Get to the Point! Oh No, Not Another Meeting
We’ve all done it. We’ve all sat through meetings that were a complete waste of time, and we’ve sat through meetings that were productive and engaging. What’s the difference? What bothers you about meetings? What makes a meeting great? In a previous article we addressed being an effective participant. This article discusses how to be a prepared chairperson. When I sit in a well-run meeting, I feel like I’m part of an orchestra led by Leonard Bernstein. I feel like the great Lombardi is coaching me. We’re all in sync. We know our parts. We know why we’re there and what needs to be done to create something wonderful. Sound a little over the top? It’s not. Meetings are often one of the least planned, over scheduled elements of wasted productivity in organizations. Why? In part because few people who lead a meeting have been taught the skills and knowledge behind leading a good meeting. If you want to run a successful meeting, take note and then practice these principles.
To Meet or Not To Meet
That should be the question of every chairperson. Many people call a meeting when a meeting is really not the appropriate medium for the information they seek. Meetings are expensive. Add up the hourly cost of everyone sitting in a meeting. The purpose should warrant that amount of time and money investment. List all the ways in which you could achieve your goal or attain the decisions or information you need. Review them. Is there a faster, cheaper, or easier way to get it? You should be conducting a mini cost-benefit analysis every time you think about calling a meeting.
The PAT Approach
Once a chairperson decides a meeting is appropriate, he or she should use the PAT approach: • Determine the Purpose • Prepare the Agenda • Coordinate the Time (and Place) Purpose As chair, you must have a razor-sharp focus on why (the purpose of) you call a meeting. And, you must 12 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER MARCH 2021
clearly articulate that to participants. Do this both when you send out a meeting notice and when you begin the meeting. It sets the expectations that participants must stay on topic. Here’s a process for you to plan a successful meeting: 1. Determine meeting purpose 2. List names of the participants you wish to attend 3. Determine what each participant will contribute 4. If a participant is deemed a non-contributor, remove from list Agenda Always prepare an agenda. Yes, I said always. Even for quick, short meetings, agendas focus everyone. When you write down items on an agenda, you commit yourself and your participants to focus on those items, not on their own agenda items. A good agenda • states the meeting objectives, • outlines the meeting in increments of time, • provides a checklist of items to accomplish and who will present each, • allows the attendees to see a “road map”. Time Put some thought into your meeting time and place, and tie that closely to your purpose and your attendees. For example, don’t call an 8:00 AM meeting the Monday after the Super bowl. You will lose out because everyone is tired. Schedule high energy or level of participation meetings between 8 and 9 a.m. Meetings at 3 p.m. allow participants time to recuperate from lunch. Also, schedule your meeting in a well-lit and spacious room. People think better and work better that way.
Run/Facilitate the Meeting
During the meeting, it’s the chairperson’s responsibility to guide the meeting to a successful finish. As you oversee the meeting, keep these important factors in mind and ensure you do them: • • •
Be aware of the rules of the meeting (ex: Robert’s Rules) Keep to the aim or objective of the meeting Remain fair with all participants get to the point
