Meeting Management

People skills

25% to 80% of managers’ and professionals’ time is spent in meetingsMore than 33% of time spent in meetings is unproductive, costing business an estimated $37 billion a yearFor one Fortune 500 firm, the loss is $71 million a year

Meeting Facts

Almost 72% of business leaders surveyed currently spend more time in meetings than they did five years ago. More than 49% expect to be spending even more time in meetings four years from now.Only 33% of business leaders surveyed have had formal training in how to run meetings

Meeting Facts

Although 75% say it is “almost essential” to have an agenda, they use an agenda only 50% of the timeOnly 64% of meetings achieve their intended outcome

Meeting Facts

What is a Meetings?

A meeting is an outcome directed interaction between 2 or more people that can take place in any of four environments

Time

Pla

ce

Same Different

Sam

eD

iffere

nt

Focus Groups Shift Workers

VideoTeleconferencing

Dispersed ProjectTeam

AnyTime, Any

Place

Outcome-directed meetingResourcesResources

Present State(problems)

Present State(problems)

Desired State(outcomes)

Desired State(outcomes)

Action PlanAction Plan

Topic 1ActivityActivity

Topic 2ActivityActivity

Topic 3

Agenda (Steps) Task

Group/people

The main goal of meetings

a vehicle for communication & action

not for confusion & frustration

Purpose of the meeting

1. Take decisions2. Collect views, information and proposal3. Briefing4. Exchange information5. Generating ideas6. Enquire into the nature and causes of a problem

tests of an effective meeting

1. The outcome justifies the time spent. 2. There mustn't be a better outcome with the same investment.3. The outcome must be acted on.

Good Meetings

In good meetings, people nod in agreement;

in poor meetings, people just nod.

1. Planning and preparation

2. Efficient disposal of business

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Elements of good meetings

Good Meetings (contd)

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3. Open participation with adherence to

the rules

4. Effective follow-up

criteria for an effective meeting

1. Purpose is clear to all attendees. 2. All who are needed are attending and only those who are needed are attending.3. Participants are prepared. 4. Time is effectively used. 5. Participants are committed. 6. The main goals is achieving the goals, not meeting for sake of meeting. 7. The outcome should justify the investment. 8. Actions, responsibilities and mechanism for review are clear.

Attendance not by status or convention by relevance All who are needed are

attending and only those who are needed are attending.

Preparation Preparation depends on the circulation in good

time of an agenda for the meeting The notice of a meeting should inform

date, time, place and intended duration people attending and their roles purpose(s) preliminary documentation, preparation, etc. the procedure for adding any items to the agenda

The use of time – meeting structure a structure which is suited to the purpose

and membership of the meeting. whiteboard or a flipchart

discussion is focused ideas are not lost minutes can be based on them avoids repetition of the same ideas recorded ideas can be dealt with in sequence avoids the dialogue of the deaf

Roles: Time-Keeper

• Makes sure there is a time-limit for each agenda item

• Let’s the group know when time is almost up

• Keeps the group on task, avoid tangents

Tips for Effective Meetings

Start and end your meetings on time Keep announcements to a minimum Sit in a circle Have an agenda and set time limits for each

item Encourage participation Don’t let anyone dominate Use hand signals Have food

Meeting Environment

a bright room with adequate lighting; a comfortable heating level; good air circulation; a good seating arrangement; and the early opening of the room.

Ensure:

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Large meetings The only thing accomplished efficiently in a large

meeting is the giving of information.

If the group is to respond with ideas or ask questions Split the qroup into discussion groups

(8 is the ideal number)

Decision-Taking

Meetings should be clear on whether a decision is really being taken by the meeting or whether, on the other hand, there is one person who has the responsibility for taking the decision with the help of meeting.

information exchange

Where a series of people are to report overlapping information to a meeting (e.g. Progress reports on a project) questions on each report should be limited to clarification until all reports have been given.

Facilitation & Running Effective Meetings

What is Facilitation?

Process for running meetings or making decisions in a way that is:

Smooth Effective Participatory Democratic

Why use facilitation?

To involve people To make meetings more effective To increase the number of minds

working on a problem To stay on task To keep people coming back to

meetings

10 Tips for Facilitating Discussion

1. Paraphrase2. Check3. Compliment4. Elaborate5. Energize

10 Tips for Facilitating Discussion (cont.)

6. Disagree7. Mediate8. Pull9. Change10. Summarize

Steps to Facilitation Success

1. Choose a facilitator2. Set (or review) Ground Rules & Group

Norms3. Choose other roles (as necessary)4. Start meeting agenda/Discussion

generation of ideas This can be the purpose of a total meeting or

of a part of a meeting. In many instutions there are pure

“brainstorming” meetings in which the aim is to promote creative solutions to the problems.

The key to success is to gather ideas systematically and not to allow any evaluative comments during the process.

All ideas must be recorded on board or on a flipchart.

brainstorming

The aim is to get as many as ideas in a given time.

Key to success Suspend judgement Let yourself go and freewheel Quantity not quality Cross-fertilizer Use verbal shorthand; do not explain in detail

It is both fun and highly productive

Spidergrams-mind mapping

Set down a subject as the central point It is frequently used in report-essay writing and web design It enables the individual or group to collect ideas and organize them as they

spring to mind, rather hold them back until relevant subject comes up in sequence.

By letting our eyes wander on the chart we constantly restimulate our brains in

each area.

Group Dynamics In a meeting, you may notice the following

phenomena Repetition by the same person of the same point Failure of people to take up each other’s points

except to attack them “not invented here” reactions Lack of interest manifested by body language Arguments about the structure of the meeting Several people talking at once Blocking out of certain people and alliances between

others Skillful anipulation of the meeting

Types of Motions

motions to: fix time of next meeting adjourn

questions of privilege

Privilege motions:

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Types of Motions (contd)

requests for information or answers to questions

motions to: appeal renew withdraw call for vote to be conducted in a

particular way points of order

Incidental motions:

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Interruptions

Internal Phones Cross talk

External Messages Calls Visitors Refreshments?

Recording a Meeting

Minutes Authority Avoid conflict Accountability

Brief minutes Decisions

Full report Contribution

Action Points

Majority Decision-Making

decisions made based upon a majority vote:

50% +1 2/3 majority 3/4 majority

efficient way to dispose of business minority may feel left out concern that issues rushed Small majorities result in

implementation problems.

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Consensus

While everyone may not be in agreement with the decision, every participant in the process commits to supporting that decision.

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Process Review

Control on Content Process Design

Share the burden Problem people!

Late comers Reward by review Punish in many ways!

Ten commandments

Thou Shalt Always Know What Time It Is

Thou Shalt Not Forget the Main Reason for Meetings

Thou Shalt Remember the Golden Rule of Meetings:Praise in Public, Criticize in Private

Ten Commandments Contd…

Thou Shalt Not Convene Meetings Outside of Normal Business Hours

Thou Shalt Not Use Group Pressure to Logroll Conclusions

Thou Shalt Not Use Meetings to Gain Acceptance by force

Thou Shalt Keep the Personal and the Corporate Distinct

Thou Shalt Remember that the people are to participate

Thou Shalt Always Prepare a Clear Agenda and Circulate It Beforehand

Thou Shalt Terminate a Regularly Scheduled Meeting When Its Purpose for Being No Longer Exists

Somewhere in the middle of the uncharted Pacific Ocean, we find a beautiful, green, and uninhabited island. An off-course plane crashed on the island stranding seven people-a pregnant woman, a well-known American scientist, a teen-aged girl, an elderly diabetic man, a famous doctor, a software specialist, and a catholic priest.

The Island Experience

By luck, a lost plane stumbles upon the island, but can carry only one of the seven back and possibly reach civilization. Since the plane was lost and does not have a GPS, the likelihood of its being able to return is remote. Although the people on the island will not starve, they must be able to meet necessary social and biological needs to survive.

The Island Experience

Your Task:Develop meeting outcomeDevelop meeting agenda: Sequence of “generate,” “ organize,” “evaluate,” “communicate.”

The Island Experience

Your Task:Turn in a written expression of your outcome-oriented meeting (an outcome map to include with your journal)The write a journal entry to be submitted as a component of assignment 5 providing your assessment of the effectiveness of the team and the members of the team.

The Island Experience