Conducting Effective Meetings

1. Conducting Effective Meetings (courtesy of “AIM”) Before Your Meeting During Your Meeting After Your Meeting • The chair should: • Determine the objectives of the meeting – why are • you meeting? • Determine who the participants will be – whose input • is required? • Prepare the agenda – what needs to be discussed and • what information needs to be shared? • Organise the meeting time and place – check what time • and place suits the majority of people. • Do any preparation required for the smooth running • of the meeting. • The participant should: • Confirm that they will attend the meeting. • Decide what is required of them for the meeting. • Decide what they want from the meeting, what • information is critical and what information will be • useful to also have. • Do any preparation required to help them share their • information concisely. • The chair should: • Be punctual, start and end the meeting when the • agenda says it should start and end. • Stick to the agenda – are these discussions what • the meeting is really about today? • Retain control of the meeting – don’t let dominant • voices take control. • Ask questions to clarify points. • Keep the meeting brief. • Summarise the results of the meeting and ensure • that everyone knows what they have to do for • next time. • The participant should: • Be punctual – get there on time. • Listen to everyone and respect their views and • opinions. • Participate in discussion – if they have an opinion • on a subject, say what they have to say rather than • griping about it later. • Don’t wonder off the subject – participants should • try to keep to the topic and not be offended if the • chair directs them back to the agenda. • Ask questions if they don’t know what is going on - • if they’re unsure about something, the chances of • someone else being confused are high. • The chair should: • Assess their performance – could they have • managed the discussion better? • Follow-up promptly on any items they are • required to do. • Ensure others do the same – don’t let critical issues • slip. The follow-up meeting will come all too soon. • Ensure minutes & assigned actions are documented • and distributed to all relevant parties. • The participant should: • Assess their performance – could they have planned • better, delivered the information better, provided • better handouts? • Follow-up promptly on any items they are required • to action. It is easy to forget what you’re supposed • to follow-up on, so write it in your diary and • schedule some time to prepare. Tip Bit - : Those First 15 Minutes! “Studies have shown that meeting participants are more alert and creative during the first part of a meeting. As the meeting goes on, they become less and less attentive. So any problem that needs a creative solution, any information you really want participants to remember, and any important points that you want to drive home should be covered within the first fifteen minutes.”

2. Overcoming Problems at Meetings (courtesy of “The Management Bible”) “Here are some of the most common problems that arise in meetings and the strategies for handling them….” 1. When the discussion becomes irrelevant….. 4. When the meeting gets overheated….. • Meetings sometimes get bogged down in time-consuming, irrelevant • discussions that lead nowhere. To get the meeting back oncourse, • you can: • Refocus the discussion by indicating the group has strayed from its real • objective. • Summarise the discussion to date and link progress to the objective. • Bring the discussion back into line by posing a question relating to the • agenda topic. • Your task here will be ‘to stop the warring parties shouting at each other from the mountain tops and to bring them to the valley floor again to talk.’ To this end, here are some strategies: • Summarise the hot issue, giving combatants a chance to calm down. • Appeal to other members, thus using group pressure to restore order: • ‘Can anyone suggest a way of getting these two people out of their • no-win situation?’ • Propose that the current issue be dropped/parked for a while and • another line of discussion followed. • Call firmly for order, stating that progress is being hindered through • lack of objective or reasoned discussion. • Call for a short coffee break. 2. When the participants begin to lose interest….. • Often caused by lack of concrete short-term goals or successes, flagging • enthusiasm can be revived in a number of ways: • Propose a success-guaranteed, short term task. • List the achievements of the group so far. • If the current topic lacks interest, introduce a related theme to encourage • a more active response. • If the group suspect that their recommendations will not be adopted, • convince them that worth while ideas might well gain acceptance. • Check whether each participant still agrees with the group goals. • If participants believe that a decision has already been made, assure them • that solid arguments from an interested group could alter or reverse the • decision. 5. When someone is distracting the group….. • If you have pencil-tapers, paper-shufflers, or side-talkers, they’re probably unaware of their disruptive action, or they’ve lost interest, or they don’t feel included, or the issues being discussed are irrelevant to them. Try: • Looking directly at the offender. • Calling the offender by name and asking relevant questions. • Tackling them in public, indicating that they’re making it hard for the • group to get through the agenda items. • Taking a coffee break, and tackling the offender in private. 3. When there is uneven participation….. 6. When a decision can’t be reached….. Reluctant speakers can be brought into the discussion by asking questions that you know they can answer. Compliment them for their views. Or ask everyone, in turn, to express an opinion before anyone else can discuss or evaluate the issue further. Restrain the talkative participants tactfully. • Make it easier for participants to evaluate the pros and cons of the issue: • Summarise the discussion so far. • Restate the issue or question clearly. • Reiterate the goals or decision criteria. • Take a short break or postpone the decision until the next meeting.