Making the most of meetings isn’t an exact science

McGill Desautels Dean Yolande Chan is an engineer by training, but when it comes to running meetings, she sees herself more like an orchestra conductor, listening carefully to ensure harmony and hopefully rise to a crescendo, writes columnist Harvey Schachter in The Globe and Mail. Meetings need agendas and objectives, but too much rigidity can be counterproductive. Participants need to carefully consider the circumstances before coming to decisions. Sometimes, that means setting aside deadlines to ensure the right decisions are made.