Transcript Slide 1

Facilitating Effective
Meetings
Before You Begin
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What is your role supposed to be?
What is the name of the group/team,
who the sponsor is, the members, and
leader/chair
What role does each play in the
organization/in the group? How well
do they know each other?
History of the group/team: Why was
this group formed? When? Is there a
mission statement?
Which stage of group development are
they in? How are things going?
Before You Begin
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Goals, Tasks and Issues:
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Administrative Details:
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What is the basic goal of the meeting?
What must be accomplished?
What issues need discussion and
resolution? Have they been discussed
before? Will there be a decision-maker
present to finalize a decision?
Where will the meeting be held?
What kind of room/ furniture does it have?
What is the starting and ending time?
What supplies/ equipment will be needed?
Does this team have a facilitator?
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Does it need one?
Team/Group Charter
A charter is the job description for the team/ group.
Include:
 Team name
 Members
 Mission/Purpose
 Expected time frame
 Frequency of meetings and duration
 Objectives
 Milestone check-ins, timeline
 Boundaries/parameters
 Communication methods
 Ground rules
 Roles of members, leader, sponsor, etc.
Essentials of Meeting
Management
ALL
meetings should have a clearly stated
purpose that is shared at least a day in advance
with the team in advance of the meeting.
Meeting location and time should be included in
the agenda.
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When
possible, the agenda for the “next”
meeting should be developed as a part of the
current meeting, especially if items need to be
specifically deferred until the next time the group
meets.
Location
needs to be relatively comfortable, with
adequate ventilation, room for all participants at
the table, and equipped with needed materials,
(board, flip chart, markers, etc.)
Essentials of Meeting
Management
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Key decisions or discussions should be
scribed on flip chart paper, for later
recording in meeting minutes.
An appointed notetaker can paraphrase
primary points for later dissemination
Establish and review, periodically, meeting
ground rules.
Start and end on time!! Consider
establishing a start and end time that is a
few minutes different than the hour or half
hour. e.g., meeting time 8:35 to 9:35.
An outspoken timekeeper is often helpful to
keep the tempo tracking!
Reasons TO Meet
1. To review information and develop
recommendations.
2. To solicit new information from a
group.
3. To analyze or solve problems.
4. To reconcile conflicting views.
5. To arrive at a group consensus,
decision, or confirm status of
something with a group of people.
6. To exchange information or
viewpoints.
7. To teach/train or formally present
information.
8. To fulfill legal requirements.
Reasons NOT to Meet
1. When a less costly communication will
produce the same result; memo,
report, phone call or brief discussion.
2. When there is not time for adequate
preparation.
3. When key people are not available.
4. When meeting will not likely produce
desired results.
5. When you’re not sure what you’re
intending to accomplish with the
meeting.
6. When a decision by an individual
would accomplish the desired result
and group consensus is not important.
7. When clear interpersonal conflict
needs to be addressed first so you can
move forward
Agendas
An agenda is a guide or road map for
what the team hopes to accomplish
during a specified period of time.
An Agenda Can:
 clarify what tasks or issues will be
discussed
 gives all members access to meeting plan
 helps put these items into an order
 identifies time allotment for issues
 serve as a guideline for the meeting
 lets participants arrive prepared
 tool for minutes and “group memory”
 communication tool for leader, facilitator,
sponsor and members
 be as flexible as needed
Preparing an Agenda
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When you prepare a preliminary agenda
remember to include time for a warm-up
activity, breaks, and closure activities or
evaluations. Members need to “settle in”
before tackling a difficult issue. Take
some time to make announcements and
share a few items from those who wish to
contribute.
Review the agenda with the team. Allow
members to ask questions and make
suggestions items to be added.
A flip chart might be used to list potential
items and the order, and to scribe the
notes from the meeting
Send out a follow-up agenda a day or two
before the meeting is scheduled as a
reminder/primer
Using the Agenda
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Follow the agenda for your meeting.
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Periodically, review what you have
gone over and preview what items are
left to cover. Make adjustments as
needed, but use group consensus.
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If not all agenda items are covered,
summarize those items and decide
when and how they should be
addressed (e.g. by subgroup or held
until the next meeting). Be sure to note
decision in the minutes.
Sample Ground Rules
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Work toward the good of the department
Leave your history, problems and egos
outside
Be courteous to one another
No interrupting another person
Comments limited to 2 minutes
No accusations . . . Use “I” and “we,” not
“you” statements
If you need to go outside to gather your
thoughts, please do so
Take risks-use this time to bring up those
issues important to you
Free to pass
Communicate!
Listen
Maintain confidentiality outside of these
sessions
Look at each other when you are talking!
Logistics
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Is the location of your meeting accessible to
all participants and possible resource people?
What barriers might exist for use of facilities?
What supplies and equipment will you need
for your meeting? Who will be sure it is
available?
Supplies: Paper, flipchart pads, marking
pens, masking tape, name tags, pencils,
whiteboard markers, etc.
Equipment: Easels, extension cords and
adapter, extra bulbs for projectors, laptop,
LCD projector, screen, whiteboard, etc.
Is there a phone available for team members
to use?
Who has the key to the meeting room, and
how can it be secured if that person isn’t
available for the meeting?
Recording/Scribing
Recording information is very important,
consider:
 Using a flip chart so all can see
 Rotating the scribing (spelling doesn’t
count!)
 Record and paraphrase key actions and
important points
 Keep a “parking lot” or forward calendar of
on-going or unaddressed issues
 Grammar and spelling matter for final
 Type and circulate within 48 hours
 Gain agreement to accuracy by email or
at start of next meeting
 Use a wiki (on line collaboration tool)
 Let participants know where they can
send feedback and/or follow-up info
related to discussion/actions
Brainstorming
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Recorder clearly states the topic or question.
Each member takes a turn, expressing one
idea at a time.
Recorder records each idea as stated, with no
editing, on chart that all can see.
OK to piggyback on ideas of other members.
No criticism, judgment or discussion of ideas.
Go for quantity of ideas.
Recorder can read the list of ideas aloud to
stimulate more.
If no idea, it’s OK to pass.
Consensus Decision
Making
Decision by consensus is a key process used to
solve problems. A group choice arrived at
through consensus should be better than the
choice made by individual team members
choosing independently. The dynamics of the
group transforms the whole into being greater
than its parts.
Consensus elements:
 All participants contribute.
 Everyone can paraphrase the issue.
 Everyone has the opportunity to express
feelings on the issue.
 Those members who continues to disagree
indicate that they are willing to experiment for
a prescribed period of time.
 Although everyone may not agree that the
decision is the best, all members agree to take
responsibility for the implementation of the
decision.
Consensus Decision
Making
Consensus does not mean that:
 A vote is unanimous.
 The result is everyone’s first
choice.
 Everyone agree.
 Conflict or resistance will
overcome immediately.
Managing Conflict: A few
ideas
You may not be able to handle all
conflict; ask for help if you need it!
 Keep focused on the goals of the
team/meeting
 Talk with folks individually outside the
meeting
 Address the conflict within the meeting
 Redirect questions to whole group
(e.g. what do you think, Sally?)
 Take a break or finish early
 Use tools from this class (ground
rules, charter, evaluation methods,
etc)
 Use a facilitator (short or long term)