Effective meetings are conducive to innovation. Meetings can waste a lot of time or they can provide an effective way to harvest ideas and ensure buy in, thus empowering the group to achieve greater levels of productivity. Meetings can be an empowering experience if handled well. The effectiveness of a meeting can be enhanced by:
1)Having a clear goal for the meeting
2) Circulating the agenda in advance to ensure preparation
3) Having a system to make sure everyone is heard
4) Recording and implementing decisions and using good ideas
5) Being open to feedback and fresh ideas.
Meetings where people feel free to express themselves openly without threat are successful in liberating the most creative ideas. Listening skills are crucial. Thinking tools can ensure that everyone is able to think differently and intensively on the subject. The rules for idea generation and the creation of a positive climate include: suspend judgment, postpone reaction and external effort.