Start every meeting at the designated beginning time. End on time because you've started and stayed on time. Optimally, a tightly planned agenda will allow for all items to be accomplished before the designated ending time, making leader and participants alike proud of the meeting's timely accomplishments. Stay on time. Stay on time by using the detail of your agenda as a time-guide to keep on track during the course of the meeting.
Breaks are often a time-consumer rather than the energizing refresher they are intended to be.
The key to keeping breaks on time is to clearly announce the beginning and ending time of the break before letting anyone leave the room. An appointed break timekeeper also may help get people back on time. The break timekeeper sounds an alarm, or makes an announcement that one-half of the break is up, letting participants know that it is time to move back toward the meeting room. Participants will appreciate your implementation of the obvious strategies and everyone will discover that by refining the practice of the finesse strategies, more will get done in less meeting and training time.