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4) Distribute
agenda at least a day before meeting. This allows everyone to think about your issues and prepare for their participation. If appropriate (e.g., for controversial or complex issues) call key participants to confirm that they received agenda and to check if they have comments on how meeting could be made more effective. Use this as an opportunity to listen their ideas, instead of to work on issues or argue with them.
5) Distribute any materials related to issues before meeting. This includes outlines, blueprints, schematics, product brochures, and data. Then, participants can use these tools to participate more effectively. For example, they can follow an outline, look at diagrams, or read data during meeting. This helps compensate for lack of visual contact in a teleconference.
6) Invite only those who can directly contribute to meeting. Ideally, this should be fewer than eight people. If you invite more people, it becomes very difficult to hold an effective meeting. With a larger group, some of attendees will become lost as silent listeners, which is a waste of their time. You can always send a copy of minutes to people who need to know about work accomplished during meeting.
A teleconference is more than a phone call. It is a meeting. And a meeting is a business activity that should be driven by a well thought out goal supported by a detailed plan. With proper planning, your teleconferences will distinguish you as an effective leader.
