I attend too many meetings. At least half of each day is spent in meetings. Here are some things that are key if you call a meeting.

1. Have an agenda. Send it to the attendees before the meeting. Bring copies for those who won't bring their own.

2. Bring enough copies of all handouts. Bring a few extra copies. Someone always crashes, and there are never enough.

3. Provide handouts that are necessary. Don't give everyone a stack of 400 pages if it's not necessary. It saves paper if you can email document links. If you can project the document on the screen, that's even better. Just make it large enough for everyone in the group to read.

4. Start the meeting on time.

5. Unless it's absolutely necessary, don't start the meeting over when late-comers arrive. The people who were on time and prepared shouldn't have to sit through repeats. You can help the late arrivals catch up later.

6. Make sure that someone takes notes and distributes them promptly. Make sure to include action items with due dates.