Ideas To Go

1. Ideas To Go Meetings that Get things Done

2. Agenda • Defining ‘Effective’ • Preparation • Facilitation • Follow up

3. Why Meet? • Can all of these be accomplished in one meeting?

4. Meeting type mirrors Purpose • Information Gathering • Information Sharing / Status • Team Building • Planning • Brainstorming • Problem Solving • Specialty • Project specific – BPR, JAD, etc. • Deliverable / document review/approval • Training/retreat

5. What is an effective meeting?

6. What is an effective meeting?

7. Achieving effective meetings • Know the purpose, write it down • Carefully choose the participants • Roles • Have an agenda • Timely Invitations • Published purpose • Published agenda • Ensure participants are well prepared • Ensure YOU are prepared

8. Purpose Achieving effective meetings Know the purpose, write it down Know the purpose, write it down Carefully choose the participants Have an agenda Timely Invitations Ensure participants are well prepared Ensure YOU are prepared • If you can’t write it down then maybe you aren’t clear why you are having the meeting • Make sure everyone has their eyes on the prize • Set expectations for participants • What they can expect • What you expect

9. Participants Achieving effective meetings Carefully choose the participants Know the purpose, write it down Carefully choose the participants Have an agenda Timely Invitations Ensure participants are well prepared Ensure YOU are prepared Only those who are necessary to achieve the purpose Participants who know why their presence is important are more likely to be engaged The larger the group, the less likely to find consensus Build trust and confidence that you will not waste their time

10. Agenda Achieving effective meetings Have an agenda Know the purpose, write it down Carefully choose the participants Have an agenda Timely Invitations Ensure participants are well prepared Ensure YOU are prepared • ALWAYS have an agenda! • Formal vs. Informal • Lets participants know what to expect • Ensures they understand why they are invited • Helps them prepare

11. Invites Achieving effective meetings Timely Invitations Know the purpose, write it down Carefully choose the participants Have an agenda Timely Invitations Ensure participants are well prepared Ensure YOU are prepared • Invites are always written • Can use tech tools (Groupwise Calendar) • Busy search • Back-to-back meetings • Include your purpose and agenda of topics • Timing based on audience, criticality and decorum • Invite sent at 4pm for 10am tomorrow? • Invite to VP’s and management with 24hrs notice?

12. Engaged Participants Achieving effective meetings Ensure participants are well prepared Know the purpose, write it down Carefully choose the participants Have an agenda Timely Invitations Ensure participants are well prepared Ensure YOU are prepared Invites include purpose and agenda A few sentences of introduction beyond the bullets in the agenda Background documents attached Set clear expectations about participation levels “Out of respect for YOUR time - This meeting will start PROMPTLY at the appointed time”

13. Be Prepared Achieving effective meetings Ensure YOU are prepared Know the purpose, write it down Carefully choose the participants Have an agenda Timely Invitations Ensure participants are well prepared Ensure YOU are prepared Know what you want to get out of the meeting Make sure the right people are there Know the material you are presenting Make sure everyone has what they need to contribute in a meaningful way

14. My meetings are ‘informal’, do I need all this? • An informal setting or tone can be a very productive method to get people engaged • Don’t confuse ‘informal’ with sloppy • Courtesy and professionalism still apply • Purpose, Agenda, Invite always required • If you can’t commit to this preparation, why should anyone else come prepared to participate? Common elements Robert’s Rules of Order Bob’s Basic etiquette

15. Communication • Meetings are ultimately about communication • Whether collecting, sharing or problem solving, meeting effectiveness hinges on communication • Preparation • Roles (scribe, facilitator, expert, etc.) • Understanding small group communication

16. The Science of Communication • Person sending message ‘encodes’ it • Person receiving message ‘decodes it’ • Model is true for ALL Communication • Written • Verbal • Computer modems • Cable boxes • Body Language • Secret Decoder Rings • All Communication has NOISE

17. The Math of Communication Speaker to Audience Dialogue 1 speaker, 3 listeners Communication is 1-way 1 encoder, 3 decoders 4 possible interpretations 4 participants Communication is 2-way 12 encoders, 12 decoders 6 Communication pathways N (N-1) / 2*Project Mgt Institute

18. The Art of Communication • Know your purpose and goals • Know your audience • Know your topic • Predict reactions • Encourage participation; manage the room • Preparation, preparation, preparation

19. Participant Roles • Sponsor • Organizer • Facilitator • Subject Matter Expert • Stakeholders • Scribe

20. Facilitating Meetings • Focus the discussion - minimize distractions • Maintain focus on agenda topics • Avoid tangents • Ground Rules (Bob’s Basic Etiquette) • One meeting!! • Cells and tablets • Facilitator need not be the expert • Other roles that support the facilitator • Egg Timer for debate • Parking lot, gavel, action items, others? • Tools appropriate for meeting type and purpose

21. Facilitation Techniques • Paraphrase • Confirm understanding • Positive feedback • Expand • Relieve tension • Consolidate / summarize

22. Adjourn • Summarize • Review Action Items\ parking Lot • Thank you • Follow-up • Next meeting? • Assignments • Parking lot • Minutes (Notes)

23. Minutes • Need not be formal • Not a transcript • Summarize discussion points • Document and publish action items and parking lot • 24 hr target to publish • “I don’t publish minutes b/c nobody reads them...”

24. Open Dialogue http://www.effectivemeetings.com/meetingbasics/index.asp http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htm http://managementhelp.org/blogs/team-performance/2010/04/09/ten-reasons-why-meetings-fail/ http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-09-26/how-to-run-a-meeting-like-google