How to prepare for a meeting

Getting the most out of meetings

1. Agenda


Make sure you see a copy of the meeting agenda plenty of time before the meeting. This will help you prepare and make sure you've dealt with any previous action points. Seeing the agenda in advance means you can work out what you want to say, and make notes on how to say it. You can also think about any questions people might ask you, and prepare possible answers.



2. Make sure the chair can see you during the meeting.

Keep eye contact with the chair where necessary so that he / she can see if you don't understand something. Be prepared to ask for clarification if necessary. Use phrases such as:



"Would you mind clarifying this point?"

"Sorry, but could you outline the main points again?"

"I'm not sure I understood your point about…"

"Sorry, could you repeat that please?"



You can also ask the chair to summarise the discussion or provide more information:


"Can you summarise the main points for me please?"

"Can you go into further detail on this please?"

"I'm not sure if I've fully understood the main points here…"


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