Meeting Management Part I

Importance of Meetings  Meetings are one of the most important management tools necessary to make teams, groups, and organizations work more effectively.  However, most organizations get into a “paralysis by analysis” and “information overload” mode and spend countless hours debating issues, arguing, and discussing things in a circular manner - unable to come to a concluding decision.

Ineffective Meetings  Harold Reimer, a researcher in the field of meeting management, estimates that the cost of time lost after ineffective meetings amounts to $800,000 per year for every 1,000 employees.  This cost is due to time lost to conduct meetings, subsequent discussions about the issues and the ripple effect to other parts of the organization due to ineffective decisions made.

Ineffective Meetings  The key to using meetings effectively and providing value to the participants and the organization as a whole lies in the planning and implementation process of conducting meetings.

What is Meeting?  The word “meeting” includes group decision making, teamwork, JAD (Joint Application Design) and any other group process to discuss and solve complex issues by more than one person.

Five Principle of Meeting Management 1.Common Focus on content 2.Common Focus on process 3.Open and balanced conversational flow 4.Protection of individuals from personal attack 5.Clear definition of all participant’s roles and responsibilities

Key Groups in Meetings 1.The Facilitator 2.The Recorder/Scribe 3.The Group Member 4.The Manager/Chairperson  All the meeting participants should understand the roles of each of these key group members.

The Facilitator  Takes control of the process from the manager  A neutral servant of the group that does not evaluate or contribute ideas but rather provides focus.  Helps the group by: 1.Focusing its energies on tasks 2.Suggests methods and procedures 3.Protects all members of the group from attack 4.Makes sure everyone has the opportunity to participate 5.Handles pre-meeting and post-meeting logistics

The Recorder/Scribe  Documentation for retention  A neutral, non-evaluating servant of the group.  Records in the voice of the participants and clarifies.  Makes the information collected visually presentable and agreeable.  voice or video recorders can be substituted for a recorder/scribe person.

The Group Member  An active participant in the meeting.  Maintains the facilitator and recorder in their neutral role.  Clarifies and checks for accuracy of content.

The Manager/Chairperson  Controls the power  An active participant  Makes all final decisions; has the power to set constraints and regain control.  Sets the agenda  The manager plays a power and a process role in the meeting.  Note: bosses generally cannot run a fair, non-manipulative meeting.

Key Meeting Management Issues  The key to effective meeting management is planning and preparation.  One of the fundamental problems in conducting meetings is the problem of separating the “What” from the “How”. 1.Group must agree on the common problem. 2.Group must agree on a common process to resolve problem. 3.Group must respect and adhere to the ground rules of communication exchange.

Separating “What” from “How”.  Put effort more on the process than on the outcome – takes more time, but  Implementation of decisions is much faster than if a hasty decision is made and the ripple effect of the decision is discussed in every area that it affects.

Guidelines for group decision making 1.Avoid arguing for your own views. 2.Do not assume that someone must win. 3.Do not change your mind simply to avoid conflict. 4.Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority vote. 5.Differences of opinion are natural and expected. 6.Keep it simple and work on small pieces at a time. Don’t jump from concept to concept; finish one, then move on. 7.Always work from general to specific/detail.

Guidelines for group decision making 8.If a meeting is held without agenda  Define the facilitator role  Facilitator: setup the meeting content “ Does everyone know why we are here?”  Facilitator: ask for agenda items “ Let’s start setting up a list of agenda items. Anymore? We can always add other later.”  Facilitator: setup the meeting process “ How should we approach solving our problem? Should we outline some suggestions and determine their advantages or disadvantages or what?  Facilitator: start the meeting and monitor the process  Facilitator: summarize discussion and results “ Okay, let me summarize what we’ve done here today….”  Facilitator: define the next step in the process and end the meeting thanking everyone

Guidelines for group decision making 9.Two problems that prevent effective participation:  Difficulty in getting a chance to speak  Fear of personal attack/humiliation 10.Always start on time. 11.Don’t confront chronic latecomers in the meeting in front of the group.  Discipline in private only!

Guidelines for group decision making 12.Avoid “groupthink” – thinking that the group is invincible and becoming delusional. 13.Setting up a meeting in a semi-circle or circle is preferred with semi-circle being the best for presentation and note taking purposes. 14.Set and distribute the agenda prior to coming to the meeting (at least a day, preferably a week) so that everyone knows what to expect.  Keep the agenda distributed to the participants short.

Any Question ?