MeetingGroup Discussion Skills

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Meeting/Group Discussion Skills
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What is a meeting?
A gathering of two or more people who interact
face to face, verbally and nonverbally, to
achieve an expected outcome, and are
interdependent on each other.

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Its almost like giving me a hidden TV camera in
their office. My employees start to forget Im
there - and thats good. I try to watch for
signs that they can manage other people and
information, that they can think. How did they
prepare? Do they understand what Im trying to
accomplish when Im leading a meeting and can
they help me get there? I can tell a great deal
about leadership capacity simply watching an
employee attend a meeting.
Don Gevirtz Chairman CEO, Foothill Group
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Time spent in meetings

• Average professionals/managers gt25
• Upper- and middle-level managers gt40
• Some senior executives 4 days a week
• (approx. 70)

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Why are meetings necessary?

• Rapid decision making
• Exchanging ideas opinions
• Disseminating information
• Making staff feel involved
• Developing teamwork

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Meeting behaviours

• Task Facilitating Behaviours
• Group Maintenance Behaviours
• Self-oriented Behaviours

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Task facilitating behaviours

• Initiating
• Giving/Seeking information/opinion
• Coordinating
• Setting procedure

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Group Maintenance Behaviours

• Encouraging
• Harmonizing
• Compromising

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Self-oriented behaviours

• Controlling
• Withdrawing
• Seeking attention
• Diverting
• Excluding
• Belittling
• Blocking

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Duties of participants

• Before the meeting
• Prepare carefully
• Study agenda
• Anticipate
• List questions
• Prepare your case

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Duties of participants (contd)

• During the meeting
• Contribute positively
• Be punctual
• Speak up
• Follow agenda
• Listen actively
• Look interested
• Maintain eye contact
• Welcome contributions

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Duties of participants (contd)

• After the meeting
• Act promptly
• Deliver the goods

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Duties of chairperson

• Before the meeting
• Plan
• Why and what?
• Who?
• When and where?
• Inform
• Notice of meeting
• Meeting agenda

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Notice of meeting

• An announcement of
• the TIME,
• the DATE,
• the PLACE, and
• the PURPOSE.

Notice of meeting
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Agenda

• ... shows
• TOPICS
• ORDER
• TIME SCHEDULE (optional)

Agenda
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Functions of the agenda

• Communicates expectations
• Acts as a control device

Meeting objectives
Agenda
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Tropmans Agenda Bell
Level of complexity of items
End of meeting
Start of meeting
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Duties of chairperson (contd)

• Before the meeting
• Plan
• Why and what?
• Who?
• When and where?
• Inform
• Notice of meeting
• Meeting agenda

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Duties of chairperson (contd)

• During the meeting
• Maintain structure and control
• Start punctually
• Restate purpose
• Keep group focussed
• Facilitate discussion

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Skillful Use of Questions
?

• To encourage participation
• What is your reaction ...?
• How do you feel about ..?
• To get contributions from quiet members
• We havent heard from John yet. John, how do
  you feel about this?
• To control members who talk too much
• Yes, we all take your point on that but I think
  another perspective will only help. Has anyone
  here got any other ideas?
• To reach mutual understanding
• Let me see if I understand your position. Are
  you saying that ...?
• Im not sure I understand. Do you mean that
  ..?

?
?
?
?
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Duties of chairperson (contd)

• Ensure written record kept
• Appoint minutes taker

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• To provide a permanent written record of
  the proceedings.
• To remind participants of what happened at
  the meeting.
• To provide a basis for discussion.
• To help those not present at the meeting to
  understand what took place.

Functions of minutes
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Minutes of meeting

• Narrative Style
• Resolution Style
• Action Style

Minutes of meeting
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Effective minutes should

• Be concise
• Be accurate
• Be complete
• Be expressed in a form that satisfies all
  participants
• Convey the tone of the meeting

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To be effective

• ...meetings must be more than a mere congregation
  of bodies minds, knowledge and experience, and
  clear objectives must also join forces.
• A meeting is effective when it achieves its
  objectives in a minimum amount of time to the
  satisfaction of the participants.

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Never let anyone say this about your meetings
A meeting is a place where people take minutes
and waste hours.