Effective
Meetings
John Costa, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan [CC BY‐NC‐SA ‐ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/]
Plan Wisely
If you don’t have a detailed agenda, prior to the meeting, write
down 3 goals. Some examples:
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Review progress of…
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Address issues or risks...
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Require a decision on…
Tip 1: Be prepared to answer the question, Why are we here?
Tip 2: Be specific. The more specific and clear you are with
your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.
Tip 3: Be organized – come prepared with supporting
documentation, minutes and agenda.
John Costa, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan [CC BY‐NC‐SA ‐ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/]
Open Carefully
When opening, review the agenda item by item or cover the
following:
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Purpose of the meeting – why are we here?
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Importance of the meeting – why should people care?
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Desired outcomes – what do we need out of this meeting?
Tip 1: Stand or sit in a prominent place (head of the table?).
Tip 2: Raise your voice a little to add presence.
John Costa, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan [CC BY‐NC‐SA ‐ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/]
Manage the Conversation
As chair, you need to be in control of the meeting.
To do this:
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Act like a coach - watch, listen & direct.
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Don’t loose sight of the meeting’s purpose.
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Be polite but firm with participants.
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Stay action oriented and focused on the agenda/goals.
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Jump in when meeting goes off track or needs focus.
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Enforce time limits.
John Costa, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan [CC BY‐NC‐SA ‐ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/]
Close
To close the meeting, review the following:
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Actions, resolutions or decisions.
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Assignments – who does what?
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Timelines – when is it to be delivered?
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Follow-up plans – what happens next?
John Costa, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan [CC BY‐NC‐SA ‐ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/]
Tips of the Trade
Leadership
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Be a coach-like figure - supportive and nurturing.
Maintain good eye-contact when speaking and listening.
Meeting Management
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Stick to the allotted time limits. People appreciate it, really.
Challenge participants to stay on track by asking questions. How
does this relate to the topic?
Bring clarity to the discussion. Clear up confusing terms or
concepts, provide context, background or concise summaries to
discussions when needed.
Engage participants. Ask participants directly for their view.
Accountability
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Ask someone to take minutes (or use a audio recorder). Track
decisions, assignments and deadlines and circulate soon after the
meeting.
Provide reminders before follow-up meeting of their assignments.
John Costa, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan [CC BY‐NC‐SA ‐ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/]
Common Pitfalls
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One person dominates. Ask others for their opinion, enforce
time limits, re-direct the conversation with questions.
Lack of Focus. Ask probing questions. Don’t be afraid to ask
for clarity or relevance. Enforce time limits. Stick to the agenda
and goals.
Discussion gets mired in too much detail. Delegate it for
further investigation or defer it to a more appropriate time.
Discussion is off track. Is it relevant to the agenda? If not, drop
it. Time limit exceeded? Ask for a decision or move on.
Lack of engagement / accountability. Refer to minutes for
assignments. Ask specific questions about overdue action items.
Remind participants of their tasks ahead of meetings. Hold
regular meetings.
John Costa, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan [CC BY‐NC‐SA ‐ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/]
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http://creativecommons.org/licenses John Costa, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan [CC BY‐NC‐SA ‐ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/]