1. Chapter 9 Effective Meetings
Types of Meetings
Planning a Problem-Solving Meeting
Conducting the Meeting
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3. Effective Meetings
Of 90,000 working days, 46% of the time was spent in meetings
20,000,000 business meetings each day in the U.S.
Unproductive meetings cost U.S. businesses $37,000,000,000 annually
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4. Effective Meetings
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5. 1. Types of Meetings Problem-solving or Decision-making
Information-sharing
Beginning-of-shift
Weekly-update
Problem-solving or Decision-making
Most common reason for a business meeting
Ritual Activities
Example: TGIF gatherings
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6. Types of Meetings Virtual Teleconferences Videoconferences
Online meetings
Advantages include:
Less expensive
Easier to schedule
Take less time
Allows more people to attend
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7. 2. Planning a Problem-Solving Meeting
When to Hold a Meeting
Is the job beyond the capacity of one person?
Are individuals’ tasks interdependent?
Is there more than one decision or solution?
Are misunderstandings or reservations likely?
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9. Setting an Agenda
An agenda is a list of topics to be covered in a meeting
Three questions:
What do we need to do to achieve our objective?
What conversations will be important to the people that attend?
What information will we need to bring?
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11. Components of a Complete Agenda
Time
Length
Location
Participants
Background Information
Items and Goals
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12. 3. Conducting the Meeting
Beginning the Meeting
Identify the goals of the meeting
Provide necessary background info
Example: agenda to participants
Show how the group can help
Preview the meeting
Identify time constraints
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13. Conducting Business Parliamentary Procedure Encouraging participation
Keeping discussions on track
Keeping a positive tone
This is a summary slide for the Conducting Business slides
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14. Conducting Business A. Parliamentary Procedure
A set of rules for conducting a meeting and making decisions
Suitable when:
a group’s decisions will be of interest to an external audience
haste may obscure critical thinking
emotions are likely to be strong
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15. Conducting Business Parliamentary Procedure Order of Business
Reading of the minutes
Reports (Officer, committee)
Unfinished business
New business
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16. Conducting Business Parliamentary Procedure
Motions – specific proposals for action
Address a single issue
Must be seconded to be discussed
Discussion
Public vote
Chairman announces result
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17. Conducting Business B. Encourage participation
Member differences lead to unequal access during a meeting
Use Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
Give each member a turn to speak
Use questions
Overhead • Direct • Reverse • Relay
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18. Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
Conducting Business
Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
1: Each member writes ideas down on paper; leader collects papers
2: All ideas are posted for all members to see
3: Members discuss ideas for understanding, but no criticism is allowed
4: Members rank the ideas privately
5: Group discusses highest-ranking ideas critically and thoroughly
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19. Conducting Business C. Keep discussions on track
Remind group of time pressures
Summarize and redirect
Challenge relevancy
Put off good, but irrelevant ideas
Ex. New business
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20. Conducting Business D. Keep a positive tone
Clarify by asking questions and paraphrasing
Enhance others’ comments
Acknowledge merits of ideas
Explain concerns
Improve usefulness of idea
Be culturally aware
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21. Conducting the Meeting
Conclude the Meeting
Close a meeting when…
the scheduled closing time has arrived
the group lacks resources to continue
the agenda has been covered
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22. Conducting the Meeting
Close a meeting by:
signaling when time is almost up
summarizing the meeting’s accomplishments and future actions
thanking the group
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23. Conducting the Meeting
Following Up the Meeting
Build an agenda for the next meeting
Follow up on other members
Ex. “Did you manage to contact the client?”
Take care of your own assignments
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