Sterling Trust Leadership and Management Training Series

1
Another Meeting?
Society of Government Meeting Professionals Charle
s S. Sadler, CHSP, CHSC Executive Director 908
King Street Lower Level Alexandria, Virginia
22314
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Meeting Memo

• Are You Lonely?
• Work on Your Own?
• Hate Having to Make Decisions?
• Rather talk About It Than Do It?
• Then why not.
• HOLD A MEETING!
• You can get to see other people sleep in peace,
  offload decisions, learn to write volumes of
  meaningless notes, feel important and impress (or
  bore) your colleagues
• AND ALL IN WORK TIME
• MEETINGS
• The practical alternative to work

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Agenda

• Identify the value of meetings
• Identify common challenges to effective meetings
• Develop strategies to deal with difficult meeting
  participants
• Communicate effectively in meetings
• What to do before, during, and after the meeting
• Identify the key components of an effective
  meeting
• Effectively lead a meeting

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A Wandering Generality
The Purpose
My Personal and Professional Responsibilities
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A Meaningful Specific
The Purpose
My Personal and Professional Responsibilities
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Motivation

• Fear Incentive
  Attitude

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Definition of a Meeting

• A meeting is a gathering of one or more people
  with the purpose of resolving a problem, making a
  decision, gaining information, or achieving a
  goal.

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Value of Meetings
Organization
Team
Individual
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Questions To Ask

• Is the purpose of the meeting clear to everyone?
• Does everyone need to attend the entire meeting?
• Is there a better way of addressing the issues
  than having a meeting?
• Are there other people who do not usually attend
  your meetings who might make a useful
  contribution this time?

10
Common Meeting Problems

• No agenda
• No stated objectives
• Lack of clearly defined purpose
• Too many items on the agenda
• Unprepared facilitator
• Unprepared participants
• Too many participants
• No-shows, latecomers, early leavers
• Hidden agendas
• Interruptions

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Common Meeting Problems

• Lack of participation
• Inattentive participants
• Lack of focus
• Lack of preparation
• Poor choice of meeting space or time
• Poor sequencing of agenda
• Failure to stick to the agenda
• Failure to record decisions and agreements
• Defending rather than exploring
• Dominating members

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Dealing with Meeting Difficulties

• The silent participant
• The monopolizer
• Negativism by individual
• Negativism by group
• Continuous misunderstanding
• Side conversations
• Group silence
• Groupthink

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Behavior Styles
Driver Expressive Amiable Analytical
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Style Summary
Facts/Results
Analytical
Driver
Slow/ Patient
Fast/ Impatient
Expressive
Amiable
People/Emotions
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Effective Meetings

• A meeting leader
• Relaxed atmosphere
• Clear objectives
• An agenda
• Prepared participants
• Starts and ends on time
• Respect
• The right participants
• Willingness to participate
• Absence of hidden agendas

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Making Meetings Work
Before the Meeting
During the Meeting
After the Meeting
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Before the Meeting

• Identify the purpose of the meeting
• Choose the most suitable type of meeting
• Define objectives and desired outcomes
• Determine if a different activity could be used
  instead of a meeting
• Determine topics to cover and the best format for
  each
• Create and deliver an agenda in advance

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Before the Meeting

• Agenda should include
• - Start and stop times
• - Place of meeting
• - Purpose of meeting
• - Participants and roles
• Identify ways to make the meeting interactive and
  fun
• Prepare set-up of meeting room
• - Comfortable
• - Enough space
• - Encourage participation

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During the Meeting

• Start and stop on time
• Explain purpose and objectives
• Review agenda
• Set expectations
• - Time limits
• - Roles
• - Participation
• Control Interruptions and digressions
• Summarize periodically
• Establish and assign action items

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Mid-meeting Responsibilities

• Arrive on time
• Listen to the views of others
• State your own views clearly and concisely
• Take accurate notes - especially of any action
  points that are pertinent to you
• Stick to the agenda
• Make constructive contributions
• Define any problems as they arise
• Help to create a positive atmosphere

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Mid-meeting Responsibilities

• Things not to do!
• Do not be aggressive
• Do not be defensive
• Do not dominate
• Do not withdraw from the discussion
• Do not withhold information of value
• Do not ramble
• Do not agree for the sake of agreement

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After the Meeting

• Evaluate the meeting
• Prepare and distribute minutes
• Follow-up on action items
• Plan next meeting (only if needed)

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Types of Meetings
Information Giving
Information Seeking
Idea Generating Creative Meetings
Decision Making
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Meeting Leader

• Encourage participation
• Summarize issues
• Follow the agenda
• Start and close the meeting
• Keep on track
• Focus on the required outcomes
• Involve all opinions
• Assigning responsibilities

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Leading Before the Meeting

• Outline the main points of the meeting
• Clarify the ideas about the meeting
• Decide on who should attend
• Decide on venue, date and time
• Draw up and circulate the agenda
• Emphasize the type of the meeting
• Circulate any useful documentation

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Leading During the Meeting

• Create the right climate
• Open the meeting and introduce participants
• Outline the structure, content, time limits, and
  goals
• Encourage discussion involvement
• Help to summarize and clarify contributions
• Control difficult participants
• Confirm responsibilities and actions
• Close the meeting with a summary of key action
  points

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Meeting Tips

• Always be clear about the purpose of a meeting
  from the onset.
• If an issue can be resolved without a meeting,
  cancel the meeting.
• Remember that the presence of senior managers may
  inhibit discussion.
• Hold meetings away from your work space so that
  you may leave easily after the meeting.
• Keep meetings as small as possible to help
  minimize distractions.

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Meeting Tips

• Keep the agenda as short and simple as possible
  (limit to one page).
• Do not hold meetings that last more than 55
  minutes.
• Avoid meetings at low-energy times of the day.
• Discuss the most important items early in the
  meeting.
• Place a watch or clock in a prominent position so
  that you are able to keep an eye on the time.

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Meeting Tips

• Consider the costs involved in the meeting.
• Encourage participation through the use of
  open-ended questions.
• Schedule meetings before lunch they are more
  likely to end on time.
• Diffuse anger by inviting participants to express
  the reasons for their anger.
• Remind participants of the agenda whenever they
  stray from it.

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SBC Meeting Guidelines

• In our meetings
• Only one person talks at a time
• We dont interrupt
• People get equal time to talk
• There will be no name calling
• Criticisms will be translated into requests
• We will examine agreements many times
• Nothing will be finalized until we sleep on it
• Everything will be confidential
• There will be no reprisals in performance reviews
• Deadlines will be respected
• We will respect time limits

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Q A
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• Now Go Plan a Meeting ?