Ideas To Go
MEETINGS THAT GET THINGS DONE
Agenda
 Defining ‘Effective’
 Preparation
 Facilitation
 Follow up
Why Meet?
Share
information
Collect
information
Build
concensus
Team
Building
Identify
problem(s)
Solve
problem(s)
Can all of these be accomplished in one meeting?
Meeting type mirrors Purpose
 Information Gathering
 Information Sharing / Status
 Team Building
 Planning
 Brainstorming
 Problem Solving
 Specialty
 Project specific – BPR, JAD, etc.
 Deliverable / document review/approval
 Training/retreat
What is an effective meeting?
Minimal
Distraction
Feeling of
Accomplishment
Time Well Spent!
What is an effective meeting?
Participants leave
feeling like something
was accomplished
Goals are met (purpose)
Participants are
engaged
Achieving effective meetings
Know the purpose, write it down
2. Carefully choose the participants
1.
1.
Roles
3. Have an agenda
4. Timely Invitations
1.
Published purpose
2.
Published agenda
5. Ensure participants are well prepared
6. Ensure YOU are prepared
Purpose
Achieving effective
meetings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Know the purpose,
write it down
Carefully choose the
participants
Have an agenda
Timely Invitations
Ensure participants are
well prepared
Ensure YOU are
prepared
Know the purpose, write it
down
 If you can’t write it down
then maybe you aren’t
clear why you are having
the meeting
 Make sure everyone has
their eyes on the prize
 Set expectations for
participants


What they can expect
What you expect
Participants
Achieving effective
meetings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Know the purpose,
write it down
Carefully choose the
participants
Have an agenda
Timely Invitations
Ensure participants are
well prepared
Ensure YOU are
prepared
Carefully choose the
participants
 Only those who are
necessary to achieve the
purpose
 Participants who know why
their presence is important
are more likely to be
engaged
 The larger the group, the
less likely to find consensus
 Build trust and confidence
that you will not waste
their time
Agenda
Achieving effective
meetings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Know the purpose,
write it down
Carefully choose the
participants
Have an agenda
Timely Invitations
Ensure participants are
well prepared
Ensure YOU are
prepared
Have an agenda
 ALWAYS have an
agenda!

Formal vs. Informal
 Lets participants know
what to expect
 Ensures they
understand why they
are invited
 Helps them prepare
Invites
Achieving effective
meetings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Know the purpose,
write it down
Carefully choose the
participants
Have an agenda
Timely Invitations
Ensure participants are
well prepared
Ensure YOU are
prepared
Timely Invitations
 Invites are always written
 Can use tech tools (Groupwise
Calendar)


Busy search
Back-to-back meetings
 Include your purpose and agenda
of topics
 Timing based on audience,
criticality and decorum
 Invite sent at 4pm for 10am
tomorrow?
 Invite to VP’s and management
with 24hrs notice?
Engaged Participants
Ensure participants are
well prepared
Achieving effective
meetings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Know the purpose,
write it down
Carefully choose the
participants
Have an agenda
Timely Invitations
Ensure participants
are well prepared
Ensure YOU are
prepared
 Invites include purpose and




agenda
A few sentences of
introduction beyond the
bullets in the agenda
Background documents
attached
Set clear expectations about
participation levels
“Out of respect for YOUR
time - This meeting will start
PROMPTLY at the appointed
time”
Be Prepared
Achieving effective
meetings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Know the purpose,
write it down
Carefully choose the
participants
Have an agenda
Timely Invitations
Ensure participants are
well prepared
Ensure YOU are
prepared
Ensure YOU are prepared
 Know what you want to
get out of the meeting
 Make sure the right
people are there
 Know the material you
are presenting
 Make sure everyone has
what they need to
contribute in a
meaningful way
My meetings are ‘informal’, do I need all this?
 An informal setting or tone can be a very productive




method to get people engaged
Don’t confuse ‘informal’ with sloppy
Courtesy and professionalism still apply
Purpose, Agenda, Invite always required
If you can’t commit to this preparation, why should
anyone else come prepared to participate?
Common elements
Robert’s Rules of Order
Bob’s Basic etiquette
Communication
 Meetings are ultimately about communication
 Whether collecting, sharing or problem solving,
meeting effectiveness hinges on communication
 Preparation
 Roles (scribe, facilitator, expert, etc.)
 Understanding small group communication
The Science of Communication
 Person sending message ‘encodes’ it
 Person receiving message ‘decodes it’
 Model is true for ALL Communication
 Written
 Verbal
 Computer modems
 Cable boxes
 Body Language
 Secret Decoder Rings
 All Communication has NOISE
The Math of Communication
Speaker to Audience
Dialogue
 1 speaker, 3 listeners
 Communication is 1-way
 4 participants
 Communication is 2-way
 1 encoder, 3 decoders
 4 possible interpretations
 12 encoders, 12 decoders
 6 Communication
pathways N (N-1) / 2
*Project Mgt Institute
The Art of Communication
 Know your purpose and goals
 Know your audience
 Know your topic
 Predict reactions
 Encourage participation; manage the room
 Preparation, preparation, preparation
Participant Roles
 Sponsor
 Organizer
 Facilitator
 Subject Matter Expert
 Stakeholders
 Scribe
Facilitating Meetings
 Focus the discussion - minimize distractions
 Maintain focus on agenda topics
 Avoid tangents
 Ground Rules (Bob’s Basic Etiquette)
 One meeting!!
 Cells and tablets
 Facilitator need not be the expert
 Other roles that support the facilitator
 Egg Timer for debate
 Parking lot, gavel, action items, others?
 Tools appropriate for meeting type and purpose
Facilitation Techniques
 Paraphrase
 Confirm understanding
 Positive feedback
 Expand
 Relieve tension
 Consolidate / summarize
Adjourn
 Summarize
 Review Action Items\ parking Lot
 Thank you
 Follow-up
 Next meeting?
 Assignments
 Parking lot
 Minutes (Notes)
Minutes
 Need not be formal
 Not a transcript
 Summarize discussion points
 Document and publish action items and parking lot
 24 hr target to publish
 “I don’t publish minutes b/c nobody reads them...”
Open Dialogue
http://www.effectivemeetings.com/meetingbasics/index.asp
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htm
http://managementhelp.org/blogs/team-performance/2010/04/09/ten-reasons-why-meetings-fail/
http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2006-09-26/how-to-run-a-meeting-like-google