Effective Meetings

Meeting Types Information Giving Information Gathering Supplying information to others or informing them of decisions/actions and the reasons for these decisions/actions Information Gathering Collecting information from individuals who have different perspectives about or knowledge of an issue or problem

Meeting Types Problem Solving Decision Making Analyzing the causes of and potential solutions to specific problems Decision Making Determining a course of action to take with regard to an important project, service, or task

Key Roles and Responsibilities Leader Note Taker Timekeeper Facilitator (if applicable)

Effective Meetings Pre-plan and communicate. Decide what type of meeting is needed. Identify topics and the person responsible for leading discussion on the topic. Use presentations if necessary, but keep them short and use as a method of stimulating, not suppressing, discussion. Create and distribute an agenda. Distribute in plenty of time beforehand so people can prepare. Arrange logistics.

Effective Meetings Open the meeting. Start on time -- always. Review meeting purpose and agenda. Introduce participants (if needed). Set expectations. Assign roles (leader, note taker, time keeper, facilitator).

Effective Meetings Conduct the meeting. Structure the discussion. Stay on track – follow the agenda. Stay engaged and keep everyone engaged. No food during the meeting – after as a reward. Encourage disagreement. But promote respectful interactions. Summarize each topic.

Effective Meetings Close the meeting. Summarize meeting outcomes. Specify next steps and specific action items by person. Get feedback on meeting effectiveness. Meet goals? End on time -- always.

Effective Meetings Follow up. Send a quick “thank you” e-mail. Distribute meeting summary via e-mail. Set deadlines for completion of action items.

Meetings That Work: Plans Bosses Can Approve “Decision makers are as motivated by friendships, concerns for popularity, and self interest as by the cold, hard facts gleaned from rigorous analysis.” * “Planning documents too often ignore what’s really at stake among participants and fail to establish a logical, agreed-on course of action.” “Meetings That Work: Plans Bosses Can Approve,” Paul Lovett, HBR, Nov-Dec 1988.

Decision makers want four questions answered: In meetings with decision makers, you must get them to focus on the important elements--your vision and your plan of action. Not to get bogged down with lots of raw numbers. They won’t remember lots of boring numbers. Decision makers want four questions answered:

The Four Critical Questions What is the plan? Why is the plan recommended? What are the objectives? How much will it cost to implement the plan? And what is the reasonable upside potential? What is the ROI?

What Is The Plan? Requires a specific future-tense statement of strategy. “Sales department will increase its sales staff in order to increase its share of advertising dollars in our medium by 15%.”

Why Is The Plan Recommended? Make the plan’s rationale clear to the decision maker. You’re laying out what the situation is. In just enough detail to get a decision Not too many raw facts and numbers. Synthesized information that supports the rationale is vital. Propose a specific program that maps out well-defined course of action.

What Are The Goals? Goals are what you expect to happen if the plan is adopted. Limit the financial details to a few important numbers. Just a few numbers are enough to focus the goals discussion on the right issues. Objectives should be strategic, not primarily financial.

How Much Will The Plan Cost? Request enough resources to carry out the plan and achieve the goals. Financial and human resources Forecast reasonable upside financial results. Forecast a ROI.

Overall Meeting Strategy Keep it simple. Not too many numbers Not too much written material Keep it focused on the four questions. Keep it informal. Encourage discussion and give and take Encourage informality Close! Get approval and a firm commitment.

Decision Tree B Go A Go B No Go A B Go A No Go B No Go