Successful meetings result from effective planning, which includes the preparation of meeting notices, agendas, and minutes. Meetings may be formal or informal, and they may be held electronically. In many organizations, formal meetings are planned, structured meetings, usually conducted by elected officers. Informal meetings, such as staff meetings, are scheduled as they are needed.

To announce a meeting, the facilitator sends a meeting notice by mail, telephone, or e-mail and usually includes an agenda. An agenda, the plan for a meeting, identifies the objectives, prepares participants for the meeting, and defines the topics and time allotted to each topic.

Minutes, a type of report prepared after a meeting, become the official written record of the business that was conducted. Minutes of informal meetings may follow a memo format or a meeting summary format. In contrast, minutes of formal meetings should follow the format specified by the organization.