Captain's log #3394 - On running effective meetings

I don’t know about you, but I hate meetings, which are run un-professionally.

 

One of four things usually happens.

•  People just sit and stare at each other, not saying anything. They think it is better to remain silent because they don’t want to appear stupid or ill-prepared in front of the others.
•  Everyone talks at the same time; they argue and interrupt and no one listens to what the others are saying. By the time the meeting is over, you have more enemies than you can count
• The meeting was called for a particular reason, but ends up following multiple goat trails with no decisions being made and no one remembering why you gathered in the first place.
• A discussion ensues among a few people about a topic that only they can address; the rest of the group is made to sit and listen to their conversation.

Too few meetings are well planned. Consequently, many meetings are meaningless, get no results, become unpopular, and see their attendance numbers or participation decline over time.

We can't function without group meetings so we must find better ways of doing it.

As you get ready to start the new year, take a few moments to focus on ways to run a successful meeting. 

 

1.    Get ready

• Clearly define what you are trying to accomplish. If there is no specific purpose or objective, DO NOT hold the meeting.
• Plan what will be discussed.
• Decide the materials you need agenda, charts, reports—and make sure they are ready.
• If meeting Face to Face find a suitable place to meet with a room large enough to accommodate the group. Make sure the space is well lit and well ventilated and that you won’t be interrupted or disturbed by noises.
• Invite only the people who need to be there.
• Set the length of the meeting; don’t make it any longer than is absolutely necessary. Is the topic really worth the collective time that will be spent on it?
• Get the agenda to the group in advance. If there is a significant gap between the date you announce the meeting and the date it will take place, make a reminder call a few days beforehand.
• Finally, make sure your equipment works! I know there always can be a technical glitch, but show up with enough time to ensure that everything works.
• If you want to be on time... be early!

2.    Open the meeting

• Start on time! If you wait for stragglers, you are penalising those who arrive on time.
• t the beginning of the meeting, clearly state what you want to accomplish. That will help ensure that people with other agendas won’t derail the meeting. As a tacit reminder of the reason you are all there, I recommend that you write the objective on the white board or tape it to the wall on a large piece of paper. If you are using a livemeeting, you might want to utilise the "whiteboard" facility for this.
• At this point, find out from the group members what they already know about the subject, then you can start to fill in the blanks.

3.    Guide the discussion.

• Here’s something to try. As a questioning technique, use a direct approach; speak to an individual, not the group in general. Don’t say the person’s name at the beginning of the question; tag it on at the end. That way, you keep all the members of the group engaged. For those reluctant to answer, you can use “leading” questions—direct a question with an obvious answer to a specific person.
• Find out what factors might be interfering with the success of your objective. You want to be able to guide the discussion toward concrete evidence and specific factors you can do something about.
• Start to discuss possible solutions.
• Keep the discussion “on topic.”
• Watch your schedule so you can close on time.

4.    Close the meeting

• Make sure there is a common understanding about who is going to do what, and when.
• Distribute the “action list” to all members of the group.

If you apply those principles, your meetings will be more productive and informative.

People will be glad they came!