Meeting Management 101 Presentation
Transcript: End the meeting with an action and communication PLAN Involve the right people Follow up quickly with a memo containing minutes The best follow-up memo needs to be written so that someone who wasn't there can understand what happened. It includes: •Attendees •Meeting objectives •Key topics discussed •Key decisions made •Next steps or action plan •Date of next meeting or follow up •A thank you to all those who participated Do you want to use this meeting to: Solve a problem? Make a decision? Inform attendees of progress on a project? What are some implications of this meeting? Decide on setting: formal or informal Room size Seating arrangements Equipment Material- what should be distributed to attendees beforehand? •Regarding personnel issues •If you don't have time to prepare •If another format would work better •If the issue has already been decided •If the subject is not worth people's time •If the group is upset Common Meeting Problems Follow-up An action and communication plan should have three elements: what, who, and when. •What specific decisions and outcomes resulted from the meeting and what tasks need to be done as a result of the meeting? •Who has responsibility for those tasks? If meeting participants voluntarily commit to specific actions, it is more likely they will complete those tasks. •When must those tasks be completed? Keeping participants realistic about the schedules they commit to ensures that tasks actually get carried out. (?) What was the worst meeting you ever attended? Why was it so TERRIBLE?? (?) Has anyone ever had to deal with a difficult staff member during a meeting? How did you choose to deal with them? (?) Does anyone feel as though they are good meeting leaders, or have been to a meeting in which it was led well? What made this the case? *Going forward, really try to observe the leader to see what additional effective strategies they use Identify and Clarify the meeting's objective and process 1. Meet informally with those who weren't heard or who are dissatisfied with the outcome 2. Provide promised resources 3. Act on your decisions Meeting Management 101 1.•Voting gives you a result in a shorter period of time •2. Group consensus is often more difficult and takes more time People are more likely to support a consensus decision. •3. Leader decision is often accomplished in the shortest time. In this scenario, it is important that all members feel that their viewpoints have been heard. Creating an action and communication plan is often the most overlooked step ...and remember: Don't be a bosshole! During the Meeting: •*Start with the easy stuff •*Hold the more difficult items until later—but make sure to leave enough time to address them *Be an appreciative traffic cop Gain Closure on Each Issue Try to include people who: *•are key decision makers *can give relevant input *has a stake in the issue *needs know the info to do their jobs *will be required to implement decisions made Be PRODUCTIVE! If you have 4 unproductive, hour-long meetings each week, 4 hours are wasted each week. If 10 people who each make an average of $15 an hour attend each meeting, the meeting costs $150 an hour in employee time. Using this time poorly 4 times a week equals a loss of $600 a week or approximately $30,000 a year!!!! DO YOUR HOMEWORK •*Collect relevant documents and data •*Distribute other relevant information beforehand •*Circulate the agenda you've created •*Talk to stakeholders about their opinions and objectives •*Encourage stakeholders to do their homework •*Brief your manager and other senior managers who won't be at the meeting but who have an interest in its outcome After the Meeting 1. ALWAYS State the meeting's purpose and objective. 2. Let everyone have a say! Do not dominate the conversation •Control interrupters and dominators •Be positive and encouraging •Intervene when necessary •Record input Acknowledge people •Get input from everyone •Make sure that all the points of view are heard •Ask someone to play devil's advocate •Ask people what they think- Call on those who have not contribute •Don't rush to vote or make a decision Don't be one of these... Provide an Agenda in Advance Discussion: Preparing for A Meeting It is better NOT to have a meeting: Tips!! Logistics and Materials Participants arriving late or leaving early Someone constantly repeating a point People criticizing each other or exhibiting critical body language Attendees whispering or doing something else One or two people dominating People finishing others' sentences or interrupting Include what is appropriate from this list: •The meeting's purpose •Desired outcomes or objectives •Date, time, and place •Who is calling the meeting •What group is meeting or who the participants are •Participants' roles •Anything unusual about the meeting format •Any outside participants •Agenda items to be covered, the person responsible, and the time allotted •Any background material to be used for preparation or to help