Q: How does one close a meeting on time, consistently?

A: It is good practice to have a nominated time-keeper for the meeting – in larger meetings (say, more than 10 attendees) this should be a separate role from the chair or note-taker. This person should be responsible for making sure that agenda items don’t overrun, and for getting back on schedule if the meeting starts to run late. As the meeting nears its end the time-keeper can let everyone know how much time is left, which should ensure the meeting closes on time.