Managing meetings

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Managing meetings
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Introduction

• Why meetings?
• PhD is about
• training so progress must be monitored
• developing opinions which need to be tested
  against experts
• seeking other views usually face to face
• disseminating contribution
• .much of which occurs in meetings

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Overview

• In this session
• principles of effective communication
• structuring meetings
• addressing common problems
• chances to practise
• planning for future

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Relevance

• Student - supervisor relationship is at the heart
  of a PhD
• But
• limited guidance on building and maintaining the
  relationship
• supervisor has other commitments
• many assumptions are made
• Regular, well managed meetings are essential

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Effective communication

• Understand AIM of communication
• Work out what to present
• Consider your audience
• Convey the information in a way that suits the
  message and audience
• Listen and monitor audiences responses
• Ensure the purpose is achieved

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Listening

• Involve the listener to
• increase
• understanding
• recall
• discussion of ideas
• commitment
• minimise
• misinterpretation
• missed opportunities
• disenfranchisement
• confusion

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Structuring meetings

• Purpose
• what is the meeting for?
• give info? make a decision? address problems?
• are all agendas/expectations the same?
• Power
• who controls or has responsibility?
• student or supervisor
• client or research staff
• Logistics
• when, where, who

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Structuring meetings

• Implications and outcomes
• what will happen after the meeting?
• how is this controlled/monitored?
• Record
• actions
• decisions
• discussions
• future meetings
• Envisage the ideal outcome

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Problems

• What problems have you experienced with meetings?
• What good practice can you share with the group
  to overcome these?

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Common problems

• Divided attention
• Confusion about purpose
• Not contributing
• Too much contributing
• No record of discussions
• No mechanisms to monitor progress
• Responsibilities poorly defined

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Good practice

• Agree set time and ask for interruptions to be
  avoided
• Write agenda and circulate in advance
• Identify ideal outcome for meeting
• Write up minutes and actions

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Structuring a research meeting

• How would you apply the principles to a meeting
  scenario of your own?
• Aim (yours and theirs)
• What to present
• How to present
• Useful techniques

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Into practice

• Your aim To plan next stage of project and
  convince supervisor of good progress
• Audience aim To find evidence of good progress
  and get student to come up with new ideas

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• What to present
• results interpretation
• suggestions for new research to improve
  understanding
• questions you cant answer or want another
  opinion on
• How to present
• prepare agenda circulate in advance
• have all papers needed
• Useful techniques
• use active listening techniques
• be assertive

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All I said was You have my undivided
attention..
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Taking this forward

• Use the proforma in the handout as a template to
  improve meetings
• Set some goals now and enter them in your
  continuing professional development (CPD) diary
  or plan
• Identify a meeting in the near future when you
  can apply what you have learnt