Every day
83million
people attend
11.5million
meetings
Is a meeting necessary?
• A meeting is not always the most effective
way to communicate. Before planning,
scheduling, or accepting an invitation to a
meeting, ask these questions:
– Why are we calling people together?
– Is a meeting the most effective/efficient means?
– Would a memo/email/call suffice?
– Is there a need/desire for group interaction?
– What would happen if we didn’t meet?
Preliminary Thoughts
Who likes a meeting…
• Without a clearly defined agenda
• That seems to drag-on forever
• That rambles from topic-to-topic
• That ends without any apparent result?
These types of meetings are
• Frustrating
• A waste of one of the most valuable resources of any
organization – time.
Effective Meetings Characterized by
‡
What people are looking for in effective meetings :
88% – participation
66% – well defined meeting purpose
62% – address each item on the agenda
59% – assign follow-up action
47% – record discussion
46% – invite essential personnel
36% – publish an agenda
‡
Ineffective Meetings Characterized
by
83% – drift from the subject
77% – poor preparation
74% – questionable effectiveness
68% – lack of listening
62% – verbose participants
60% – length
51% – lack of participation
.
MEETING TIPS
• Take meetings seriously and do real work
• Don’t let people digress from the topic
• Outline tasks and assign deadline so members know
how to follow-up
• Consider using technology to allow individuals to
anonymously express opinions
• Make sure you have the information you need for
decision making before the meeting starts
• Keep good records on what works and
doesn’t work and include these in minutes
Meeting purpose
• Good reasons for meetings include:
– To share information
– To receive information/opinions
– To solve problems
– To make decisions
– To accomplish tasks
Think of the last meeting you attended. What
was it’s purpose? For example, the purpose of a
weekly status meeting is to give information.
Types of Meetings
• Formal or Informal
– With agenda, rules of procedure, minutes or
– Casual and relaxed - structure but nothing written
• Planning
– To prepare or evaluate a plan
– To seek information
• Reporting
– Progress to date
– Providing information or status reporting
•Administrative
– Regular Staff Meetings
– Monthly Executive Committee Meetings
• Decision Making
• Brainstorming
• Combinations
PREPARATION FOR A MEETING
•Define the purpose of the meeting.
•Consider an Ice Breaker
• Identify the participants.
– Every invitee should be identified
• Prepare an agenda in advance of the meeting.
– Communicate the intent of each agenda item using
labels such as (A) Action,
(I) Information, (V) Vote.
– Identify estimate of time allocated to the agenda item.
•Assign responsibilities for agenda items and communicate to
those responsible.
•Publish the agenda and identify background information to be
reviewed.
•Plan for breaks – lunch, coffee, etc.
Conducting Effective Meetings
A Meeting is effective when it
achieves its objectives in a minimum
amount of time to the satisfaction of
the participants
CONDUCTING MEETINGS
• Start on time
• Review and stick to the agenda
• Volunteer or assign minutes taker (if appropriate)
• Assign and agree on responsibilities and establish
target dates for completion
• Summarize
• End on time
• Send out minutes or notes
• HAVE SOME FUN!!
NON-VERBAL LISTENING SKILLS
for Meeting Facilitator/ Leader
• Good eye contact- Indicates your interest in what people
are saying
• Body positioning- Expresses your attitude and energy
-Too casual may indicate lack of commitment
-Folded arms and closed body positioning may leave impression
that you are inflexible
• Facial expressions- Can say more than words. Watch how
you affirm or react to comments that are made
• Silence- Allow for it!
DEALING WITH DIFFICULT
PARTICIPANTS
• Listen, but do not debate
• Talk privately with members who continually
exhibit disruptive behaviors
• Turn negative behaviors into
positive contributions
• Encourage the group to share the responsibility for
handling difficult members
• Don’t take it personally
• Try different strategies, small groups/pairs
Dealing with difficult
Participants
• Coming in late • Reward and thank those
who were there on time.
• Argumentative • Keep temper in check and
model for group. Find
some merit in points
made. Speak in private.
• Side Conversation • Avoid sarcasm. Restate
last comment made.
Explain to group the need
to hear information.
Final Thoughts
•Praise! Praise! Praise!
• Praise people twice as much as you criticize.
• Never let any good deed or action go unheralded in the
group.
• Say thank you publicly at every meeting.
• Recognize the value of peoples’ contributions at the
beginning or within the meeting.
•Plan. Plan. Plan.
• Meeting design is the #1 mechanism for effective
meetings.
• For each agenda item, make sure the group is clear about
the goals, processes, and functions.
THANK YOU
• Thank you for your
time and attention
• Do GREAT things!
A. Bhaskar Reddy, IRS, Retd
Reach me at
bhaskar.irs81@[Link]
