up.

3. What is the best and worst that might happen? I find it useful to consider the possible impact of peoples' behaviour during the meeting. I imagine the best and worst scenarios happening with the various personalities in the room. This helps my mentally preparation, so I can better handle difficulties, if they arise.

4. What emotional states do I want?
Let’s face it most meetings are boring. I look at the agenda to see what emotional states will help participants engagement at each point. For example, at the beginning I might want to get people’s attention ‘in the room’. That means doing something to elicit a state of curiosity.

5. What needs preparing? I like to rock up at meetings knowing everyone has done all they can to prepare. I write a checklist for this and share it with all the participants, so they know what is expected of them. It covers things like the materials, agenda items, and information.

That’s me. How about you, what questions do you ask yourself before a meeting?