"NextUp" Keeps Your Meeting on Schedule

Don't you hate meetings which drag on and where people take their own little "bird walks"? NextUp is a very simple website designed to keep meetings running on schedule. To use the site:

1. Go to http://nextup.info.
2. Enter the name of the meeting.
3. Enter each agenda topic and the time being allocated.
4. Click "Create Agenda."
5. When it's time to start the meeting, click "Start the Meeting."

The timer starts, and you watch the time tick second-by-second on the first agenda item. When the timer reaches zero, it starts ticking on the next item. There is no buzzer to signal "time up." If one agenda item is finished early, there is no way to jump the timer to the beginning of the next item. The site simply runs on a computer screen somewhere in the room as a subtle reminder of how many agenda items are left and how much time is left on the current item and those to follow.

Oh, and best of all, the site is free. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

What are your biggest problem areas in meetings? How do you overcome them?