7 Defining an Effective Meeting A meeting is a gathering of three or more people sharing common objectives, where communication (oral and/or written) is the primary means of achieving those objectives. A meeting is effective when: It achieves its objectives. It takes a minimum amount of time. Participants are satisfied in relation to the time and the objectives. Problems with Meetings Many people who regularly participate in meetings report that a majority of the meetings are ineffective. For example, one survey 1 of 635 executives found that 75% of them were "bothered" by the ineffectiveness of typical meetings they attend. Write down three things that bother you about meetings you attend. 1. _____________________________________________________________