7 Housekeeping Rules For Meetings To Keep Your Records Neat

Only 51% of meeting attendees are satisfied with how meetings run in their organisation, according to research by iBabs. In addition, the State of Meeting Management report found that a third (34%) did not agree that minutes are taken and distributed after their meetings. 

With so much of our working lives spent around a meeting table, it is essential that we ensure our meetings are efficient, effective and well-documented. That is what makes them worthwhile for the organisation as a whole and the individuals who attend. To help improve productivity, you can encourage your team to focus on meeting some essential housekeeping rules for meetings, which provide clarity for the whole team. This improves decision-making and helps you keep accurate and worthwhile records in the form of meeting minutes and action points.

This article explains housekeeping in meetings, why they are important and which rules you should highlight to create a more streamlined and effective workflow. 

What are housekeeping rules for meetings?

Housekeeping rules for meetings, sometimes called ground rules, are guidelines for attendees, administrators and meeting chairs that create a respectful and productive environment in which to hold the meeting. They encompass meeting etiquette, best practices for running meetings and methods of following up and recording meeting outcomes in a tidy and helpful manner. 

The idea is that, by creating housekeeping rules, you set the scene for a meeting where everyone can concentrate on the order of business, moving between topics in an efficient manner and allowing for more effective decision-making that turns outcomes into actions. 

Why housekeeping rules matter in meetings

There are many reasons why organisations develop housekeeping rules for meetings. They include:

• Ensuring structure and clarity in your meetings so you always carry out the necessary formalities and manage to cover as many important topics as possible.
• Preventing chaos and confusion that can occur when meeting attendees continually interject or carry out side conversations, for example.
• Encouraging focused, productive discussions that stay on topic and are successful in helping members understand the well-reasoned arguments on all sides before making decisions.
• Reducing misunderstandings and off-topic conversation that can distract from the most important business and waste the time of attendees.
• Keeping meetings organised and efficient, allowing administrators to create an accurate record of discussions, decisions, resolutions and actions. 

Housekeeping rules for meetings to keep your records neat

Start the meeting on the right foot

Housekeeping for meetings should come into effect ahead of the time your attendees spend actually in the meeting room. The preparation stage is just as important as any other in the meeting ecosystem. Here are some rules to help you begin meetings as you mean to go on.

• Attendees should be properly prepared for the meeting. Some of this responsibility lies with the administrator and chair to finalise and distribute the meeting agenda, but all participants have a duty to read the agenda and any relevant documents so that they enter the meeting room understanding the matters at hand. 
• Everyone should be punctual so that the meeting can start on time. With so much of people’s working lives spent in meetings, it is essential that they begin when they should to make the best use of attendees’ time. 
• The chair should set the ground rules for participating in the meeting before it begins. Everyone should know the process they should undertake to speak and ask and answer questions. This is especially important in hybrid meetings, where remote attendees must have the same ability to contribute as in-person participants. Without clear instructions, it could descend into chaos with attendees interrupting and causing disorder.
• Define the decision-making process, including when the chair will call a vote on the topic, how the participants will vote and the margin required to pass a resolution. Here are the different types of vote outcomes:

Type of vote outcome	Explanation
Majority vote	Decision is made when more than half of the votes cast support a proposal.
Plurality vote	The option with the most votes wins, even if it’s less than 50% of the total.
Consensus vote	The group collectively agrees on a decision without significant opposition.
Unanimous vote	All voting members agree and vote in favour of the proposal.
Supermajority vote	A higher threshold (such as two-thirds or three-quarters) of votes is required for approval.
Tie vote	An equal number of votes for and against; often resolved by the chair’s casting vote.

Stay focused on the meeting agenda

• Participants should focus on the meeting agenda items being discussed, not on any side conversations relating to other topics. This keeps the meeting working towards its objectives and goals.
• The chair should summarise the points discussed at the end of each topic, along with any decisions and action points. This refocuses attention on the key subjects and ensures everyone agrees on the outcomes. 
• Clarify any open questions before ending the discussion, asking the person who posed the question if they are satisfied with the answer provided. 
• Stay solution-oriented. This makes for a more effective decision-making process. Rehashing old issues stalls the momentum of the meeting and can lead to unsatisfactory outcomes. Think about how the meeting can create value for the organisation. 

Manage time efficiently

• Respect the allotted time for each topic so that the meeting runs to time, maintaining focus more effectively and allowing participants to carry out their other tasks. 
• Speak concisely and avoid repetition so that your words have more impact. When you are too verbose or continually come back to the same point, other attendees can struggle to focus on what you are trying to say and you can lose attention. The chair should step in if an attendee starts to drift away from the topic. 
• Minimise interruptions by noting questions to ask later. Let the other person make their point in full and then come back to your queries at the end so that they do not have to keep stopping and starting again, trying to regain momentum. 

Capture information during the meeting

• Capture both decisions and discussions in the meeting minutes so that anyone looking back at the document not only understands what was decided, but also the context behind why attendees made the decision. Do not record the verbatim conversation, though, as this makes it less easy to gain the gist of the conversation quickly when needed. 
• Do not give your opinion in meeting minutes. Stick to the facts from the meeting, which may cover the opinions expressed by attendees, but should not include any editorialising from the administrator. 
• Assign action items based on the outcomes of decisions that the meeting makes, ensuring you note the assignees and a clear deadline for that action. 
• Ask for clarification on the matters discussed and the outcomes agreed if you are not certain about what happened. Do not make assumptions when creating the official record of the meeting. 

Establish etiquette guidelines

• Don’t multitask during the meeting. For the time that you are in the meeting room, the items on the agenda and discussions around them should hold your full attention to ensure it is an effective and productive meeting.
• Encourage productive and constructive debate. Personal arguments do not achieve the aims of the meeting, so the chair should move on unless the attendee can ensure they are making a point that moves the discussion forward. 
• Avoid jargon wherever possible so that you keep the conversation clear for all attendees.

Monitor participation and engagement

• Verify attendance continuously throughout the meeting, particularly if you require a quorum for decision-making. Some remote attendees could drop out of virtual meetings, meaning there is no longer a quorum and the decisions would not stand. 
• The chair should ensure all attendees have the same opportunity to contribute to the discussion. It is important to gain a well-rounded impression of the opinions around the table so they should bring in quieter participants as well as making sure virtual attendees can add to the debate. 

Close the meeting effectively

• Review the key decisions at the end of the meeting and ensure everyone is in agreement. Summarise them for clarity before they are added to the official record of the meeting. 
• Outline the next steps required to turn the decisions into actions. This includes confirming who is assigned to each action and the deadline by which they need to report back on progress. 
• Set the expectations for how post-meeting communication will work, including how you will follow up on actions and when to expect to receive the meeting minutes for approval. 

FAQ

What are the key differences in housekeeping rules for virtual meetings vs in-person meetings?

Virtual meeting housekeeping has a focus on technological etiquette that is not necessary for in-person meetings. Virtual meeting ground rules include methods of indicating you want to talk without being in the room, muting microphones and how to ensure remote participants can engage with the meeting. 

How can I enforce housekeeping rules without being overbearing?

Set a positive atmosphere with your tone at the start of the meeting by explaining the rules clearly and reinforcing them with gentle reminders rather than reprimands if issues arise.

What should I do if participants consistently break the rules?

Remind the attendee of the housekeeping items and ask them to respect them during the meeting. If they continue to disrupt, address the issue with the participant after the meeting to discuss the importance of following the rules, maintaining a respectful and constructive approach to encourage better behaviour in future sessions. 

References and further reading

• What is a note-taker?
• How to create a culture of accountability
• Webinar: The dynamics of organising meetings
• Meeting minutes examples
• Best practices for meeting minutes
• Key outcomes of the State of Meeting Management study