Develop Your Skills to Conduct Effective

Meetings
By Rita James, Lotus Press, 2007
One of the biggest meetings and how to
complaints about most conduct them effectively. About the Author:
organizations concerns
meetings and how they are Rita James has wide-ranging
experience dealing with people
held. Poorly organized in various organizations. She
meetings waste resources has been writing dynamic
and may even serve to employee handbooks for many
demotivate people - they are years.
thus counterproductive. She has been providing skills
necessary to Managers and
Meetings are conducted at Employees so that they can
attain performance excellence
many levels in an through focusing on and
organization. One may at contributing to organizational
one point in time be involved development and improved
merely as a participant, but internal communication.

sooner or later one will rise in During the course of her

the hierarchy and conduct interaction with people, she
one's own meetings. has been able to gather enough
material to write fearlessly and
effectively on management
It is therefore in topics.
organizations' best interests
for everyone to learn all about read the summary for author info

Inside This Book Summary:

ŸThe Big Idea ŸInteraction Models for Meetings

ŸWhy You Need This Book ŸParticipation
ŸPurposes of Meetings ŸStaff Meetings
ŸPreparing for a Meeting ŸBrainstorming in Meetings
ŸThe Meeting Procedure ŸPresentations at Meetings
ŸImportant Factors

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Why You Need This Book
This book provides practical guidance regarding
organizing and managing different types of
meetings, and is therefore applicable not only to
upper management but to everyone. It stresses
the importance of planning and preparation in
order to ensure that meetings function smoothly.
Purposes of Meetings
The very first question that should be asked is,
“Why are we meeting and what do we want to
accomplish?” If there are no clear-cut answers to
this question, don't hold the meeting.
The three good purposes for a meeting are:
1. Brainstorming
2. Delivering information
3. Gathering information
These three reasons lead people to take crucial
decisions individually or as a group. When you
can clearly identify the purpose for the meeting,
all concerned should agree to a code of conduct
for the meetings to ensure that things run
smoothly.
About the Book:
Author: Rita James
Publisher: Lotus Press
Date of Publication: 2007
ISBN: 81-8382-097-2
130 pages
Develop Your Skills to Conduct Effective Meetings, by Rita James
Preparing for a Meeting
According to a research, senior executives
spend an average of 23 hours a week in
meetings while middle managers spend 11
hours. What's more, senior and middle
managers say that only 56% of meetings are
productive; a phone call or a memo could
replace over 25% of the meetings they attend.
It is therefore necessary to ensure that
meetings held deliver the best possible output
using the least amount of resources. Here are
some steps to do so:
1. Determine if a different activity could be
resorted to other than a meeting.
2. Identify the place of the meeting.
3. List participants and guests.
4. List what the participants' roles are and
what is expected from them.
5. Define the objectives and desired
outcomes.
6. Determine topics to cover and the best
format for the discussion of each one.
7. Estimate the length of the meeting.
8. Make every meeting a learning event:
include creative and cutting-edge
education regarding your particular topic
by using books, speakers, or videos.
9. Use a variety of tools and activities to
make the meeting productive and fun. Get
them charged up!
10. Create an agenda that is carefully
scripted.
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The Meeting Procedure
Every meeting you organize can become more
effective if you pay attention to three areas:
content, design, and process.
Content. Make sure to focus meetings
around key issues. Never lose sight of the
“what” of your meeting. Make sure each
and every meeting is justified.
Design. The design of the meeting can
hinder or support the decision-making or
problem-solving process, as well as the
informational task at hand. In designing a
meeting, figure out how you want to
approach each agenda item, as well as
how deeply or thoroughly you want to
discuss each item.
Process. You can improve the process by
making sure that one idea is discussed at a
time, and that everyone is in agreement as
to how decisions will be made. Note that
this area depends heavily on the other two.
If you pay attention to the content and
design of your meeting, you can bet that
you will end up with far fewer problems
process-wise.
THREE PHASES OF A MEETING
Information Phase. The first phase of the
meeting is the information phase. During
this phase, those attending the meeting
must try not to allow their opinions to be too
obvious, thus avoiding 'forcing' a decision.
Opinion Phase. The second stage is that
of forming an opinion. This is the phase in
which the participants need to be creative.
All information and all or some of the
opinions must be brought together as
closely as possible in order to create a view
or solution that enjoys the support of a
majority of the discussion partners.
Decision-making Phase. The third phase
of the meeting is the decision-making
Develop Your Skills to Conduct Effective Meetings, by Rita James
phase. Once all arguments have been heard,
it becomes possible to arrive at a decision.
Important Factors
In order to keep the meeting focused and moving,
the following steps should be kept in mind:
1. A good way to start the meeting is to review
the agenda and set priorities for the meeting.
2. Work through the agenda, addressing each
point in turn.
3. Ensure that all team members contribute
and feel able to disagree.
4. Communicate openly and listen actively.
5. When the group encounters a problem,
confront it openly and attempt to find a
solution.
6. A flip chart can be useful for recording and
summarizing new ideas and suggestion.
7. Ensure that all people are heard from.
8. Let the people carry the content; make sure
that the moderators just guide them through
the process.
9. Vary the pace: speed up, slow down, and
take breaks.
10. Keep the group aware of where they are in
the process.
11. Help the group reach consensus and
reach conclusions.
The following irritants can happen and have to be
kept at bay by the organizer of the meeting:
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 ŸAn argument could start about a fact which
has long since been established.
ŸOpinions could be introduced as if they
were facts.
ŸPeople can intimidate others with real or
imaginary 'knowledge'.
ŸPeople can overwhelm others with a
proposal before they are ready to consider
it.
ŸPeople can become angry for no good
reason or could play upon other emotions.
ŸIndividuals could be focused on or even
attacked instead of the issues.
ŸOne's own vision could be promoted at the
expense of all others when summarizing.
ŸSome could demanding or offer (far) more
information than is strictly necessary.
ŸOther participants could be addressed in
roles which they are not occupying during
the meeting.
ŸSecret trysts, deals, bargains and horse
trading could take place.
ŸFacts could be created and situations
choreographed.
Interaction Models for Meetings
In general there are two possible forms of
interaction. Which of these will be more effective
depends on the phase that the meeting has
reached.
The Star Model. In the star model we see
rigidly ordered interaction between the
Develop Your Skills to Conduct Effective Meetings, by Rita James
chairman and the meeting participants. The
participants do not communicate directly
with each other but do so 'through the
chair': all remarks are addressed to the
chairman and all responses come from
him.
The objective of the star model is to take
stock of available information or opinions
without rampant debate. Everyone gets a
turn (the 'round robin') or those who have
something to add will attract the chairman's
attention (perhaps by raising a hand).
The Web Model. In the web model, the
communication between meeting
participants proceeds rather more freely
and with less structure than in the star
model. The participants speak directly to
each other and to the chairman, who
restricts his interventions to only those
necessary to prevent total chaos.
The objective of this form of communication
is to influence other meeting participants
and to allow creativity. Opinions are formed
by means of 'thinking out loud' in a creative
dialogue. Every participant can speak at
any moment and does not have to suspend
his thinking process until it is 'his turn'.
About the Author:
Rita James has wide-ranging experience dealing
with people in various organizations. She has been
writing dynamic employee handbooks for many
years.
She has been providing skills necessary to
Managers and Employees so that they can attain
performance excellence through focusing on and
contributing to organizational development and
improved internal communication.
During the course of her interaction with people,
she has been able to gather enough material to
write fearlessly and effectively on management
topics.
4 of 6
Participation
The best facilitators are able to advance the
agenda gracefully without participants'
realizing they are being guided. Here are some
suggestions for those seeking to facilitate
meetings:
ŸBe a model of honesty and integrity.
ŸUse the agenda, but don't refer to it
outright.
ŸGive everyone an opportunity to
contribute, and if someone isn't
participating, offer him or her the floor.
ŸWhen asking for input from the group, let
each person speak for a set period time, for
example, 2 minutes.
ŸHold people to things they've said or
committed to earlier in the meeting or in
previous meetings.
ŸPoint out contradictions in what people
say, by way of encouraging the group to
determine ways to resolve those
contradictions.
ŸExamine body language for nonverbal
disagreement, conflict, anger, or other
signals that not everyone is in synch.
ŸLet people finish what they are saying.
ŸAsk follow-up questions that show the
speaker's point was heard and help the
speaker to finish an incomplete thought.
ŸI f s o m e o n e s t e e r s o ff c o u r s e ,
acknowledge the valuable nugget in what
was contributed but show how it can be
applied to the topic at hand.
Staff Meetings
Develop Your Skills to Conduct Effective Meetings, by Rita James
The most effective tool for accomplishing your
communication objectives is the staff meeting.
Here are tips for effective staff meetings:
ŸDesignate a meeting facilitator.
ŸHave a clear purpose and written agenda for
the meeting.
ŸEstablish a starting and ending time for the
meeting.
ŸInform staff ahead of time of their
responsibilities for the meeting.
ŸEncourage staffers to participate but not to
dominate.
ŸIf certain issues or projects require extensive
planning or discussion, schedule another
meeting for the relevant staff rather than
discussing it with the full group.
ŸMost staff meetings should last less than an
hour.
ŸGive the members of your group one minute
to report on progress made in their area of
responsibility
ŸInvite a guest expert to give a 10-minute
presentation on some skill or technology that
benefits your group.
ŸGive each group member a minute to
describe a challenge that hinders work on a
current project and then let everyone propose
solutions.
Brainstorming in Meetings
Brainstorming can be done either individually or in
a group. In group brainstorming, the participants
are encouraged, and often expected, to share
their ideas with one another as soon as they are
generated.
5 of 6
 The key to brainstorming is to not interrupt the ŸStart promptly and keep within your time
thought process. Although the main purpose of frame.
brainstorming is to generate ideas, it has
additional benefits: ŸFigure one slide per minute, maximum.

ŸIt improves initiative that can last after the
session, as participants are encouraged to
constantly throw in their ideas and to take
initiative all the time.
ŸIt improves creative thinking: participants
learn to approach problems creatively and
use association to create ideas, which they
can use after the session.
ŸPut only a few words or one picture on a
slide.
ŸBe enthusiastic about your presentation
and remember to smile - this will help to
relieve some of the stress, if there is any.
ŸRemember to make eye contact with your
audience.

ŸIt improves morale: participants work
together to find a solution to a problem, and
every participant is given importance.
ŸParticipants usually like the interactive and
creative atmosphere.
ŸDistribute handouts only when you are
ready to use them.
ŸSpeak as loudly and clearly as you can to
make sure that all the members in your
audience can hear your presentation.

ŸDon't leave people in the dark. When

you're speaking, the attention should be on
Presentations at Meetings you.

ŸForget the formula that says you have to

tell a joke at the beginning.

The following tips can help improve a
presentation:
ŸArrive early to greet the other attendees and
get a sense of the mood.
ŸAllow time before you start your
presentation to test the equipment you are
going to use.
ŸAlways introduce yourself and your topic,
and briefly explain the process that you are
going to follow with your presentation.
ŸDetermine in advance whether you will be
expected to handle questions from the
audience.
ŸHandle unexpected problems with
technology, car alarms outdoors, or other
unscheduled occurrences with grace and
wit.
ŸAt the end of your presentation, thank your
audience for their time.

ŸYour appearance (dress and grooming), the ~///~

quality of your handouts and your visual
presentation, etc., are very important.

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