Guide to a Productive Meeting

Getting Organized If you're the leader, you should never try to "wing it" in a meeting. Even a freewheeling brainstorming session requires some advance planning. So before your meeting, answer these questions: Do we really need a meeting? Who needs to be there? What should be the outcome? What type of meeting is it? What's the "road map"? How should people prepare?

U SING T IME W ISELY Here's how to make the most productive use of your meeting time: Distribute the agenda and important information before the meeting. Start on time. Waiting for stragglers punishes those who got there on schedule. Discuss the most important items first. Resist the temptation to “get quick items out of the way”.

U SING T IME W ISELY CONT. Turn off cell phones and close laptops. Follow the agenda, but deviate from it if important issues arise. Keep the discussion focused on one topic at a time. Keep moving the discussion towards the goal.

U SING T IME W ISELY CONT. Create a place – sometimes called a “Parking Lot” – to list topics for later discussion. For long meetings, plan scheduled breaks to keep people from wandering in and out. Arrange a later time to discuss issues that involve only a few members. Specify a realistic ending time and stick to it.

Moving From Discussion to Action If your meeting is to accomplish anything, everyone must understand what happens next. This is especially critical in decision-making meetings. Here's how to make something happen: Before adjourning, summarize what occurred during the meeting. Review all decisions that were made. Create a “Next Steps” list of actions to be taken as a result of the meeting. Assign responsibility for each action item.

Moving From Discussion to Action cont. Agree on schedules and deadlines where appropriate. Set a specific time to assess progress on these action steps. If there will be a follow-up meeting, describe what must be done before the group meets again.

S EVEN S IGNS THAT Y OUR T EAM W ILL F AIL When you ask people to describe the experience Of working in teams, they often use words like - Frustrating - Disappointing - Waste of Time

S EVEN S IGNS THAT Y OUR T EAM W ILL F AIL CONT. How can you tell whether a team will produce outstanding results or flame out completely?  Too Many Superstars – one that is very prominent or is a prime attraction; a diplomatic superstar  Fuzzy Goals - is the goal that is so vague as to be, in practice, impossible to achieve; for example, peace on earth. Even theoretically achievable, they lack sufficient definition to focus the creative activity.

S EVEN S IGNS THAT Y OUR T EAM W ILL F AIL CONT.  Poorly Defined Roles - Groups operate more effectively when members are assigned tasks that they can do well. Unclear roles and poorly defined areas of responsibility ultimately lead to group conflict and dissatisfaction of individuals.  Cliques and Factions - a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons; especially one held together by common interests, views, or purposes, a party or group that is often contentious or self-seeking

SEVEN S IGNS THAT Y OUR T EAM W ILL F AIL CONT.  Mean-Spirited Conflicts - Having or characterized by a malicious or petty spirit; characterized by or displaying a propensity to be mean; selfish, malicious, etc.  Impossible Tasks - It is used for tasks that are of extreme difficulty, that one may have not completed.  Lack of Laughter - There are many things in life that we have no control over and can’t change. As long as we have a sense of humor, we can do something. Humor has the power to turn almost any situation around.

I NFORMATION -S HARING D ECISION -M AKING I DEA -G ENERATING Goal For participants to provide useful information to one another about their work. The information is not being used to make a decision. Goal To make a decision about a problem or issue. The final decision may be a group consensus or may be made by the leader. Goal To come up with innovative and creative approaches to a situation. Suggestions Allow enough time for everyone to participate. Don’t let talkative members use up too much time. Stay focused on information relevant to the whole group. Schedule one-on-one meetings to pursue individual issues or concerns. Encourage people to ask questions. Identify opportunities for people to help each other. Suggestions Be sure everyone understands the decision to be made. Be sure everyone understands how the decision will be made. Structure the discussion to make the best use of time. Encourage everyone to share information and opinions. Listen to different view points. Identify areas of agreement and disagreement. Clearly communicate the final decision. Before adjourning, make “next step” assignments. Suggestions Allow plenty of time. Prevent interruptions. Turn off cell phones Don’t bring up unrelated work issues. Encourage people to share all ideas. Do not criticize or judge ideas when they are shared. Reinforce “out-of-the-box” thinking. Provide a structure for narrowing down alternatives. At the end of the meeting, agree on what happens next. Encourage people to relax, laugh, joke, have fun! WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR MEETING

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