CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE MEETINGS

Centre for Growth Alternatives A-17/1 DLF, Phase 1, Gurgaon

Functions of a Meeting
Define a team or group those present belong to it Is a place where group revises, updates, and adds to what it knows and creates a shared pool of knowledge and experience increases the speed and efficiency of all communications, increases creative power, improves quality of decisions Helps every individual to understand collective aim of the group and the way his or everyone elses work contribute to success Creates a commitment to decisions and objectives it pursues decisions taken carry higher authority particularly higher management Only time when leader is ever perceived as guiding his team rather than doing the job It is a Status Arena.

Types of Meetings
The Assembly 100 or more assemble to listen to the speaker The Council 40-50 assemble basically to listen to the speaker but ask questions and make comments The Committee 10-12 all of whom speak on an equal footing under the guidance and control of a leader (4-7 generally considered ideal).

Objectives That Meetings can Achieve

Informative digestive e.g. progress reports, project status Constructive originative e.g. something new to be devised Policy, Strategy, Target, Plan (importance is to the knowledge and ideas) Executive responsibilities how shall we do it function executive responsibility distribution for different components of the task ( importance to responsibility for implementing the plan Legislative framework changing organization structures, systems, rules, routines and procedures

4 Meeting Roles
Leader establishes the meeting objectives, plans and is responsible for the overall direction of the meeting Facilitator manages how people work together in a meeting, clears up conflicts and solves problems to keep the meeting moving along Recorder keeps track of vital information from the meeting and keeps it visual, checks information accuracy and makes it available to all concerned. Participants a group of individuals with a variety of skills, talents and personalities who participate to generate ideas, analyze information, make decisions and implement action plans

3 Essential Meeting Stages

Preparing for the meeting planning, preparation and legwork Conducting the meeting generate ideas, make decisions and ask questions Evaluating the meeting using effective techniques for improvement, searching for areas of improvement and making necessary changes

Preparing for the Meeting

LEADER
Schedules meetings Prepares the agenda defines objective, venue, attendees, assign roles, and action points Clarifies the participants roles and responsibilities

FACILITATOR
Reviews agenda and action plans from previous meeting Completes from any necessary preparation Works with the leader on logistics

RECORDER
Reviews agenda and action plans from previous meeting Completes any necessary preparation

PARTICIPANTS
Review agenda and action plan from previous meeting Complete necessary preparation like collecting data and facts etc

Preparing Agenda
Define precisely what is to be covered Order of items start with important and urgent (everyones interest and concern should come later, ideas likely to unite rather than divide come first) Remember attention lag sets in after first 15 to 20 minutes, very few meetings achieve anything of value after 2 hours Desirable to mark each item for information, for discussion, for decision Circulate in 2-3 days in advance unless supporting papers are voluminous Attach background or proposal papers in advance

Conducting the Meeting

Leader
Starts the meeting on time Clarifies roles and establishes ground rules and guidelines Participates as a group member Follows the agenda Retains power to stop whats happening and changes format pushes for accountability Summarizes key decisions and actions Focuses the group on the same issue regulating discussion traffic ensures participation and monitors time spent on each item in the agenda Suggests alternate methods and processes Deals with problem people and protects people and their ideas from attack Remains neutral during disagreements Captures ideas visually without editing or paraphrasing, tracks all information Produces meeting minutes Know the purpose ,confirm attendance and attend on time Keep an open mind and avoid premature judgments Active involvement , follow ground rules and share useful ideas Help to ensure group consensus

Facilitator

Recorder

Participants

Ground Rules
Do not interrupt when another person is speaking
Do not criticize the ideas of others Build and the ideas shared by others

Remain open-minded and nonjudgmental

Start and end meetings on time Everyone participates, no one dominates Make compromise when necessary Stick to the agenda and time frames Let the facilitator enforce the ground rules strictly

Close Meeting When?

The meeting objectives are met Additional data is needed before progress can be made The meeting needs the expertise of people not present Participants need additional time to access the subject or discuss with others Changing events are likely to alter the decision There is not enough time to treat the subject matter properly A sub-group or task force can resolve the issue for effectively than the current meeting format Heightened tension inhibits constructive progress toward meeting objectives

Evaluating the meeting

PARTICIPANTS EVALUATION FORM # 1
Leader Meeting Date Please rate the degree to which you agree with each statement (mark appropriate response) very low degree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Meeting participants had a chance to openly express opinions and ideas Meeting participants listened to each other Meeting participants seemed satisfied with group's decision Meeting participants stayed focused on the agenda items The leader was prepared for the meeting Meeting participants were prepared for the meeting Meeting participants seemed clear about action item responsibilities 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 moderate degree 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 very high degree 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Comments / Suggestions

PARTICIPANTS EVALUATION FORM # 2

Leader Meeting Date Please list (openly and honestly) specific examples of what you feel went well (+'s) during the meeting and what did not go so well (-'s). (+'s) (-'s)

Liked being involved

like the ground rules like stickig to the agenda like the idea of the facilitator happy about the solutions like the selection process

could have spent less time on the meeting

need to better manage people who dominate the conversation

Additional Suggestions

The flip side

Dilute authority Diffuse responsibility Delay decisions Waste everyones time