Effective Meetings Meetings are one of the major forms of communication for projects and in the general business environment These can be positive and fruitful or a total waste of time An effective meeting is one that reaches the required outcomes of all participants Achieving the required outcomes requires planning and preparation Meetings are a form of ‘Interactive Communication’ and can be conducted in many different ways – both formal and informal 'Hey, if this person can't manage a meeting, what chance does the project stand?'

How to Conduct Effective Meetings Ensure outcomes are defined prior to the meeting Never go to a meeting where the desired outcomes are not clearly understood by all involved. This includes the meetings you call and the ones you are required to attend. Send an outline of the purpose of the meeting and the required outcomes Plan the meeting in advance Think about what you want to say, what information you require or what you need to learn from the meeting. Anticipate and prepare for questions and objections, raise them yourself if they are important. Prepare agendas for formal meetings and distribute in advance

How to Conduct Effective Meetings 3. Manage your time and respect the time of others Understand the expectations around meeting start and finish times Be clear about your expectations – eg. Always start on time and finish on time vs Start 5 minutes late and finish 5 minutes early Reschedule the meeting if key contributors are not present Agree key contributors and minimum attendees 4. Pay attention and actively listen If it is important enough to attend then it is important enough to listen carefully. Be engaged and present, you never know what you might find out. Confirm understanding

How to Conduct Effective Meetings 5. Suggest options Don't be afraid to challenge what is put in front of you. Suggest alternatives if this will achieve the outcome more effectively 6. Summarise Recap decisions and actions at the end of the meeting Be specific about who is to do what by when Clarify that outcomes have been achieved and assess understanding Ask for feedback and confirm agreement

How to Conduct Effective Meetings 7. Confirm and confirm again Always confirm appointments the day before Leave nothing to chance Be prepared to reschedule immediately if there are issues with the timeslot 8. Document agreed actions and decisions Formal meetings should have formal minutes including action items and major decisions Informal meetings can be followed up with a brief email outlining outcomes and action items Maintain a Decision Register and an Action item Register, review with the group regularly

Meetings vs Workshops Meetings Workshops Small or large groups Specific plan of the outcomes Standing agenda distributed prior to meeting Room to accommodate additional business Formal minutes, action items and decision register Good meeting practices Active listening Small or large groups Require strong facilitation skills Very detailed plan for the sessions Room for flexibility if valuable information being obtained Specific objectives but less defined outcomes Good to generate ideas, gain understanding, problem solve

Formal vs Informal Meetings Small or large groups Specific plan of the outcomes Standing agenda distributed prior to meeting Room to accommodate additional business Formal minutes, action items and decision register Good meeting practices Active listening One on one or small group Scheduled in advance or ad-hoc High level plan of outcomes Flexible agenda Standing agenda or topics agreed at start of meeting Optional confirmation of agreements, decisions and actions via email Active listening

Effective Presentations Very few people enjoy giving presentations Some are even more afraid of giving presentations that they are of dying! Speeches are being replaced by PowerPoint presentations PowerPoint is only an aid, to be effective attention must be applied to the content as well as the performance aspects of the presentation Audience expectations are often very high People demand to be enlightened, informed and entertained Skilled presenters can transfer information, influence the audience and inspire action Adpated from PMBoK Guide – Fourth Edition

Planning Presentations 1. Have a strong introduction Plan an engaging introduction eg – provocative question, impressive fact, quotation, recall an anecdote 2. Consider your listener Frame the presentation as though you are sitting in the audience Understand the specific needs, wants and emotions of your audience 3. Ensure your audience knows what's in it for them Be clear about what is in it for the audience – WIIFM – What’s in it for me! Tailor your presentations to the needs of the audience 4. Begin with the end in mind Let them know what to expect, how they can use the information and the direct benefits to them Define the outcome and plan the messages Prepare a storyboard and remove unnecessary content

Planning Presentations 5. Establish credibility Be confident in your movements, speech and what you are saying Mention your background, skills and experience Get the audience emotionally engaged 6. Plan the flow of your argument Be clear on the outcome and your intentions Lead the listener through Obtain agreement along the way Summarise key points

Planning Presentations 7. Speak as if to one individual Deliver your speech as though each person was the only one in the room Make the presentation personal 8. Practise your presentation style Include three different styles - audio, visual and kinaesthetic Plan how you transition between these elements It pays to practise with someone you trust and then to ask for their comments 9. Strong conclusions Summarise key points Call the audience to action 10. Ask for feedback Be open and calm Take it on board if appropriate for future presentations

Win the audiences attention Gain their interest Create a desire AIDA – A Simpler Model Win the audiences attention Gain their interest Create a desire Stimulate action or agreement

Tips for Using PowerPoint Keep it simple PowerPoint is an aid not the main attraction Avoid cheesy clip art, animation and fancy backgrounds Use ‘slide master’ for consistent formatting Presentations - 6 points per slide Practice your interaction with the slides and other media Report Format – can be very detailed and small font if designed to be printed out Lectures can break the rules as they are a combination of presentation and detailed notes

Steering Committee Meetings Regular meetings with the Project Sponsor, major client and key senior stakeholders Hybrid between a presentation and a report Decision Log Standard Agenda PowerPoint Presentation Action Items Minutes Status Report

Steering Committee Agenda Flexible depending on type of project and style of organisation, typically includes – Key Messages Project Status – Time & Costs Summary Performance Metrics Scope Management and Change Control Risks and Issues Decisions Required Optional appendices with more detail – Project Structure Detailed Performance Metrics Detail to support decisions Change Control Impact Assessments

Steering Committee Outputs Minutes Attendees Summary of discussion Action Items Action item progress from last meeting New action items assigned at meeting Decision Log All key decisions made at all meetings New decisions made at this meeting