How can you get the most out of impromptu meetings? You know the meeting that you want to plan for later, but your hard-to-reach boss, says, "How about right now?" Our advice: carpe diem!

Christopher Avery, PhD, author and responsibility redefined advocate provides these guidelines for taking advantage of those impromptu get-togethers:

1. Be prepared. "The key is to be prepared for them," says Avery. How can you be prepared for something impromptu? "Try organizing a ‘things to talk to X about’ list for yourself," says Avery. "Such clarity allows you to move quickly, effectively, and productively through a number of items in a few minutes in case you bump into your colleague. Know what you want and where you are in the process. This will put you in a frame of mind to be able to take advantage of the moment."

2. Give yourself permission to take a few minutes to figure out what you want. "Ask yourself, ‘What do I need to do to make it happen?’” says Avery. "It could be that all you need is five minutes to gather your notes and thoughts. If they agree, it declares the start of an informal meeting and focuses them on the ensuing conversation."

3. Frame the meeting. "Think about how much time you have together," says Avery, "and then think about the most important conversation you need to have to move forward. Come to an agreement on what you want to accomplish in your set meeting time (whether it’s five or 20 minutes). Be flexible and responsive. You have an informal agenda, but as long as you know what you want to accomplish, you can keep the meeting on track."

4. Monitor the time and "agenda." "You are the facilitator for an impromptu meeting," says Avery. "You’ve got to think to yourself, ‘What’s more important? To go off track or stay on topic?’ If you can’t get it all done, ask for more time. You have to do the same thing that you would do in a planned meeting. You have to say, ‘we are out of our agreed time; do we want to finish now or meet later?’

"Keep informal meetings short and focused," adds Avery. "In a way, all unplanned meetings are interruptions. Each party was doing something else that they need to return to. When ending the meeting be sure to recap decisions, action items, and open issues. "The key thing to remember is that the rules for an effective planned meeting carry over to an impromptu meeting," says Avery, "and those rules include being prepared, setting the frame, using the person’s time well, monitoring your agreement, and developing next steps."