Because of its overwhelming importance to the satisfaction of participants, planning for discussion management or facilitation is a critical skill for great meeting leaders. Start with clarity about who is to run the meeting and whether the leader will also act as the facilitator. A more participative format allows for the manager or leader to set the meeting objective and then take a seat with the members while another team member actually facilitates the discussion. This format encourages all members to participate. Use of time.
People care a lot about how long meetings are and when they're scheduled.
You may not be able to satisfy everyone, but some guidelines can be applied. Look to the objective and agenda to estimate how long it will take to cover critical points. Think also about participants' schedules and preferred times. If you are planning a meeting that will regularly take a chunk of time out of participants' calendars, respect their time. Do all that you can to ensure the objective is clear and compelling and that the meeting time is used well.