There are many statistics out there about meetings. A Salary.com survey found employees consider meetings the number one time waster at work, and Forbes found many workers spend two to three days in meetings each week. If you’ve been feeling like you’re spending more time in meetings than at your desk, it may be time to take a closer look at what on your schedule is essential.

This doesn’t mean you should never schedule a meeting ever again. Meetings have a very important place in the work world, but unnecessary meetings can easily creep into your life. Before you schedule your next meeting, here are few quick tips:

• Does this meeting need to happen? Before you start sending out invites and coordinating schedules, consider whether there is a better way to deliver this information. If your purpose can be accomplished in a few emails or a quick stop at someone’s desk, it’s probably best to do that. This is also the time to see what you’re expecting people to get out of the meeting. Do you need to brainstorm ideas? Share information that may cause a lot of questions? Come to a consensus on an important decision? All of those reasons will indicate if it’s time for a meeting.
• Who needs to be involved? Once you’ve decided a meeting is necessary, include only those appropriate to the outcome. Project leaders, subject matter experts, and supervisors may all need to be included so they can provide input. Having the right people involved might cut down on questions later. Meetings are a good opportunity for discussion as well to help you foresee future issues or bring up different perspectives.
• Set the agenda – and stick to it. Before the meeting starts, have a set plan for what needs to get covered. Estimate how much time each part of your agenda will take so you can schedule the meeting for the right duration. Before the meeting, send out the agenda to those attending to help attendees prepare. Once the meeting starts, use the agenda as a guide. If the conversation starts to derail, this document can help you direct it back on track.
• Set clear next steps. When the meeting comes to an end, make sure everyone is clear on what the next steps are. If certain tasks need to be completed, clarify who is taking care of those items. Sometimes it is helpful to send an email recap for everyone involved that outlines what was covered and any decisions made. If you need to find extra information, this would be the place to take care of that as well.

Make your next meeting a great one by applying these simple steps. By making sure your meetings are well-planned, you can help save everyone time and get things done more effciently.