Meeting Management

Who this is for

• Business Analysts who lead requirement sessions, workshops, and stakeholder updates.
• Analysts transitioning into facilitation or project roles.
• Anyone who needs to turn meetings into clear decisions and actions.

Prerequisites

• Basic communication skills and comfort summarizing information.
• Access to a calendar tool and a place to share docs (slides or notes).
• Willingness to plan ahead and follow up consistently.

Why this matters

As a Business Analyst, meetings are where alignment, decisions, and requirements happen. You will:

• Run elicitation workshops to capture needs and constraints.
• Drive decision meetings to unblock work and select options.
• Synchronize stakeholders across business, tech, and compliance.
• Document outcomes: decisions, risks, and action items with owners.

Strong meeting management saves hours, reduces rework, and builds stakeholder trust.

Concept explained simply

Meeting Management = design the conversation before it happens, guide it as it happens, lock outcomes after it happens.

Mental model: D.R.I.V.E.

• D — Decide the outcome: What must be true at the end? (e.g., decision made, list prioritized, risks collected)
• R — Right people & roles: Who attends? Who decides? Who takes notes? Who keeps time?
• I — Inputs & agenda: What pre-reads or data are needed? What sequence and timeboxes?
• V — Visible facilitation: Write outcomes, parking lot items, and timers where all can see.
• E — Exit with commitments: Summarize decisions, owners, and due dates; send minutes quickly.

Agenda (Timeboxed)
1. Purpose & outcomes (5m)
2. Context / data check (10m)
3. Discussion or option review (20m)
4. Decision / prioritization (15m)
5. Actions, owners, due dates (5m)

Invite Text
Purpose: <one sentence>
Outcomes: <2–3 bullet outcomes>
Attendees & roles: <names; decision-maker; note-taker; timekeeper>
Pre-reads: <what; by when>
Logistics: <room/virtual> <recording policy if any>

Meeting Minutes
Date:
Attendees:
Decisions:
Actions (Who–What–When):
Risks/Assumptions:
Parking lot:
Next meeting (if needed):

Decision Log Entry
ID:
Date:
Decision:
Context/Options:
Owner:
Impacted Areas:
Review Date:

Core workflow (plan → run → close)

1. Define the end-state: Write 1–3 outcomes. If outcomes aren’t clear, the meeting isn’t ready.
2. Design the agenda: Sequence topics to support outcomes. Timebox each. Add a decision method (e.g., consent, majority, tie-breaker by role).
3. Prepare inputs: Share pre-reads 24–48 hours ahead. Ask for explicit review items (e.g., “Confirm data source on slide 7”).
4. Set roles: Facilitator (you), Decision-maker, Note-taker, Timekeeper. For small meetings you may double up roles.
5. Facilitate visibly: Start with purpose; confirm agenda; keep a visible action/decision list; use a parking lot for off-topic items.
6. Close and follow up: Recap decisions and actions; confirm owners and due dates; send minutes within 24 hours; log decisions.

Pre-meeting checklist

• Clear outcomes (max 3) and decision method selected.
• Right attendees confirmed (especially the decision-maker).
• Pre-reads sent with specific review asks.
• Agenda timeboxed and realistic (include a 10–15% buffer).
• Roles assigned (at least note-taker named).
• Room/virtual tech checked; whiteboard or note doc ready.

Worked examples

Example 1 — Requirements Elicitation Workshop (60 min)

• Outcomes: 1) Draft list of user stories for checkout, 2) Top 5 constraints, 3) Clear next research actions.
• Attendees: Product, Checkout PO (decider), UX, Engineering lead, Compliance, Support rep.
• Agenda: 5m purpose; 10m current flow; 20m story brainstorming (round-robin); 15m constraints/risks; 5m next steps; 5m recap.
• Decision method: PO consent for story inclusion; risks logged for follow-up.
• Close: 12 user stories drafted; 5 constraints; 3 research actions with owners.

Example 2 — Steering Committee Decision (30 min)

• Outcome: Approve Option B for data migration phase 1, or request specific changes.
• Attendees: Sponsor (decider), Tech lead, BA (facilitator), Finance, Ops.
• Agenda: 3m purpose; 7m context and options; 10m Q&A; 7m decision framing (trade-offs, risks); 3m actions & next steps.
• Decision method: Sponsor decides after hearing risks; tie-break on timeline impact.
• Close: Option B approved; action items for comms and rollback plan due Friday.

Example 3 — Vendor Demo Evaluation (45 min)

• Outcome: Score vendor against 6 criteria and shortlist yes/no.
• Attendees: Procurement (note), IT security, BA (facilitator), 2 end-users.
• Agenda: 5m criteria review; 25m demo with timed checkpoints; 10m scoring; 5m decision and actions.
• Decision method: Criteria scorecard average; BA writes decision statement.
• Close: Vendor shortlisted; security questionnaire assigned; reference calls scheduled.

Practical projects

• Project 1: Redesign a recurring team status meeting into a decision-focused format. Run it for 2 weeks and measure action item closure rate.
• Project 2: Plan and facilitate a 60-minute requirements workshop using the templates above. Deliver minutes within 24 hours.
• Project 3: Create a decision log for your initiative and keep it updated for one month. Share a weekly summary with stakeholders.

Exercises

Do these after reading the examples. Your work does not require special tools. Tip: open a blank note and paste the templates.

• Progress note: The quick test is available to everyone; log in to save your progress.

Exercise 1 — Plan a 60-minute elicitation workshop

Create: outcomes (max 3), attendees and roles, timeboxed agenda, pre-reads, decision method, and close-out script.

• Self-check checklist:
  • Outcomes are specific and measurable.
  • Decision method named.
  • Agenda includes 10–15% buffer.
  • Owners and due dates captured in close-out.

Exercise 2 — Frame a 30-minute decision meeting

Write a one-page decision brief: context, options (pros/cons), recommendation, risks, decision needed, and timebox.

• Self-check checklist:
  • Options are mutually exclusive.
  • Risks include likelihood/impact notes.
  • Decision statement is one sentence.

Common mistakes and how to self-check

• Vague purpose: If you can’t finish “By the end we will …”, postpone or reframe.
• Wrong room: No decision-maker present. Fix by confirming roles in the invite.
• No inputs: Attendees see data first time in the meeting. Fix with pre-reads and a 2-minute recap.
• Scope creep: Off-topic debates. Use a visible parking lot and timebox.
• No closure: Actions without owners/dates. Close with Who–What–When and read it out loud.
• Slow follow-up: Minutes sent days later. Send within 24 hours and log decisions.

Mini challenge

You have 20 minutes with a sponsor to unblock a stalled integration. Create a micro-agenda with timeboxes, the decision needed, 2–3 options, and the exact closing script you will use to confirm actions.

Micro-agenda (20m): 2m purpose; 6m context & options; 8m discuss; 3m decide & actions
Decision needed: Proceed with phased integration or extend pilot by 2 weeks
Close script: “We’re deciding X. Owner A will do Y by Friday; Owner B will do Z by Tuesday. I’ll send minutes in 1 hour.”

Learning path

• Week 1: Use the templates for one recurring meeting. Practice timeboxing and action summaries.
• Week 2: Facilitate a small workshop; add parking lot and decision logs.
• Week 3: Run a decision meeting with an executive; refine your decision brief.
• Week 4: Standardize—create reusable agendas, minute templates, and a living decision log.

Next steps

• Pick one upcoming meeting and redesign it using D.R.I.V.E.
• Measure success: action item closure rate, decisions made per meeting, and average time overrun.
• Take the quick test below; log in to save your progress.