Conducting Effective Meetings Meetings That Works http://thiagi.com
Taking the Guesswork Out of Meetings We all have to attend meetings. It s a fact of life and an important source for conducting business. But sometimes attending a meeting that drones on and on or has seemingly no purpose is almost as bad as a sharp stick in the eye. It s painful. Informational, Problem Solving, Alignment, and Practice Processes A meeting chair may request participants to provide input during one section of the meeting, and simply listen during another section. A meeting might be a strictly informational exchange or focused on problem solving. Most meetings however ask participants to engage in both processes. The key is for the meeting chair and/or facilitator to clarify what is needed from the participants and when. Alternatively, a meeting might be focused on building alignment among team members or between team members and the organization. Or, even a more widening scope of a meeting... the purpose might be to coach, develop, or practice skills among team member. Why Meetings Succeed There is no guarantee that a meeting will succeed. Through planning and implementation, all a meeting facilitator can hope to do is maximize the meeting s outcome. Two primary factors determine the success of any problem-solving meeting: Meeting content is the what of the meeting. Meeting content includes the objectives set, the quality of ideas each participant brings to the meeting, and the quality of information to be presented. Meeting process is the how of the meeting. Meeting process is how the meeting is run. Meeting process shows up in how we treat each other in the meeting. Do we feel rewarded for taking a risk, or do we feel shot down? Do we feel questions are used to clarify, criticize, or show how smart we are? Do we feel listened to or ignored by meeting leaders and participants? Do we experience conflict or collaboration? Do we feel honored and valued, or do we feel judged and demeaned. 2
Most meetings do not fail because of lack of quality content. Most meetings fail due to poor meeting process. Successful meeting happens in three separate, but equally important, phases: Prepare the Meeting Conduct the Meeting FollowUp the Meeting 3
PREPARE THE MEETING Successful meeting planners answer five questions before the meeting: 1. Meeting Objectives: Each meeting needs to use the desired outcomes to shape the meeting process or even to determine if a meeting is the best way to achieve the desired results. 2. Meeting Agenda: Determine the major meeting segments and optimal meeting process to achieve the objectives 3. Decision Making Process: Establish the optimal decision-making process for each segment of the agenda 4. Roles & Responsibilities: Determine who should be invited to the meeting and what role they should play. 5. Sending the Invitation. Meeting participants need to know why they are being invited and what their role should be. Setting Meeting Objectives Beginning with the End in Mind The first step in leading an effective meeting is determining the desired outcomes. The meeting chair needs to determine what is wanted from the invited participants. SOLVE: I want the participants to combine forces and solve a problem with me. ALIGN: I want the participants buy-in to a policy, procedure, value, or organizational mandate. INFORM: I want to convey key information to participants. PRACTICE: I want the participants to develop, practice, and receive feedback from each other during a team meeting. Do We Have a Good Reason to Meet The meeting chair needs to define: Why am I calling this meeting and what do I want from the people I invite? This should occur prior to the meeting! The meeting chair also needs to determine if a face-to-face meeting is the best forum. The best forum for a simple information exchange is most likely e-mail or a memo. 4
The following are reasons to call a meeting: To benefit from a diversity of knowledge, ideas and opinions To gain clarity on an issue To learn about others experiences and opinions To come to a group decision To share complex information or data To inspire a group Developing The Agenda The meeting chair can also choose to include an agenda for the meeting along with the meeting invitation. A process-oriented agenda includes: The estimated time for each topic The desired outcome/goal for each topic (input, decision, feedback, evaluation, information) The type of process that will be used to reach each outcome (brainstorming, evaluation, open discussion, categorizing) 5
Defining Decision Making Responsibilities One of the most common reasons teams get frustrated and meetings fail is the lack of an effective decision-making processes. Too many times, people are asked for input without any response or action on what was offered. Many people fear they will be shot down or ignored. Here is a way to help you think through a decision that has to be made. Level 1: I make the decision without your input Level 2: I make the decision with your input Level 3: You make the decision with my input Level 4: You make the decision without my input (Note: The words I and You can be one or many people. For example this could be applied to a project manager and one or more people on her team. ) Usually, the person with the greater risk, those who are most accountable for the decision results (meeting chairs), have the most influence in the decision. The most important principle here is that whichever decision making level you select, COMMUNICATE IT! 6
Decision Making Processes There are four ways a final decision can be reached. The process used to make a decision needs to be defined before the group is engaged in the decision-making process. Approach Description Strength Weakness Meeting -Chair Decides Decision is made during or after meeting Majority Vote Group is polled and at least 51% agree Quick decision when meeting chair has all needed information and power to implement Easy to do, at least half of people agree with decision Unanimous Agreement Group is polled and decision is not made until all fully agree Meeting chair may not be empowered to make decision, group members may disagree with decision A significant portion of group may disagree and may feel resentment Can be very time consuming. May reach false unanimity due to member s exhaustion. Consensus Each individual believes that the decision is one they can support and live with Participants feel powerful and invested in decision. Group shares responsibility for outcome Enhances teamwork and individual power. Ensures decision is owned by the team. Can be time consuming. Requires open minds, good communication skills. 7
Defining Roles & Responsibilities The Meeting Chair: The person who called the meeting usually determines the content and often determines any decision-making process. They are called the Meeting-Owner or Chair. This person can be a supervisor, team leader, project manager, or any employee with a specific need to be resolved. The Facilitator: To ensure that a problem-solving meeting s climate remains positive and focused on the purpose, many chairs will bring in an objective, third party to watch over and facilitate the process. The Facilitator is usually not a stakeholder in the meeting, and therefore can remain neutral throughout. The facilitator s role is to safeguard ideas and implement the plan. They own the meeting process. The Scribe: To preserve the ideas, assessments, decisions, and action items generated by the group a Scribe may take responsibility for creating a group memory on flip charts. Like the facilitator, the scribe should be neutral. The scribe should try to capture people s exact words in large, readable lettering. The charts can then be taped to the walls of the room to allow the group to review what they have done. The Timekeeper: To ensure that the group sticks to its time commitments, scribes often play the dual role of Timekeeper. In this role, they would be responsible for watching the clock and providing time warnings through each phase of the meeting. Participants: The rest of the participants in a meeting act as Resources. Their may include generating ideas, evaluating ideas, asking questions, listening to a presentation, making decisions. 8
Checklist for the Chair Preparation Contact facilitator/scribe Reserve room, equipment Define desired outcomes purpose of meeting Invite and prepare relevant stakeholders Prepare and distribute agenda with attached responsibilities and proposed time limits Determine what information you will need to get and give during the meeting and what, if any, information you will need after the meeting in order to make a decision During the Meeting Start the meeting at the stated time Describe meeting purpose in one sentence Frame participants outcomes State and restate the issue or problem until everyone agrees with what the problem is Define participants and own commitments Encourage dissent Withhold evaluation and judgment Develop commitment from group members at every possible point Follow-up Transfer own commitments to to do list immediately Review meeting notes and decide on actions Follow-up with participants Evaluate meeting process with facilitator 9
Checklist for the Meeting Facilitator Preparation Schedule the time, place, reserve equipment Contact the meeting participants with the meeting logistics Confirm participation of resources with assignments Prepare agenda and forward to participants and meeting scribe Check equipment and arrange room adequately Meet with meeting chair to confirm agenda and desired outcomes During the Meeting Start the meeting at the stated time Introduce self and any new members or guests Describe purpose of meeting (desired outcomes) to participants Outline meeting agenda Review minutes of last meeting Distribute materials Facilitate the communication and meeting process Stack participants who wish to speak simultaneously by giving each a number ( First will be Manny, then Ellen, then Bob ) Follow-up Re-state important points Confirm assignments Conduct meeting evaluation Facilitate planning date of next meeting Express appreciation for group participation 10
Checklist for the Scribe Preparation Transcribe the minutes and materials from the previous meeting Forward minutes and materials to facilitator and chair Prepare and distribute agenda with attached responsibilities and proposed time limits During the Meeting Note attendance Record team discussion points, ideally in exact words If must paraphrase, check with speaker to confirm accuracy Note starting and end time Ask for clarification Record decision points and individual commitments Follow-up Categorize materials and transcribe notes and minutes Meeting minutes need to include: o Meeting title, date, place o Attendees: name, organization, phones, email o Executive summary that focuses on meeting results o Topics discussed o Summary of decisions reached with key reasons on why this particular decision was agreed to o List of action items with names of people committed and when due 11
CONDUCT THE MEETING Frame Set the climate Clarify the roles and responsibilities Re-establish the purpose of the meeting Confirm the agenda and meeting process Establish the time contract Example Process Examples 1 Set the climate ¹ Greet people when they arrive. Have refreshments. Make sure all participants are introduced. 2 Clarify roles & responsibilities ¹ Jackie will act as facilitator. Sandy will scribe and be the timekeeper. I will be the Chair for the first meeting. I am looking to the rest of you to provide input as expert resources. 3 Frame purpose of meeting ¹ Our purpose today is to reach consensus on a more successful work process. 4 Set the agenda and meeting process ¹ We will start by generating ideas for 15 minutes, then we will vote on which three we like best and evaluate those for 20 minutes. At that point, I will ask each of you to take a position on which idea of the three you prefer. I will make the final decision based on your input. 5 Establish time contract ¹ We are scheduled be out of here by 2:00pm. How does that work for everyone? 12
How Meeting Participants Can Clarify an Unframed Meeting Process Step Actions During the Meeting 1 Set the climate 2 Clarify roles & responsibilities 3 Frame purpose of meeting 4 Suggest the agenda and meeting process 5 Monitor time Introduce yourself to others. Broker introductions for people who may not know each other. Help the meeting chair or facilitator to arrange the chairs so that everyone can see each other. Ask: Who will be the facilitator and scribe? What materials, information will we need to provide? Why have you asked us here? Ask: What are the goals today? What is the most urgent or important issue for us? What are you hoping we will accomplish by the end of today? Is this primarily an information or problem-solving meeting? Ask: What can we realistically accomplish within our time frame? Suggest: Given our goals, let s brainstorm for 10 minutes and then decide on our next steps. Ask: What criteria should we use to make a decision? What process should we use to winnow down the possibilities? Observe: We have 10 minutes before our meeting time is over. It looks like we ve gone over our allotted time, should we schedule another meeting? What happens when the purpose and/or structure of a meeting is missing? If the meeting structure is unclear, participants may: Emotionally check-out of the meeting Hijack the meeting agenda Conduct side conversations with other participants Express their frustration during the unofficial meeting after the meeting Accountable meeting participants help to frame an unclear meeting by asking clarifying questions of the meeting chair. 13
FOLLOW-UP THE MEETING Just because the meeting is over it ain t over. Many meetings yield a great discussion, only to have participants walk away and become absorbed back into their work and forget about their role in keeping agreements and commitments. In order to avoid the additional time and expense of redundant meetings, it is important to manage the meeting follow-up closely. Before the meeting ends, the follow-up elements need to be agreed on: Who is, and by when, going to distribute: Meeting Notes: To ensure that everyone has a record of the key facts, ideas, needs, and decisions. Often, the meeting Scribe takes responsibility for getting meeting notes typed up and sent to each participant. Manage Agreements: To ensure that action items are carried out, the meeting chair often takes responsibility for developing clear action plans and holding people accountable for their commitments. Additional individual meetings may need to be called to manage the action items. 14