1. Leading Effective Meetings By Jessica Kruse

2. Key Actions For Leading Effective Meetings  Prepare For a Focused Meeting Prepare For a Focused Meeting  Deliver The Message Deliver The Message  Encourage Discussion Encourage Discussion  Keep The Group Focused and Moving Keep The Group Focused and Moving  Close the Meeting Close the Meeting Quit

3. Prepare For A Focused Meeting A. Prepare for the meeting. Do:  Make an agenda.  Define the purpose of the meeting.  Determine initial ground rules.  Allow enough time for preparation before meeting.  Gather information, reports, or examples to support your message, if needed.  Ask guest speakers (if any) to attend with enough notice.

4. Prepare For A Focused Meeting, continued Avoid:  Leading a meeting without preparation.  Leading a meeting without a clear purpose or agenda.

5. B. Prepare the group for a focused meeting. Do:  Communicate the purpose and desired outcome of the meeting.  Review the agenda.  Set ground rules. Avoid:  Jumping right into the topics of the meeting.  Allowing team members to start the meeting with issues or complaints. Prepare For A Focused Meeting, continued

6. Deliver The Message When using this skill Do:  Provide the “what”, “why”, and “how.”  Offer facts or examples, if appropriate.  Keep it simple.

7. Deliver The Message, continued Example: Safety Awareness “It is time for us to review the new safety procedure that is effective starting today. Safety is always a primary concern, and this new policy will help us all maintain a safer working environment for us and a safer shopping environment for our customers. This new policy addresses specific steps we will need to take when removing inventory from high shelves and when moving pallets.”

8. Avoid:  Providing unnecessary details.  Delivering more than one message at a time. Deliver The Message, continued

9. Encourage Discussion When using this skill Do:  Ask open-ended questions to encourage discussion, questions, reactions, or opinions.  Thank associates for their contributions.  Ask closed-ended questions to ensure understanding or obtain decisions.  Ask open-ended questions to increase participation.  Clarify information.  Use effective listening techniques.  Answer questions.

10. Encourage Discussion, continued Example: “Will someone please explain the importance of the new safety policy? What could happen if we don’t have the required clearance at every fire exit?”

11. Avoid:  Ignoring an associates reaction or question.  Assuming everyone can understand the language you are speaking. Encourage Discussion, continued

12. Keep The Group Focused And Moving When using this skill Do:  Keep the discussion on track by referring to the agenda and ground rules.  Pay attention to the flow of the meeting as compared to the agenda.  Reinforce positive contributions from meeting participants.  Survey the group to get everyone’s thought or opinions if there is little discussion or if the group can’t come to an agreement.  Ask individuals open-ended questions to get a quiet group to begin discussing the topic.  Help the group reach a conclusion on items that call for group opinions or decisions.

13. Keep The Group Focused And Moving, continued Example: “Can anyone give me their ideas on why this policy is important?” Avoid:  Discussing unrelated information.  Spending too much or too little time on a topic.  Providing your own ideas instead of getting the ideas of others.

14. Close The Meeting When using this skill Do:  Summarize the key points from the meeting.  Ask if there are any questions.  Watch for nonverbal cues that signal confusion or a lack of understanding.  Provide action items, if necessary.  Provide a follow-up date, if necessary.  Thank associates for contributing to the meeting.

15. Close The Meeting, continued Example: “Let’s review. The importance of following proper store procedures is to reduce accidents and injuries. You can help by following procedures, reminding other associates of the policy, and discussing any concerns.”

16. Avoid:  Ending the meeting if people seem confused or unclear.  Rushing the close of the meeting. Close The Meeting, continued