A formal meeting is a regulated discussion on a predetermined topic and objectives, usually led by a chairperson and documented in a document known as minutes. These meetings are very organized and require the most planning. They assign specific roles to participants to ensure that the discussion on the right track.

The majority of business meetings held every day are informal in nature like staff catch-ups and brainstorming sessions. Meetings that are formal are often used for more strategic discussions around high-risk issues such as company strategy, budget cuts and project management. The main difference between informal and formal meetings is that informal ones tend to be more loosely structured with a more fluid discussion.

Formal meetings also typically adhere to strict guidelines, such as an agenda and a formatted note-taking format that is followed by the person who is taking notes. Participants who don’t attend the https://boardroomrecords.com/ meeting in person are able to later review and access this information later.

In order to conduct a successful meeting, it’s essential that attendees arrive ready with the required information and reports required for the session. Meeting software and a task manager can be used to send reminders to attendees and/or tasks. This will assist them to prepare for the next step of the process. Once the meeting is finished it is important to follow-up with attendees to recap the discussions, highlight the most important actions, and get feedback so that the next meeting will be more productive.