Lesson 8 Meeting Management

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Purpose

• • • • Understand current level of meeting effectiveness Present a standard meeting format See the results created from using this format Learn how to apply the principles in informal meetings 2

How Would You Characterize The Meetings You Attend?

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Standard Meeting Format

• Icebreaker • Review agenda • Set expectations • Content • Next Step • Feedback 4

Icebreaker

• • • Purpose – BREAK THE ICE!

Get everyone at ease and participating Make it fun such as: – a riddle – or joke – a puzzle – learn something about each participant.

• Time is taken proportional to length of meeting.

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Review Agenda

• Helps to gain agreement on the meeting’s: – Purpose – Focus – Flow.

• Agenda topics can be clarified/added/deleted.

• Agenda is an outline of what you want to accomplish.

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Set Expectations

• Clarifies what the participants expect to get accomplished • Further defines meeting focus and flow • Identifies expectations beyond the scope of the meeting • Establishes the desired results 7

Content

• This is the body of the meeting • Outlined in your agenda • The work to be done 8

Next Step

• The next logical step for you to take: – Work on actions ageed to – Another meeting • There may be no next step - you may be done 9

Feedback

• Review the expectations that were set • Give performance feedback to facilitator and participants as a group (critical feedback to an individual should be given one-on-one after the meeting) • Give suggestions for how to improve future meetings • This step gives closure to the meeting 10

Meeting Basics

• Get ready before the meeting: – Issue agenda in advance to all participants as appropriate – Get meeting room ready • Keep a visual record of the meeting: – flipcharts – notes 11

Meeting Basics continued

• Standard Meeting Ground rules: – Arrive on time / Start on time / End on time – Be respectful / Be open & honest – One person speaks at a time • Record ACTIONS to be taken: – Who / What / Due Date 12

Meeting Basics continued

• Keep track of ISSUES raised during the meeting – Issues page or parking lot • Conduct outside of meeting – Maintain established confidences, don’t discuss!

– Represent the team 13

Roles

• Team leader: – Arranges meeting room – Establishes agenda – Invites appropriate participants – Keeps the meeting on task • Scribe: – Records notes preferably on wall for all to see – Translates notes into short form minutes – Distributes minutes • Facilitative monitor: – Assists leader with keeping on task – Reminds group when ground rules are broken 14

Follow-up

• Prepare meeting minutes as soon as reasonable • Send to all participants 15

Desired Result

• A successful meeting: – starts and ends on time - or earlier – is efficient – time is well utilized – achieves the expectations set by participants – provides for mutual support and respect among participants – results in the necessary decisions – concludes with a common understanding of meeting results and assignments – creates participants ownership in results – increases the trust among participants 16

Informal Meetings

• • • For use in one-on-one meetings In person or by phone Use principles: – – Icebreaker – “How’s the weather?”, “How is your family?” Review agenda/set expectations – “What do we want to accomplish?” – – – Content Next Step – “What’s next?” Feedback – “Did we cover what we wanted to cover?” 17

Implications for Leaders

• Meeting Management – highly effective • Easily learned and applied • Can generate quick benefits for limited costs • A very effective initial step for organizational change 18

Summary

• • • • • Without a process meetings are ineffective Standard meeting format: – Icebreaker – – – – – Review agenda Set expectations Content Next Step Feedback Meeting basics – ground rules and roles Desired results Informal meetings 19

Bibliography

Sipress, David.

Cartoon: The New Yorker

. New York: Condé Nast: October 31, 2011.

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This lesson is a modified excerpt from the book,

Compass – Creating Exceptional Organizations: A Leader’s Guide

, written by William F. Brandt, Jr., cofounder and former CEO of American Woodmark Corporation – the third largest producer of kitchen cabinets in America.

Copyright 2013 William F. Brandt, Jr.

This lesson may be copied, presented and/or distributed to up to five people. Distribution beyond five is subject to a user fee as described in the website: CompassCEO.com

The book and related materials are also available from the website: CompassCEO.com

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