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How to prepare and conduct a successful meeting
- 2. It was Hendrikvan Loan who once said that a meeting will only be successful if it has three participantsāone of whom he is away sick and another who is absent. Organizational life is never that generous to managers, however, meetings have become an unavoidable aspect of managerās role. Fortunately, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary meetings and to make the remaining ones more effective.
- 3. ļ½An important ingredient isplanning and preparation, as the following points reveal.
- 4. ļ½ Meetings shouldnever become a ritual. They cost time and money so itās important to call a meeting only when one is warrantedāto solve a problem, to coordinate activities, to disseminate and discuss urgent information , to reach a consensus or decision, to build morale, to reconcile conflicts
- 5. ļ½So donāt askpeople to attend a listening session onlyāsend a memo or newsletter instead.
- 6. ļ½ Be clearon the purposes of the meeting and your hoped- for outcomes. And how will you know when you have achieved them? By preparing a benchmark of productivity for the meeting---a checklist of what you want to accomplish, to refer to during the meeting and for use later to compare and hoped- for outcomes with the actual achievements.
- 7. ļ½ Only thosewho need to attend should be invited to do so. Each non-essential attendee is wasting his/her time and costing your organization money. As well, the more people attending, the more difficult it is to achieve a consensus. Consider inviting participants to be present at a particular time, that is, for the agenda item for which their personal contribution is required.
- 8. ļ½ Call ameeting only when you have the information required for decision making and you can be assured that the appropriate people will be in attendance. Ensure the venue is accessible to all participants, yet sufficiently remote to avoid interruptions. Check out and book the location---seating, lighting, ventilation, whiteboards, electrical requirements and other essentials.
- 9. ļ½ The morecare you take with an agenda, the more productive the meeting will be. The agenda should be more than just a list of items handed out at the meeting. Key elements would include: ļ½ Date, time, place and duration of meeting ļ½ List of items to be discussed in sequence, detailing for each item, who will lead the discussion, time, allocated and, importantly, the objective (information sharing/discussion only/decision required/problem to be solved etc.)
- 10. ļ½ By givingadequate advance notice and distributing the agenda and support documents for all items, you will demonstrate your thoroughness and instill confidence in your leadership. (Remember, people being what people are, to allow time at the beginning of your meeting for review of documents you realize may not have been read in advance.)
- 11. ļ½ If emotionalor controversial issues, for example, are to be discussed during the meeting, it is sometimes a good idea to talk through these items with some of the key participants beforehand. Consider their reactions and how you might handle them during the meeting to achieve the desired outcomes.
- 12. ļ½ Make sureyou have considered the following items frequently required during a meeting notepaper, pens, flip chart, whiteboard, refreshments, overhead, projector, telephone, tape, recorder, and so on.
- 13. ļ½ Mental preparationsis also a vital consideration and, in this regard, the following suggestions are offered: ļ½ Know the meeting process and your role as the chairperson. Understand the rules of the game before you playāwhether these be formal rules of order involving motions, voting, adjournments etc., or unofficial rules developed by your own organization for meeting procedures.
- 14. ļ½ Do yourhomework. Be prepared and knowledgeable about the topics under discussion. ļ½ Believe you can lead. If you have been called upon to lead, someone believes you can do it. So be confident yourself that you can. ļ½ Seize the opportunity. Responsibility requires extra effort. Give it āand grow in the position. ļ½ Aim high. Strive for excellence, set the example, and others will follow.
- 17. ļ½ Every managerneeds to be able to master the skills of chairing a meeting. A meeting chaired effectively will have the participants leaving with a sense of accomplishment and a clear understanding of future direction and task. If you want to conduct successful meetings as chairperson, then here are the important steps in the process for you to follow.
- 18. ļ½ When youwait for latecomers, you penalize those who have arrived on timeāand you inadvertently reward those who came late. Before long, everyone will arrive late. So, how do you get people to your meetings on time? By starting on time! Always.
- 19. ļ½ Welcome andintroduce yourself and other participants and, if necessary, explain their roles. Clarify the objectives of the meeting, ensuring that each member understands the task at hand and is aware of the expertise available in the group. Be brisk and business-like.
- 20. ļ½ Check thateach member publicly agrees with the stated objective of each listed agenda item, thereby ensuring that all irrelevant and hidden agendas become redundant. Indicate the criteria for a successful meeting and, in particular, how the group will decide or know when the outcomes are achieved. Other items might be suggested and, after listing these in āOther Businessā, close off the agenda.
- 21. ļ½ A meetingis held for a purposeāso keep its main objectives and desired outcomes clearly in mind at all times. Consider the following process: ā¦ Initiate discussion on each item by setting the scene briefly and asking for responses. You may refer the matter first to a member who can make the best initial contribution. ā¦ Reinforce each item. When moving on to a new agenda item, reiterate and clarify its purpose and objective.
- 22. ļ½ Try toend on a positive note, even when there has been substantial disagreement during the meeting---perhaps save for last an agenda item on which everyone can agree. Respect the plans of those who assumed the meeting would end on time. This will mean bringing discussion to a halt about five minutes before the scheduled finishing time. Sum up the entire meeting, restate the outcomes, confirm allotted tasks and deadlines, and thank participants. Arrange the next meeting with members.
- 23. ļ½ While themeeting is still fresh in your mind, it is important to assess the meetingās effectiveness and your own leadership style. Use that information to make your next meeting better.
- 24. ļ½ Concise minutes,including a listing of decisions made, the tasks assigned, and the deadlines for action and follow-up, should be completed and distributed promptly. Where necessary, inform other interested parties of outcomes as soon as possible after the meeting. ļ½ In the period following the meeting, monitor the progress of assignments if possible. At the next meeting, uncompleted assignments should be considered first unmet deadlines discussed. Such accountability helps ensure that the agreed outcomes of your meeting have some meaning next time.