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I then tend to ask whether this is the most effective way of getting information across. Could it be done in another way? Do people have to attend a meeting? Are the meetings subject to being hijacked by the same one or two people who just happen to be more vocal?

If you've decided that the best way to impart information is in a meeting, then you need to ensure that your meeting is effective, fair, balanced and efficient so that its viewed as productive. Everyone must feel that they have an equal voice.

Here are some of my top tips to do just that:

1. If you are chairing the meeting yourself, make sure you've sent out an agenda to all attendees in advance. The agenda should clearly show what will be discussed, what needs a decision, and which attendee owns each item on the agenda. If you're allowing items to be added to the agenda, then ensure you give a deadline for when you can allow further items to be added. Make it very clear that any items not submitted by a certain date will not be included in the agenda.
2. If documents need to be read ahead of the meeting in order that a decision can be made, they need to circulated at least a week ahead of the meeting and it made clear that they must be read.
3. As chairperson it's important to start your meeting on time, and inform those present of the format of the meeting, who will be keeping time, and who will be documenting the outcomes.
4. Then, as chair, you must keep to your agenda and the allocated time. This is where your time-keeper can support you. Do not allow yourself or your meeting to be hijacked!
5. In her Time to Think work, Nancy Kline stresses the importance of giving everyone equal time to think and an equal voice to express their opinions. If your meeting is about gaining ideas on a particular matter, one way to do this is to go around the room either clockwise or anti-clockwise and give each person equal time to talk. Again, communicating the format and structure of the meeting beforehand and reiterating this at the start of the meeting helps here, as does having a designated time-keeper.
6. Review the outcomes, actions, and agreed time-frames and then circulate these to all relevant parties as soon as possible after the meeting is finished.

Realise that the imparting of information doesn’t always need to be done in a meeting - a meeting without focus and purpose is just a gathering; 

Aspire to make all your meetings productive and timely; and

Do ensure you allow equal voices to all attendees - some of the best ideas and decisions come from those individuals who are quietly working it through!