Your meetings will be shorter and more productive if you follow this simple formula.
1. Create a visual agenda ahead of time using a mind map you can edit in real time. Display it on the conference room projector (or on your screen using an online meeting platform such as GoToMeeting™ or WebEx™).
2. Move through the agenda items, noting decisions on the mind map. If action items are needed, decide in the meeting who is responsible. There are a few ways to do this in SmartDraw. You can assign the item to that person using Trello, change the shape of the task so it has a row that can show assignment, or simply add a shape representing the person and drag the task under their name in the hierarchy. Everyone in the meeting sees the action item assigned. There is no room for different interpretations of action taken and the person assigned the task is publicly accountable for completing it.
3. Upon conclusion of the meeting, distribute the action item document, in visual format (which becomes the minutes of the meeting), to each attendee by sending them a link.
Source: goo.gl/C4p4HB
