No one likes a team meeting that drags on forever and seems to have no purpose. The truth is that if you improvise your next team meeting or try to plan it at the very last minute, you might just end up wasting everyone’s time.

If you have been trying to figure out how to have productive team meetings, you first need to learn how to plan these meetings. Then, you have to make sure everyone is prepared to attend and that they can make the most of it.

Here is a guide on how to have productive team meetings at work:

1. Set a purpose and a goal for each meeting

Before planning a meeting, ask yourself if what you want to discuss with your team needs to be discussed in a meeting. Perhaps you can just talk about it to everyone in your team collaboration software.

If you decide that a team meeting is necessary, take a moment to define its purpose. Each team meeting needs to have a clear purpose, and you also need to be clear about the outcome you expect to achieve.

2. Create a team meeting agenda

Once you know the goal of your next team meeting, create your agenda. Include all the topics you want to cover and highlight the most important ones.

During the meeting, try to stick to your agenda as much as possible. If unexpected discussions arise, take notes that can be reviewed later and get everyone back on track.

When your meeting agenda is ready, share it with your team. And make sure they add the meeting to their schedule in advance.

3. Make sure everyone who needs to be there will be there

Depending on the goal of your meeting, it might not make sense for everyone in the company to attend. Decide who needs to be there, who will find value in the meeting, and who will have something to contribute.

Then, make sure these team members will all be present. If someone who has to be there can’t make it, reschedule the meeting instead of wasting the time of those who can attend.

4. Prepare yourself for the meeting

To host productive team meetings, you need to be well-prepared. Be sure to review each item of your meeting agenda in advance and prepare your key talking points.

Encourage everyone else to come prepared as well. Share your meeting agenda with them in advance, so they will know the purpose of the meeting and every topic that will be discussed.

When your team members know what to expect, it will be easier for them to contribute during the meeting.

5. Eliminate distractions during the meeting

This is common sense, but it will greatly affect your team meetings’ productivity. The most important distraction you must deal with is phones and other mobile devices.

If everyone keeps receiving notifications or looking at their screen during the meeting, you obviously can’t expect them to be focused and engaged. Demand a device-free meeting. And if the team meeting is happening remotely, ask everyone to enable Do Not Disturb mode.

6. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak

Some people are always happy to share their thoughts out loud. Others are quieter. Your meeting will be more productive if you can make sure everyone has a chance to speak and contribute.

Don’t hesitate to go around the table to ask each participant for their ideas, their comments or their suggestions. And leave room for discussions in your meeting, so you won’t have to cut short a discussion that could have interesting outcomes.

7. Don’t make it too long

Some meetings have to be longer than others. But try not to make your next meeting longer than it has to be. After an hour, you might lose the attention of most of your team members anyway.

If you can, plan some collaborative exercises to keep participants engaged. And if the meeting has to be long, don’t hesitate to schedule a few breaks so those who want to can get a cup of coffee, use the restroom, or go for a short walk so they can come back refreshed and ready to keep going.

8. Take notes and share them after the meeting

It would be a shame to forget everything mentioned during the team meeting. Be sure to take some notes for every agenda item being discussed.

After the meeting, make these notes available for everyone who attended the meeting. You could easily do this by sharing them through your team collaboration software.

You also must follow up and turn the ideas during the meeting into actions, solutions, tasks to be accomplished, and deadlines to be respected.