A meeting of the minds: the art of planning productive meetings

We have many ways to communicate effectively in today's world-emails, text messages, faxes, phone calls, and last but not least, face-to-face interactions. We often get in a rush to distribute information or get the ball rolling quickly via instant electronic communications and we overlook the advantages of a group "meeting of the minds." Electronic communication is viable and useful for many business situations. However, when issues are sensitive, complex, or critically important, multiple disjointed communications can create confusion and discord. These problems can often be avoided with a group meeting.