Section 2.

Effective Meetings
Effective Meetings

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

W hy Hold a M eeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Alternatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The planning process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

W hat type of meeting best suits your needs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Agenda Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Pre meeting information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Do you need a facilitator? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Understanding group dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Conflict resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Conducting the meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Public Consultation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Recording the M inutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Legislative requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Appendix A: M eeting Planning Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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 INTRODUCTION

Effective Meetings
Every organization must work within the confines of its budget and
particularly in the public sector, must account for expenditures and
maximize the use of the resources they have at their disposal.
Given tough economic times, getting the most out of scarce resources
has become a priority and to accomplish this, both public and private
sector organizations are increasingly relying on performance measures,
benchmarking and other business tools to improve efficiency and
effectiveness. One of the
ways to make the most
effective use out of an
organization’s human Michael Winer, a consultant and founder of the
organization “4Results”, a company dedicated to
resources is to ensure that mobilizing individual, organizational and
time spent in meetings is community resources to achieve results through
productive time. joint efforts, reports the following statistics
regarding meetings:
• Leaders spend over 50% of their work
So, you’ve been The Chairperson day preparing for, attending or
selected to be chair, following up on meetings,
now what do you Understanding your • 36% of meetings do not achieve the
intended outcome,
do? responsibilities in chairing a • 50% of meetings have no agenda,
meeting is an important • 70% of leaders have no training in
factor in how effective the meeting effectiveness,
• 30% of meetings are perceived as
meeting will be. No matter unnecessary.
how large or small the
meeting, a chairperson has With these sobering statistics in mind, there are
ways to ensure that time spent in meetings is time
certain responsibilities. invested wisely.

The chair should begin by

getting to know who the
members of the group are, what skill sets, strengths or weaknesses
each member brings to the table, and what each member might be
expected to contribute.

The chairperson is responsible for planning the meeting. Planning

involves assessing the situation, deciding on goals (if that has not been
clearly defined by a higher authority), assessing the options for
achieving those goals, and selecting the optimum course of action.

In addition, the chairperson is responsible for the group members. The

chair should involve and motivate, as well as educate the group. The
members should be informed specifically what will be expected from
them, the time-frame in which they have to accomplish the task at
hand, and any budgetary constraints they may have. Also, the chair is
responsible for delegating tasks according to the skill sets of the group
members, and to encourage, and where necessary assist, each group
member to contribute to the overall success of the project.
 WHY HOLD A MEETING?

Effective Meetings
The reasons why a meeting might be called vary. Meetings may
involve the simple dissemination of information, an exchange of ideas
and experiences, communication of internal or external changes to the
work environment, or team development.

Whatever the purpose for the meeting, the chair and the participants
need to be very clear about why they are meeting, and what the
intended goals are. The basic reasons for holding a meeting are as
follows:
If you don’t know
1. Build Relationships
where you are
going, how will you
An underrated purpose for holding a meeting is to network,
know when you get
build working relationships, socialize, and promote team work.
there?
This type of meeting can lay the groundwork for more effective
working relationships in future undertakings.

2. Disseminate Information

Sometimes the best method of disseminating information is to

gather the stakeholders in a room together and give a
presentation on a topic of mutual interest or concern. Often
information is most effective if it includes a visual component
and time is allotted for addressing any questions or concerns
that people might have.

3. Set Goals

Cohesiveness in a working group or team is important for the

successful outcome of any venture. Whether embarking on a
new project, or conducting a standing meeting of a working
group or team, goal setting can bring the team together to focus
on the same goals. Having clearly articulated, achievable,
goals and a definite time frame for accomplishing those goals is
the first step toward success.

3. Obtain Feedback

When topics are to be presented that require feedback or input

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 from a group of stakeholders in order to enhance, improve or
just gather new insights or ideas a meeting of those involved

Effective Meetings
can be the best way to decide which path to take next.

5. Make a Decision

In instances where it is a group decision that is required, the

interaction of the stakeholders is key to the decision making
process. This would be a situation where the group is making
the decision rather than a decision-maker simply seeking input
or feedback from the group.

6. Post-Project Debrief & Celebrate Success

Often times when a group has been involved in a project, the

best way to wind up a successful venture is to bring
participants together for a debriefing. This allows an
opportunity to review the processes and procedures to ensure
that predetermined outcomes have been met, and to prepare a
course of action for the next stage. Of course a very important
part of this debriefing is to celebrate the group’s successes.
Order a pizza and celebrate everyone’s hard work.

A single meeting may be held to cover any one or all of the reasons
illustrated above, however before a meeting is called, there are
alternatives to consider.

ALTERNATIVES

Is there a better Certain issues may be most effectively resolved by making an

way to executive decision without extensive input from stakeholders or staff.
accomplish your When it is necessary to consult with colleagues, information can also
goals? be disseminated by means of a memo, letter, fax or by email thereby
precluding the necessity of holding a meeting. In the simplest terms,
consultation can be carried out by using the telephone.

If all the options have been considered and it appears that a meeting is
necessary, there are still other alternatives that allow for group
consultation to occur without the need for people to leave their normal
workplace to attend.

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 The internet provides a variety of options for web conferencing, real-
time online meetings, and virtual collaboration. The technology

Effective Meetings
allows participants to use whiteboards, share applications, present
PowerPoint and other presentation software programs in addition other
tools that would be available in a traditional meeting. Participants
wishing to take advantage of this type of online meeting would require
a telephone and a PC with internet access.

There are a number of software programs that allow online

conferencing and offer the capability for participant interaction and
presentations in real time over a distance. An internet search should
provide a number of possible software and program options.

“Managers who find themselves in meetings a quarter of the

time or more are wasting time.”
Peter F. Drucker The Effective Executive

THE PLANNING PROCESS

What Do You Want to Accomplish?

Once you have established why a meeting is necessary, the key to a

successful outcome is to identify what you expect to accomplish, and
what the intended outcomes will be. For example you may expect to
have decisions made on a number of items, or you may want to
provide information on certain issues to staff or working group
members. Maybe you need to acknowledge and celebrate recent
accomplishments.

Having the outcomes defined in advance allows for participants to

focus on the job at hand and ensures greater productivity. Research
shows that setting doable goals set in advance, and having those goals
clearly communicated to participants, will enhance the likelihood of a
successful outcome.

The Attendees

As Stephen Covey says in “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”,

“Begin with the end in mind.” The meeting purpose will determine the
focus, the agenda, as well as the participants.

The decision about who to invite to attend depends entirely on what

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 you expect to accomplish. Having the right people at the table can
make the difference between accomplishing your goals and wasting

Effective Meetings
everyone’s time.

Determine in advance what skill sets are going to be required, what

stakeholder groups may need to be represented, and who among the
various stakeholder groups might best provide the skills required to
accomplish the task.

If necessary, consult with colleagues to determine who might be the

most effective people to include. It is usually better to postpone rather
than hold a meeting without critical staff present.

When approaching people to work on the project, make preliminary

contact with the individuals to explain the purpose of the meeting,
what you hope to accomplish, what you expect them to contribute, and
why you feel they will be an important contributor to a successful
outcome.

Follow-up this initial contact with a meeting notice, which will include
the agenda, and any pertinent background information. Include
specifics on where the meeting will be held and when, as well as a list
of all the participants. Ensure that each information package contains
the name and phone number of a contact person if there are any
questions.

Prior to the meeting, select one of the participants, or have a staff

person designated to attend in order to take notes on what was
discussed, tasks that may have been assigned, and who may have
volunteered to carry out a specific task. The notes should also
indicate the expected due date for each task to be accomplished. More
details on recording the minutes of a meeting will follow.

What Type of Meeting Best Suits Your Needs?

There is a wealth of information on the internet on hosting effective

meetings. A quick internet search can provide some valuable insight
into how to chair a successful meeting. Jo Schlegel, Editor-In-Chief,
[Link] provides a wealth of information on this topic.

Basic Types of Meetings:

According to Ms. Schlegel, the basic types of meetings are as follows:

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 • Standing meeting: A regularly scheduled staff get together to

Effective Meetings
discuss projects and progress. For example, when a working
group or team meet regularly to discuss a specific project until
it is completed would be standing meetings. The format and
agenda for such meetings tend to be relatively well established
after a while and each member of the group knows what to
expect. Estimating the time involved for such meetings
becomes easier over time. If your organization has an electronic
calendar system, standing meetings can be booked months in
advance.

• Topical meeting: A meeting called to discuss a specific

subject, such as an issue that has arisen at work, or an external
development that may impact the group. This type of meeting
may occur as a result of a crisis or issue that needs to be
addressed by the working group.

• Presentation: This is a more highly structured meeting where

one or more people are invited to speak. A facilitator may be
retained to lead the meeting and provide continuity. The
purpose of this type of meeting is to provide detailed
information on a particular topic or number of topics.
Attendees may have an opportunity to ask questions, but
typically their participation is limited. This type of meeting
may be scheduled on a fairly regular basis to keep staff up to
date on what has been happening with the organization, or to
inform them on new developments or plans the organization
may have for the future.

• Conference: A conference meeting is usually more structured,

and would have a number of speakers or facilitators with a
master of ceremonies to maintain continuity. This type of
meeting is similar to a presentation meeting, and would involve
various experts providing in-depth information a particular
topic. This type of meeting provides an opportunity for
networking, in addition to the educational sessions where
participants can learn from various presenters and compare
notes with their colleagues on best practices.

• Emergency meeting: A meeting called to address a crisis,

whether internal or external to the organization would be an
emergency meeting. These are often arranged with little
advance notice. People attending such a meeting would either

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 be directly affected by the crisis in some way, or would be
providing essential information to the public or other

Effective Meetings
stakeholder groups, and their attendance would be mandatory.
In an emergency situation, such a meeting would take priority
over other types of meetings.

• Seminar: Seminars are formally structured meetings, usually

with an educational purpose. Seminars are usually led by
people with expertise in a specific subject matter such as
finance, municipal law etc. Professional development
opportunities with a specific focus or topic would be seminar
meetings.

Public Consultation Meetings

At times it is beneficial to consult with community members on

projects or topics which will impact the larger community. Public
consultation sessions may raise some additional concerns for the
meeting planner.

When attendees arrive for a public consultation, a staff person or

committee member should be on hand to greet them as they arrive and
to record the names of attendees as well as any group or organization
that they may represent. During the meeting if key messages are
brought up it will be very helpful to know what group might be taking
a particular position on the topic. The same advice applies here, that a
positive working relationship can be established by a warm friendly
greeting and offering refreshments to people as they arrive. This way
the facilitator and other working group members will have an
opportunity to mingle with the attendees and establish a relationship
with the individuals and groups that are being consulted.

Selecting a Location for your meeting

All the advance preparation and dissemination in the world may still
result in a fiasco at a meeting if the wrong location is selected.
The success or failure of meetings may simply come down to how
comfortable the participants are during the session. For example, a
room that is too small for the number of people attending will make
participants very uncomfortable and result in not achieving the
intended goals.

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 Some particulars to be mindful of when choosing the location for an
important meeting include:

Effective Meetings
• Budget concerns - The budget allotted to the project may be the
deciding factor in a lot of decisions involved in planning a
meeting. The location may be selected based solely on the fact
that a boardroom is available without having to pay a rental fee.
However, even if the room is free, there may be other budget
issues to consider, for example audio visual requirements. Will
the facilitator or presenter provide any special equipment for
Powerpoint presentations, or an overhead projector? If not
there may be a need to borrow or rent equipment.

• Vary the location - Are all your meetings of a particular group

held in the same location? Sometimes just bringing the
working group to new surroundings can result in creative
thinking and innovative solutions. When the working group
consists of people who must travel to attend meetings, rotating
the location of the meetings from one member’s location to
another not only provides an opportunity for each person to
showcase their particular region, it also provides a welcome
change of venue for the group. In addition, the burden of travel
is shared equally among all members of the group when
meeting sites are rotated in this way.

• Centralize the location - By holding meetings at a site central to

all participants, no one individual is expected to travel
excessively. Also, turf issues and work related interferences
may be reduced or avoided altogether by holding the meeting at
an offsite location central to everyone.

• Consider the amenities - A site may be selected because it is

central to all participants therefore no individual has to travel a
great deal more than the others to attend, however there is
something also to be said for holding the meeting at a location
that provides ulterior incentives for participants to attend. It
may be that there are nearby shopping, or other attractions that
people can avail themselves of either before or after the
meeting. A simple matter of convenient parking may be the
deciding point in selecting a specific location. Important also
is to consider any accessibility issues that may arise with
attendees.

• Refreshments - Probably one of the most important

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 considerations in planning a meeting of any size is the
requirement for refreshments. This is particularly important if

Effective Meetings
people are traveling any distance to attend the meeting.
Morning meetings in particular should be arranged so that
coffee, tea, fruit juices and most importantly bottled water is
available to the attendees. It may also be advisable to provide
muffins or other foodstuffs as well.

If the meeting is planned to coincide with mealtimes,

arrangements should be made to provide a meal for the
participants as well. Often times this may be simply a plate of
sandwiches and an assortment of fruit. In winter sandwiches
should be accompanied by a hot soup or in summer by a light
salad. However, it should be kept in mind that sandwiches can
become very tiresome especially for people who are attending
frequent meetings. Meals should be accompanied by coffee,
tea, and bottled water as well as soft drinks or juice for those
who do not drink tea or coffee.

Providing meals for meeting participants can offer an

opportunity to showcase a local restaurant by having them cater
the occasion with one of their menu specialties. This not only
highlights what is available in the local community, it gives
participants the opportunity to experience local cuisine.
Having the meal catered also ensures that there will be variety
in the food provided at recurring meetings.

The room

The first concern in selecting a room for the meeting is ensuring that
the space is the appropriate size to accommodate the expected number
of attendees. Having a room too small or too big might lead to
discomfort for participants and may have a detrimental effect on
concentration levels as well as personal comfort.

Does the room have adequate lighting, fresh air or air conditioning?
Are there noises from outside the room that may possibly interfere
with the meeting. Are the chairs comfortable, but not so much so that
participants will feel too relaxed to work on the tasks required?

The temperature should be at a comfortable level and the lighting

should be adequate for reading and writing. It is also a good idea to
have lighting controls easily accessible for dimming lights for

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 presentations. This might be accomplished simply by having blinds
that may be closed on sunny days.

Effective Meetings
Arrangements should be made for appropriate audio visual equipment
should prior to the meeting. Time can be wasted and attendees will
become frustrated and even angry if at the last minute the organizers
are involved in trying to locate necessary equipment and delaying the
progress of the meeting.

Seating arrangements can be important. Depending on the type of

meeting, it may be advisable to have participants face one another
across a table to facilitate interaction. At other times, it may be more
desirable to have the audience face the front of the room where audio
visual equipment is set up. If the meeting is to be a working session,
adequate numbers of tables to allow each participant room to take
notes etc. should be provided.

For larger events it may be advisable to seek the assistance of a

conference planner who is experienced and capable of helping you to
organize the event. Most hotel and conference facilities that cater to
business meetings will have a staff person dedicated to assisting in
meeting and conference planning. The conference planner will
provide valuable assistance in determining what seating and table
arrangement will best suit your specific needs.

Agendas provide:

1. A list of topics AGENDA SETTING

for discussion.
There are two essential documents produced by a meeting. The first
2. Time allotted and some would say the most important is the agenda. Setting the
for each topic.
agenda is one of the tasks that falls to the chair, and it is crucial to
3. A summary of achieving the goals of the meeting. The agenda defines the boundaries
the meeting. of the discussions that participants will follow and allots a specific
time frame for each item. It is important to remember that whoever
4. A checklist to controls the agenda, controls the meeting.
ensure everything
is covered.
Why have an agenda?
5. A focus to keep
the meeting on In most cases the agenda provides a focus for discussion, but in those
track. cases where controversy or confrontation are a possibility, an agenda is
essential in order for the chair to maintain control. Agendas keep
participants on track, and when each of the items on the agenda have
been covered, it provides the chair with a clear point for adjournment.

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 Any participant who wishes to add items to the agenda should be

Effective Meetings
required to submit those items to the chair well in advance of the
scheduled meeting. This allows the chair to be sufficiently prepared to
address any items on the agenda. One other reason for submitting
additional items in advance is to allow enough time for printing and
distribution prior to the meeting. Perhaps more importantly, having
agenda items submitted well in advance allows the chair an
opportunity to ensure the topic is relevant to the purpose of the
meeting.

If certain items are submitted for inclusion on an agenda that fall

outside of the scope of the planned meeting, or concern topics which
may have been thoroughly discussed at a previous meeting, the chair
then has an opportunity to explain why the item will not be included.

For example, there are situations where a participant may not be happy
with a decision that has previously been made, and repeatedly attempts
to raise the topic again. In cases such as this having a formal agenda
will allow the chair to curtail any further discussion as the item is not
on the agenda and falls outside the intended focus of the current
meeting.

Having the agenda prepared and distributed in advance also provides

an opportunity for the chair as well as the participants to come to the
meeting sufficiently prepared to hold informed and intelligent
discussions. The agenda also serves as a reminder for participants for
any “homework” that they might be expected to have accomplished
prior to the meeting.

Setting the agenda

In order to facilitate the smooth progress of a meeting where there may

be a number of difficult decisions to be made, it may be best to
schedule one of the easier topics first, then follow with the more
difficult topics and finish off the meeting with some easy or lighter
items in order to end on a positive note.

Some items on the agenda might require exploratory discussion while

other items might require some action or decision. Items on the
agenda should be identified as for discussion only or requiring action.

List all the topics to be discussed, the name of the person who is

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 expected to lead each discussion and the time allotted to each topic.
Having a specified time for discussion or debate on each item will help

Effective Meetings
to keep people on track and can eliminate endless debate on topics of
contention.

If one item appears to exceed the time allotted by a significant amount,

a member of the group or the chair can request that it be rescheduled
for the next meeting to allow for more in depth research, preparation,
and discussion.

Finally, having an agenda planned in advance allows the chair to begin

the meeting on time, schedule breaks when the meeting is expected to
go longer than an hour, and most importantly, end the meeting on time.
An agenda also provides the participants with a record of what was
discussed and any decisions have been made or tasks assigned during
the meeting.

Pre Meeting Information

Sending out information prior to the meeting is an effective way of

enabling the participants to arrive at the meeting informed and
prepared to make decisions based on that information. However,
deciding how much information to send in advance can be a problem.
Some people will not read anything prior to the meeting, and some will
conscientiously read all the supporting information they can get their
hands on.

Documentation that may help achieve the meeting goals might include
staff reports; media reports; detailed charts and graphs; paper copies of
presentations; key discussion points; as well as minutes, notes and
follow-up from earlier or related meetings and projects. Distribution
of this kind of pertinent information will assist participants in
becoming informed and arrive ready to discuss and make decisions on
topics to be covered during the meeting.

There are a few things to consider when deciding what and how much
to send out ahead of time:

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 Effective Meetings
Pre-meeting information packages

Do’s Don’ts
Provide sufficient information prior Assume that everyone wants or needs
to the meeting to enable participants his or her own copy of lengthy or
to arrive with a good understanding technical documents.
of what the meeting goals are.

Provide web site URL's instead of Send documents or materials without

paper documents when possible, an explanation of how they relate to
Or send electronic versions of the agenda.
documents or reports .

Do You Need a Facilitator?

Generally, most meetings can be facilitated by the team leader or the

senior staff person involved. However, there are times when
possibility of a successful outcome of a meeting is enhanced by using a
professional facilitator. How do you know if you need a professional?

Meetings that might require the use of a professional facilitator include

retreats, idea generation sessions, strategic planning and problem-
solving meetings. A professional facilitator can be extremely effective
when a group has reached an impasse or has lost its momentum.

Professional facilitators can get the group "unstuck", identify and focus
on key issues, help to make decisions and allow the group move
forward. One of the reasons that professional facilitators are so
effective is that they bring objectivity and tend to be detached or more
focused on process and less on the issues.

Charlie Hawkins in “Facilitate This!” points out why it may be a good

idea to bring in an outside facilitator.

“When group leaders facilitate their own meetings, they often

cross the line into control and advocacy for their point of view.

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 In turn, this will shut down participation from others.
Separating the leader and facilitator roles will help ensure that

Effective Meetings
at least one person is focused on group process issues, e.g.,
staying on agenda and keeping people involved.”

The Day of the Meeting

Be on hand to welcome the participants as they arrive for the meeting.

Establishing a friendly atmosphere, and providing an opportunity for
introductions can go along way to establish a positive atmosphere. If
the topics to be discussed are controversial, or some of the expected
participants have a tendency to be argumentative or disruptive,
establishing a positive and proactive environment can diffuse a
potential negative situation before it has a chance to develop. Offering
coffee and other refreshments as people arrive will also aid in
establishing a good working relationship.

When participants have arrived and the preliminaries are out of the
way, it can be helpful to review the purpose of the meeting and go over
the planned agenda briefly.

Probably the most important aspect of conducting a meeting of any

size is to start and end on time and to keep discussion on individual
topics to a predetermined period of time allotted for that topic.
See Appendix A, for a brief checklist on planning and holding a
meeting.

Understanding Group Dynamics

Forming a Team

A critical task for the new chairperson is to turn an group of

individuals into an effective team. Once you have a team formed there
are certain guidelines that will assist the team in keeping on track and
working effectively together. Michael Brassard and Diane Ritter have
written a concise and clearly written guide to effective planning
entitled “The Memory Jogger: A Pocket Guide of Tools for
Continuous Improvement and Effective Planning”. This is a handy
reference for any size organization, and covers topics such as holding
brainstorming sessions, conducting effective meetings, as well as a

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 variety of other tools and techniques which are helpful to anyone
planning a meeting, leading a team, or embarking on a new project.

Effective Meetings
The following guidelines are adapted from this guide.

• Establish Ground rules - At the first meeting develop a set of

ground rules for acceptable and unacceptable individual or
team behavior. For example, one ground rule could be that no
one in the meeting is to have a cellphone turned on.

• Decision Making - Determine whether decisions will be made

by consensus, majority rule, or anarchy! Discuss whether there
are, or should be exceptions to when the group deviates from
it’s usual process.

• Communication - Emphasize the value of each team member

being allowed to speak, and how important it is for the others
to listen while someone is speaking. Part of effective
communication is effective listening and providing
constructive feedback.

• Participation - Each team member is responsible for

participating consistently in discussions. The entire team
should constantly be working to “pull back” the dominant
members and draw out more reserved members who may not
be contributing to their capabilities.

• Values - Acknowledge and accept the unique insight of each

team member. Establish an environment where all suggestions
and ideas are valued. Do not allow team members to belittle or
devalue any idea, as something that might seem silly at first
glance may have potential if developed.

• Progress mapping - Establish an estimate of the steps that are

required to reach the goals that have been set for the group, and
develop a time line for each of these goals. Estimate the date
when the project will be completed.

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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 16
 M eeting Etiquette:
- Raise your hand and be recognized before speaking,

Effective Meetings
- Be brief and to the point,
- M ake your point calmly,
- Keep an open mind,
- Listen without bias,
- Understand what is said,
- Avoid side conversations,
- Respect other opinions,
- Avoid personal agendas,
- Come prepared to do what’s good for the group,
- Have fun !

Group Discussions

A good team leader manages the group so that each member has an
opportunity to contribute their ideas and feel like they are involved in
the decision. The key word here is involved. Some techniques for
accomplishing this are:

• Comment- When one person, either the chair, the facilitator or

perhaps one of the group has been speaking for a while, or an
interesting suggestion has been made, the chair might ask for
feedback from each member of the group. Group members in
turn respond to what has been said with a brief one sentence
opinion and no one is permitted to speak at length. This limit
will quickly encourage members to be clear and concise in their
responses.

• Survey - The chair can ask for a quick show of hands to gauge
group support for a proposed idea, or to decide a course of
action.

• Working groups - In larger meetings it may be desirable to

break off into smaller groups in order to generate ideas, break
the ice and provide an opportunity for everyone to contribute.
Small subgroups such as this return to the larger groups to
review and discuss what was discussed in the smaller
subgroups.

• Brainstorming - To ensure success in a brainstorming session

there must be a few ground rules for the group to follow.

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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 17
 • The wilder the idea, no matter how impractical
or “out there” it might be is recorded,

Effective Meetings
• Quantity versus quality, the more ideas
generated the better. The more ideas, the better
chance that there will be some gems among
them.

• Build on ideas. Have the group take the ideas

and expand on them to see how far they can go.
Even the ideas that seemed silly or ridiculous
can generate innovation. No criticism permitted!

• Have someone record all the ideas on a flipchart

or blackboard briefly and accurately.

• When the list has been generated, critically

review and clarify any items that might require
further thought or expansion. Look for
something positive in every idea suggested.

For more detailed information on how to hold a brainstorming session

see Local Government Resource Handbook - Risk Management,
Section 6.3 Appendix A3.

Handling Conflict

Most experts in the field of conflict resolution emphasize the

importance of dealing with disputes quickly and openly. The sooner
controversy or disagreements between team members are dealt with
the easier it is to resolve the conflict.

Conflict in itself may not necessarily be a bad thing. When conflict is

managed properly, it can result in benefits to the team. Allowing
participants the freedom to air their views and concerns in a controlled
setting may result in creative or innovative ways of addressing the
issue.

The key is to have a chairperson or group leader who can maintain

control and allow each person to speak, and insist that the others listen
to each point of view before coming to a decision.

There are specific steps to follow in resolving conflict and they are
similar to the steps one would follow in solving a problem.

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 • First the group needs to recognize that there is a problem and to
identify and define exactly what the problem entails. Quite

Effective Meetings
often only one member of the group recognizes that a problem
exists and the onus is on that individual to bring the issue to the
attention of the rest of the group.

• Second, it is essential that the group has all the necessary

information required to address the problem. The group needs
to share and fully understand all pertinent information in order
to properly assess the possible cause or causes. Only by having
a thorough understanding of all sides of the issue can areas of
agreement be identified.

• Third, potential solutions can now be proposed based on

information and understanding. A mutually acceptable
resolution may result from discussing the alternatives.

• Finally, implement the selected option and evaluate the

successes or failures based on how the group perceives the
results.

When meetings get out of control over controversial issues, it may be

beneficial to schedule a break in the discussions at about the time that
issue comes up on the agenda. If possible arrange for refreshments and
allow for participants to have an opportunity to chat and become
acquainted.

When the meeting reconvenes do a short recap of what was discussed

briefly outlining opposing perspectives. In some cases it may be useful
to have each side summarize the opposing position. Again, with a
thorough understanding of each side of the issue, participants are more
prepared to come to a mutually acceptable solution.

Responsibility for agenda items:

When committees are formed, teams assembled, or individuals made

responsible for certain agenda items a brief note in the minutes
provides a convenient reminder to the participants of what was agreed
to and what responsibilities have been delegated. It may also be
beneficial to make clear what authority the committee as a whole or
individual committee members may have? Do they carry through with
a decision and report back to the larger group, or are they supposed to
plan a strategy and report back to the group before it is implemented?

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 This may be extremely helpful for the participants to determine the
criteria for their success, and to avoid any confusion later with regard

Effective Meetings
to any authority the working group or committee may have.

Taking the M inutes

M inutes should contain the following basic information:

• Date, time and location of the meeting,

• List of people in attendance and what organizations they may be
representing,
• The time the meeting was called to order,
• Approval of the previous meetings minutes and any amendments
that may have been agreed to,
• A summary of any reports, announcements, or other information
that was provided
• Details of any proposals, resolutions, motions, amendments put
forward, and who made the motion or proposal. Also include a
summary of any discussion and the final decision made on each
particular item,
• The time of the adjournment,
• The date, time and location of the next meeting,
• The name of the person taking the minutes

Assigning a Recording Secretary:

Some groups may assign the task of taking the minutes to one person,
the recording secretary, or may rotate the job from person to person
from one meeting to the next. Recording the minutes need not be an
elaborate affair. Brief notes scribbled on a printed agenda during the
course of a meeting might be sufficient for some purposes, however, in
most cases a more formal record might be best. The person who is
assigned the task of recording the minutes should be informed
beforehand just what is expected of them and how the minutes should
be taken during the meeting. In some cases you may just want to
record the topic and the decision that was made, in most cases
however, some record of the discussion that followed each agenda
item might be preferable.

Recording the Minutes:

Keeping accurate minutes of a meeting is important because the

minutes provide an historical record of what occurred at the meeting,
what decisions were made, what tasks were assigned and to whom.

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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 20
 The minutes provide a record where human memory may falter, and
they provide information to those who were not in attendance.

Effective Meetings
Minutes also provide background information for the future so that an
organization will not have to reinvent the wheel at some future date.

Headings:

In general, meeting minutes should follow the agenda that was

followed. In fact, the agenda will provide the headings for the
recording secretary to use in the minutes.

The meeting minutes normally begin with the name of the

organization, the date time and location of the meeting being recorded,
a list of people in attendance, and may also include a list of people
who have sent their regrets.

For Council and board meetings, this section should also include a
statement to the effect that sufficient notice was given prior to the
meeting, and a quorum was in attendance

The first item in the minutes is normally the approval of the minutes
from the previous meeting. Following approval of the minutes the rest
of the headings should follow the agenda.

Progress Reports:

A section of the meeting should be set aside for the group members to
provide updates on previously assigned tasks. Progress reports or
updates from the various committees or individuals provide a record of
the progress made towards achieving goals, or accomplishing tasks. It
provides an opportunity for the group to become well informed on any
issues that may impact the group successfully completing their goals,
or the time required to accomplish those goals.

Discussions:

Each heading or topic from the agenda should be expanded to include

a brief summary of the discussion that took place and any decision that
was made. The name of the person who put forward the motion on the
topic and the name of the person who seconded the motion should be
recorded for each agenda item where a decision was made. Some
items will be for information purposes only and will not require a
decision or a motion to be made. It should be noted in the minutes that
this was an information piece.

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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 21
 The Municipal Government Act provides detailed information on the
voting process at council meetings, including how questions are to be

Effective Meetings
decided, the procedure in event of a tie, and how to handle a councillor
who abstains from voting. See Municipal Government Act Sections 19
through 22.

While these procedures are legislated for council meetings, they may
be used as a guide for other meetings as well.

Recording People’s Comments:

It is rarely necessary to record a word for word transcript of what was

said and by whom at a meeting. In fact, it is better to have just a brief
summary of the discussion and not refer to any individual by name.
The recording secretary should provide an impartial non-editorialized
account of what happened during the meeting. Minutes are not the
place for personal comments or any statements that would indicate the
recorders opinion on the proceedings, or decisions made during the
meeting.

Deferred Items:

Any unresolved issues or items that have been deferred to a later date
should be outlined in the written record so that important issues will
not be neglected.

A Final Word on Minutes:

Having a written record enables the possibility of reviewing the

meeting in order to ensure that the workload is being shared equitably
and that one or two individuals are not expected to do an inordinate
amount of the work. Accomplishments are less likely to be overlooked
in the future when there is a written record and people can be
celebrated and recognized for their achievements.

Rules of Order:

There are a number of publications dedicated to the procedures to

follow during a meeting. These procedures or “rules of order” may
vary from one organization to another but most organizations will
follow Robert’s Rules of Order, or Bourinot’s Rules of Order.

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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 22
 Legislative Requirements:

Effective Meetings
In Nova Scotia it is also important to keep in mind the legislative
requirements regarding public access to government information. The
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act provides the
parameters for public access to government records including minutes
of meetings.

In addition, the Nova Scotia Municipal Government Act is quite

specific on municipal council and committee meetings. Specifically,
the Act states that all council and committee meetings are open to the
public except in specified cases. For more detail on council and
village commission meetings see Information Bulletin #7 in the
Municipal Government Act Resource Binder, and Sections 22 and 408
of the MGA.

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy 1993, c. 5, s. 1.

Purpose of Act

2. The purpose of this Act is

(a) to ensure that public bodies are fully accountable to the public by
(I) giving the public a right of access to records,
(ii) giving individuals a right of access to, and a right to
correction of, personal information about themselves,
(iii) specifying limited exceptions to the rights of access,
(iv) preventing the unauthorized collection, use or
disclosure of personal information by public bodies, and
(v) providing for an independent review of decisions made
pursuant to this Act; and
(b) to provide for the disclosure of all government information with
necessary exemptions, that are limited and specific, in order to;
(I) facilitate informed public participation in policy
formulation,
(ii) ensure fairness in government decision-making,
(iii) permit the airing and reconciliation of divergent view s;
(c) to protect the privacy of individuals with respect to
personal information about themselves held by public
bodies and to provide individuals with a right of access to
that information. 1993, c. 5, s. 2.

Evaluation:

Evaluating the meeting may simply involve asking participants to

complete a paper evaluation and share results. Evaluation may be as

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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 23
 simple as posing informal questions to participants such as, "Do you
feel like we accomplished what we needed to today?” or “How do you

Effective Meetings
think the meeting went?”

In some cases, particularly large meetings, a more detailed evaluation

would be helpful and a questionnaire can be distributed to each
participant to answer. Questions on each aspect of the meeting such as
the suitability of the location, the quality of the presentations, or the
quality of the food can be covered in such a survey. When a
questionnaire is used, it is usually helpful to provide a space for
participants to respond with their comments. It may or may not be
helpful to have them put their name on the questionnaire depending
upon the circumstances.

Some questions that may be formulated to evaluate the value of the

meeting might include topics such as:

• Location: Was the facility appropriate for the occasion? Was

there sufficient parking close by, were the facility staff helpful
and available? Was the room large enough, or too large, too
stuffy, too hot, or too cold?

• Refreshments: Was the food appropriate, enjoyable, served on

time, sufficient in amount, too hot, too cold?

• Timeliness: Did the meeting start on time and end on time?

Are the meetings being held too frequently? Not frequently
enough?

• Presenters: Were the presenters appropriate for the intent of

the meeting? Was the session informative and useful? Were
the speakers interesting, well informed and engaging, or were
the sessions boring?

• Focus: Are the participants staying on topic? Was the agenda

clear and well defined? Were there items that should have
been included that were not? Were there items discussed that
would have been better left for another venue?

• Participation: Are all those in attendance actively participating

in discussions and decision-making? Is the atmosphere
conducive to having people contribute?

• Follow-up: When tasks are assigned are there progress reports

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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 24
 at subsequent meetings? Are people accomplishing the tasks
that they are assigned? Are one or two participants doing all

Effective Meetings
the work?

Brief paper surveys are a good way of gauging how successful your
meeting was, but the key is to keep it as brief as possible. No more
than one page should be devoted to surveying the participants in order
to keep response rates as high as possible. Survey results should be
aggregated and shared with the organizing group. Any weak spots
should be identified in the evaluation review at a follow up meeting,
and steps taken to amend the process so that future meetings will be
improved. A sample questionnaire for evaluating a meeting may look
something like the following:

Section 2 - Administration
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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 25
 How Good are Your Meetings?

Effective Meetings
Yes No Sometime
s

1. There is a clearly defined, results-focused them e

and agenda . 9 9 9

2. They are without conflict. 9 9 9

3. Everyone contributes. 9 9 9

4. No one dominates discussions. 9 9 9

5. Communication is open and positive. 9 9 9

6. Creative ideas are generated. 9 9 9

7. Alternative ideas and solutions are explored. 9 9 9

8. Everyone is energized and focused. 9 9 9

9 The know ledge and expertise of all participants 9 9 9
is welcomed.

10. M eetings begin and end on time. 9 9 9

11. Participants meeting skills are continually

developed. 9 9 9

12. The desired results are achieved. 9 9 9

13. There are concrete measurable outcom es. 9 9 9

14. The process is enjoyable. 9 9 9

15. The meetings are effective. 9 9 9

16. Decisions made as a result of the meeting

are implemented. 9 9 9

17. M eetings are not called unnecessarily. 9 9 9

Source: Mind your meetings: How to become the catalyst for culture change. Communication
World. San Francisco: Feb/Mar 2003. Vol. 20, Iss. 2; pg.26, 4 pgs.

For conference or seminar type meetings an evaluation questionnaire

might look like this:
 Evaluation

Effective Meetings
Thank you for taking tim e to answer a few questions about today’s session. W e
would like your feedback to assist in planning future sessions. All ratings and
com m ents will rem ain anonym ous unless you choose to include your nam e.

1. Content:
How would you rate the inform ation provided in this session?
G Excellent G Very Good G Good G Fair G Poor

2. Presenters:
How would you rate the presenters?
G Excellent G Very Good G Good G Fair G Poor

3. Audio Visual:
How would you rate the quality of the audio visual aspects of the
presentation?
G Excellent G Very Good G Good G Fair G Poor

4. Facility:
How were the facilities?
G Excellent G Very Good G Good G Fair G Poor

5. Food:
How were the m eals and nutrition breaks?
G Excellent G Very Good G Good G Fair G Poor

6. Comments:
W ere there topics that were not on today’s schedule that you would like to see
included in future sessions? Please use the back of this sheet to provide additional
com m ents on any aspect of today’s session.

Thank you

Conclusion
There is a wealth of information available to anyone who wishes to
delve into the subject of effective meetings. The internet is a valuable
tool and as well there are assorted publications dedicated to the
subject.

Basic tenants of the literature have been covered in this chapter but for
more detail, the reader is encouraged to seek out other sources to
pursue other information that will aid in developing meeting skills.

The reader is also advised to review the Municipal Government Act S.

19 - 22, and to become familiar with Freedom of Information and the
Protection of Privacy Act, the Public Records Act of Nova Scotia, and
the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
 Effective Meetings

Section 2 - Administration
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 Bibliography:

Effective Meetings
Academic Leadership Support - University of Wisconsin Office of
Quality Improvement.
[Link]
Aug. 23, 2005.

Australian Business Limited. Meetings - Guidelines for When,

Why and How to Hold Them.
[Link]
D36001705E2?OpenDocument August 23,2005.

Bourinot, Sir John George, Bourinot’s Rules of Order.

McClelland and Stewart Ltd, 1894.

Brassard, Michael and Dianne Ritter. The Memory Jogger: A

Pocket Guide of Tools for Continuous Improvement and Effective
Planning. GOAL/QPC, 1994.

Hawkins, Charlie. Facilitate This!.

[Link]
Aug 23, 2005.

McNamara, Carter. MBA, PhD. Basic Guide to Conducting

Effective Meetings.
Http://[Link]/misc/[Link]#anchor429
4948302 Aug 23, 2005.

Sharman, David. The Perfect meeting. Wing Books, New York,

1993.

Mind your meetings: How to become the catalyst for culture

change. Communication World. San Francisco: Feb/Mar 2003.
Vol. 20, Iss. 2; pg.26, 4 pgs.

Schlegel, Jo. [Link]

[Link]
r265_Par379.html Aug 23, 2005.

Section 2 - Administration
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Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Section 2.5 - Page 29
APPENDIX A: MEETING PLANNING

Effective Meetings
Meeting Planning Checklist
# Details U
1 Meeting objective: ___________________________________________
Date: __________________________________________________________
Time: ________to__________a.m./p.m.
Place: _____________________________________________________
Participants:_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2 Facilitator or speakers required
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3 Agenda ( and meeting notice)

items to be covered and the time allotted to each item
Item Time
_________________________________ _________ ___Prepared (list items
_________________________________ _________ ___Sent (list participants
_________________________________ _________
_________________________________ _________
_________________________________ _________
_________________________________ _________
_________________________________ _________
_________________________________ _________
4 Budget:_________________________________________________________
(cost of meeting room, refreshments, equipment rental etc.)
5 Meeting Location _________________________________________________

6 Food and Beverages required: (indicate number of each required)

___Coffee ____Juice ____Soft drinks ___ Lunch ___Water

7 Meeting Materials required (indicate number required)

___Notepads, pencils ____Name/place cards ___Name badges
___Handouts ____ Other___________________________________________
8 Equipment required
____ Overhead projector ____Spare lamp

Effective Meetings
____ Slide projector ____Spare lamp
____ Proxima ____Spare lamp
____ Screen (Size)
____ Charts ____Pointer
____ Chalkboard
____ Chalk
____Videotape ____TV/VCR
____ Marking pens
____ Microphone
____ Lectern
____ Extension cord ____ Other______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

9 Assign recording secretary ____________________________________

10 Post meeting
___ Prepare task list and indicate who is responsible
___ Next meeting
Date / Time:_________________________
Place ______________________________
Distribute minutes: