• Given the Desired Results, what would be the next steps after this meeting?
• How does this meeting fit within a larger context such as a project, initiative, activity or accomplishment of an objective?

If you cannot answer these questions, you may not be ready to have a meeting or the meeting may not be necessary.  Instead of a meeting, you may only need to send an email message to communicate status or to solicit feedback.  Or, you may just need to have a brief face-to-face or telephone conversation with certain individuals.  The response to your email message or the results of your conversations may provide the answers to your Actions to Be Taken questions and then point to the need for a meeting.

There are 5 roles that people can serve in a meeting.  These roles will determine who you should include as an invitee or meeting participant.

• Deciders: people whose decisions you will need to achieve the Desired Results. 
• Subject Matter Experts: individuals whose knowledge you need in the meeting to achieve the Desired Results.  (I emphasize in the meeting because some input can be provided before the meeting without the individuals attending the meeting.)
• Supporters: individuals whose contributions are essential and need to be present to ensure that they understand, have the opportunity to clarify what will be expected of them and provide credible support or information to facilitate achievement of the Desired Results. 
• Influencers: individuals who are needed to provide the stamp of approval to drive the Desired Results.  (Make sure that their presence is, indeed, required.  Sometimes a communication of an influencer's approval prior to the meeting is all that is required.)  Inviting influencers whose presence is not required can backfire.  Your invitation to these individuals may send the signal to your supervisor or others in management who influence your advancement potential that you cannot convince people without the presence of someone to force a decision, agreement or cooperation.  
• Inhibitors: people whose absence would result in their assumption of the role of inhibitor to the project, initiative, objective or activity.  Sometimes, we have to flatter some people to keep them from becoming toxic.  Avoid going overboard with inviting people who may attempt to inhibit.  Make sure that they can, indeed, inhibit and not just complain.  Also, make sure they will not be disruptive (talk big, but have no impact or like Texans say big hat no cattle).  Effective antidotes for dealing with inhibitors are the desired results and the agenda.  When inhibitors seek to gain control of the meeting or take the meeting off course, a reminder of the desired results and agenda will return the meeting to its intended course. 

Next, perform a Reality Check.  Review the connection between Desired Results, Approach, Actions to Be Taken and Participants to confirm if this will be an effective meeting.

• Can I state in a concise sentence why I am scheduling this meeting?
• Is there a clear path to achieving the Desired Results?
• Am I inviting the right individuals?

In other words, does this meeting taste like a delicacy or does it taste like broccoli?