Editor's note: This article appeared in the July 26, 2010, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.

Meetings are a dreaded - but necessary - part of any researcher's work life. Whether due to lack of interest, lack of invitation or a bad taste leftover from unproductive past meetings, many who are charged with leading a company planning effort often face the problem that other employees who should be present aren't.

If you struggle with participation challenges in your planning activities, here are some tips from business author and consultant Hardy Smith to help make your sessions successful:

Don't repeat mistakes of the past. There is a reason that previous attempts to secure needed participation have not been successful. Take time to understand why and be honest in your assessment. Seek out opinions both from those who actively participated in the past and from those who should have been there but weren't. Use that feedback to make needed corrections. Ask these questions: Could past sessions be seen as a waste of time? Were potential participants given appropriate notice? Was the planning activity itself planned, organized and conducted with a sense of purpose? Was time allocated used effectively and efficiently? Was discussion dominated by a single person or just a few individuals? Were opinions elicited from those who were present but quiet? Did participants leave with a sense of accomplishment? Were participating employees recognized for their contributions to the company's planning effort? Was follow-up action taken on strategies that were developed?

Set participation goals. Identify who should be present if your session is to be a success. There will be those in each company who, unless specifically directed, will consider their participation optional or not a priority. Communicate individually to let employees know how much their participation is needed and how much their insight is valued. Ask for a personal commitment for attendance. Don't accept "will try to," "plan to" or "should be able to" as solid answers. You should know exactly who will attend prior to your activity. If you can't confirm committed presence in advance, then chances are good you won't get your needed numbers. Send out reminder notes to help ensure your attendance.

Avoid schedule conflicts. Schedule activities far enough in advance to avoid potential conflicts. Sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes the organization already has other activities planned, important deadlines are approaching or it's a heavy vacation period. Get schedule availability input from desired participants and set your date when most are available.

Establish expected outcomes. Have a specific purpose for your session. Communicate in advance the intended result. Your participants will be able to come in with ideas already formulated. Identifying an expected outcome will also help keep the session focused on the primary task at hand.

Prep your participants. Your team should know exactly what is expected of them. It's difficult to offer qualified opinions when given a thick folder of data, project proposals and operational details without the opportunity to review materials prior to the time of discussion. Help them be prepared with advance information.

Determine what format works best for your group. Take into account the personalities involved. Use a meeting format that gets desired results and creates a positive experience so people are motivated to participate in future sessions. Do you need team-building or fun activities? Will your team react more favorably to a strictly all-business session? What is most productive length of time? Will you get best results by getting away from the office and working in a retreat setting, or will a few hours in an office conference room be okay?

Have a designated facilitator. Having someone with the ability to get everyone engaged and keep the process moving and focused is essential for creating the successful planning session you want. Judge whether or not someone outside your organization is needed.

Don't forget your post-event follow up. Send personal thank-you notes that mention specific contributions made. Solicit feedback for future sessions. Give regular progress reports on implementation of the plans that were developed. Having consistently high participation in your organization's planning sessions sets the environment conducive to the wholehearted buy-in necessary for business success.