Every week, we spend an average of eight hours in meetings. That's a full day, or almost 50 days a year. In other words, more than two months of work are spent in meetings. This figure shows just how essential it is to rethink the way we prepare, run and follow up meetings. At NUMA, we've transformed the best practices from our training courses into a turnkey kit to help managers run effective, engaging and decision-oriented meetings. This guide gives you a concrete method, based on three key moments: before, during and after the meeting.

Before the meeting: engage and clarify the issues at stake

A useful meeting starts before everyone has settled in. The challenge is to align participants with the objective and expected results.

With the NUMA method, you will learn to :

• Clarify the purpose of the meeting and formulate it in an objective sentence.
• Identify who needs to be involved (and who doesn't).
• Transmit a precise agenda that makes people want to come prepared.
  

During the meeting: decide and move the issues forward

A successful meeting is not one where everyone talks, but one where decisions move forward. The NUMA method helps you structure your facilitation to stay focused on the essentials and create productive exchanges.

Find out how :

• Open the meeting with clear instructions and a balanced discussion framework.
• Use simple collective decision-making tools (rapid voting, visual framing, round-table discussions).
• Manage digressions without frustrating, by refocusing on priorities.
  

After the meeting: follow up, inform and anchor the action

A meeting is only really useful if it leads to concrete action. The third key moment in the NUMA method is transforming decisions into clear, shared action plans.

You will learn to :

• Formalize a short, readable report in less than five minutes.
• Assign each action to a responsible person and set deadlines.
• Inform stakeholders who are not present, to avoid grey areas.
  

This rigorous monitoring ensures that decisions are implemented and fosters a sense of collective responsibility.

Why adopt the NUMA method for your meetings?

Effective management is measured by the quality of collective time. By downloading the NUMA kit, you enable your teams to :

• Gain clarity through precise, shared objectives.
• Reinforce the commitment of each participant during exchanges.
• Follow-up on decisions without adding to the administrative burden.
• Reduce the time spent in meetings while increasing their impact.
  

This resource guide brings together the most practical tools used in our training courses to help managers regain control of their collective time.