Guides
How to end a meeting on time
The short answer
Plan a timed agenda, name a timekeeper, start on time and give a warning when a topic runs over. Move side topics to a parking lot. Reserve the last five minutes to confirm decisions, actions and owners, then end when you said you would.
Step by step
- 1
Time the agenda
Give each topic a time box that adds up to less than the meeting.
- 2
Name a timekeeper
Someone other than the main speaker.
- 3
Start on time
Don't recap for latecomers.
- 4
Use a parking lot
Note side topics and deal with them later.
- 5
Save five minutes
Confirm decisions, actions and owners before you finish.
Common mistakes
- Spending the first ten minutes waiting.
- Letting one topic take all the time.
- Running over and skipping the actions.
Free templateMeeting parking lot templateCopy the template
With Acta
Acta writes the decisions and actions for you, so the last five minutes are spent confirming them, not writing.
Try Acta free for 15 daysQuestions
What is a parking lot in a meeting?
A list of off-topic points saved to deal with later, so they don't derail the meeting.
Should meetings be 25 or 30 minutes?
Many teams default to 25 or 50 minutes to leave a break between meetings.