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 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 • Start the meeting on time • End the meeting on time • Transition from one agenda topic to the next • Introduce the next topic or presenter • Handle disruptions • Sum up topics

The most important part of a meeting is its start. Here are some things you can do as the chair to get things started well: • Greet your participants • Introduce who you are • Introduce special guests • Explain housekeeping items • Present Agenda • Open with “rules of the meeting”

Keeping It On Track

We’ve all been in meetings that get derailed either by hidden agendas, confusion, lengthy discussions, or a whole host of other disruptive situations. As the chair, it is your responsibility to get and keep a meeting on track so that it achieves its purpose. Here are some ways to do it:

• Set expectations with all participants about focus versus disruption • Time each presenter • Overcome fear of interrupting • Politely warn people time is nearing

Using your agenda can also help keep a meeting on track. Make sure your agenda,

• divides topics into Decision/Discussion items, • stick to only topics listed on the Agenda, and • uses a “Parking Lot” for topics that require follow-up after the meeting.

Impolite Behavior

Don’t allow impolite behavior such as people running in and out of the meeting, taking calls, texting or having side conversations. State right up front before the meeting starts that these behaviors are not accepted. And if someone still does this, you now have latitude to ask him or her to stop.

Overtime

On rare occasions, your meeting may require overtime. If so, follow these rules to determine how to deal with it: • Determine your participants’ constraints • Warn attendees in advance that the meeting will over run

• Determine how much more time will be needed • Communicate the extra time to the attendees • Gain consensus to go into overtime • Give choices

If overtime is not an option, determine what agenda items will be missed and plan an alternative way of getting the information to the attendees.

Personality Conflicts

Sometimes when people come together in a meeting, there can be contentious conflict. This is never acceptable, but it does happen. If so, we suggest you try the Stop, Drop, and Roll method of eliminating conflict in your meeting:

• Stop:

Stop the conflict by intervening and making a statement that acknowledges the conflict. Do not become frustrated yourself. Avoid taking sides. Never yell.

• Drop:

Instruct parties to drop the discussion for now and regain their composure.

• Roll:

Roll into a break. Even if you just got back from one, take a break and send the participants away for a moment.

Finishing

Whether finishing an agenda item or the whole meeting, a good chair will clearly draw things to a close. Here’s what you should do to successfully end a topic or a meeting:

• Recap all issues • Call to vote • Sum up resulting decisions, actions, policies • Answer any questions from the Note-Taker or scribe

Meetings are often the most effective communication tool we have but if they are not run well, it is a waste of time and money.

RGI and CTEL offer group workshops on Effective Meeting Skills. See www.rgilearning.com or call 866-744-3032.

© 2020, RGI Learning Lisa Moretto, President, RGI International, Inc. For 25 years she has helped engineers improve their oral and written communication skills. Visit www.rgilearning.com or call 866-744-3032 to learn about RGI's courses.