Is it helpful? Evaluate comments and behavior during a meeting. Are participants working to support each other? Are people contributing to safe environment that is essential for open creative thinking? Are people adding high-value contributions (instead of stories or jokes that distract everyone)? Note that chronic unproductive behavior betrays either fear, a lack of effective work skills, or misunderstood expectations. People who perform poorly in meetings may need constructive coaching.

Is it controlled? Leadership involves more than watching people talk. Thus, observe dynamics of meeting process. Is chairperson leading everybody through methodical steps that take them to a result? Is meeting being conducted in such a way that participants feel that it is a fair process? Is chairperson helping others perform at their best so that group can produce an outstanding result?

Someone who excels in above areas should be considered for leadership positions. This explains why most executives consider a person’s ability to lead meetings when selecting future leaders.

Relevant. To be meaningful, a goal has to relate to overall mission of your business. Otherwise, you may be wasting time. Challenge each goal with question, “What happens without it?” If your answer is “nothing,” cancel meeting.

Time. Specifying a deadline (e.g., by noon) or a rate (e.g., 3 per hour) moves activity toward completing task and provides a criteria to measure progress. Of course, you want to select realistic times.

As a final check, make sure your goals are so clear that someone else could use them to run your meeting.