Q: The meeting was a shambles. How to ensure the next meeting doesn’t go the same way?

A: It’s always a good idea, before everyone leaves, to review the meeting and discuss with all the participants:

1. What went well?
2. What didn’t go well?
3. What should be done differently next time? and
4. What could we do more of to make things even better?

If the meeting was too much of a shambles to manage this sort of review before it ends, you should discuss these questions with all the participants (or the key influencers, in the case of a large meeting) afterwards. You might also want to send a note out, asking for feedback on these points.

Then you need to work with the key players to act on any suggestions to improve the next meeting.