Ensuring Better Attendance at Meetings

As a leader, how might you ensure better attendance at meetings?

No matter how well you've prepared your meeting, things will go wrong. One of the more common disruptions is attendees showing up late. If people belatedly walk in, try these three things:

• Don't recap. Resist the temptation to catch up latecomers. Keep moving forward. You can update them afterward.
• Assign a job. If you sense someone might be late, give her something to do during the meeting. If she has a job, she's more likely to show up on time.
• Walk him there. Physically help a chronic latecomer get to the meeting. Stop by his desk at the appointed time and ask if you can walk together.  It's the courteous and respectful way to do it.

Adapted from Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter.