Leading Effective Meetings

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Leading Effective Meetings

• Using FORESIGHT to Plan, Facilitate, and Achieve
  Your Groups Potential

2
Included in this Session

• Deciding why and when meetings are necessary
• Planning your agenda
• Preparing your group
• Using allocated time effectively
• Following up after the meeting

3
Bad Meetings Cause

• Bad decision-making
• Lack of buy-in
• Conflict

4
Essentially a Meeting is

• A forum for communication
• An opportunity to build team unity
• A chance to foster creativity
• Group brainstorming
• Problem solving

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Guiding Principles

• What is the purpose of your group?
• What are the unifying factors of group members?
• Majors or career objectives
• Interests or hobbies
• What are group norms?
• Formal vs. informal
• Traditions or expectations

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Norms and Expectations

• Attendance
• Let members know what you expect (acceptable
  excuses for missing, how to notify you if they
  will have to be absent)
• Promptness
• Participationencourage openness

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Other Useful Norms

• No backtracking for people who are late
• No cell phones
• Establish a five-minute rule
• Rotate responsibilities
• Criticize ideas, not people
• Avoid killer phrases

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When to Hold a Meeting

• Regularly-scheduled meetings can give a group
  structure and continuity, BUT
• Be sure you have a PURPOSE for meeting
• Determining when to call a special meeting
• Crisis situation
• Leader transition
• Before a big event

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Step 1 PLAN

• Involve group members people are more likely to
  consider something a priority if they have been
  involved in the planning process.

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Selecting a Meeting Time

• Choose a time thats appropriate for what you
  want to accomplish
• If meetings are on a regular basis, stick to the
  same time and location

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Publicizing Meetings

• Give at least a weeks notice, except for
  emergency meetings
• Call or e-mail 1-2 days before to confirm date,
  time and location

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Creating an Agenda

• Set objectives
• By the end of the meeting, I want the group to
• Dont try to cram too much information into one
  meeting
• If possible, share the agenda with group members
  ahead of time.
• Lets them know what to expect
• Allows them to prepare

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Keeping Meetings Interesting

• Use spice items occasionallybirthdays, special
  accomplishments, announcements.

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Prepare the Meeting Space

• Reserve a room
• Make set-up arrangements
• Seating
• Temperature
• Sound
• Materials and refreshments

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Step 2 LEAD

• During the meeting
• Involve everyone as much as you can
• Make everyone feel needed and respected
• Document group decisions
• Examine body language for signs of disagreement
• Summarize or ask follow-up questions to show that
  a speakers point was heard

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Getting Started

• Start on time!
• Give an overview of topics to be discussed
• Introduce any guests

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Staying on Task

• Advance the agenda gracefully
• Keep committee business in committees
• Stay focused on ACTION

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If a Meeting Gets Stuck

• Politely redirect unproductive discussions
• Examples
• Thats a valid point, but doesnt apply directly
  to this discussion. Perhaps we should schedule a
  separate meeting to address it fully.
• Its obvious there are some opposing views
  surrounding this issue. Maybe our time would be
  best spent working toward a compromise. Any
  suggestions?

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Wrapping it Up

• Assign, document, and follow up on action items
• End on time!

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Step 3 FOLLOW-UP

• Give recognition for work well done.
• Be open to suggestions about improving meeting
  structure and effectiveness
• Keep all members informed provide minutes for
  those not in attendance.

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LEAD team

• Peer Educators for Leadership Topics, like
• Avoiding burnout
• Time management
• Goal-setting and Strategic Planning
• DiSC leadership assessment
• Contact LEAD team at leadteam_at_bama.ua.edu or
  348-5036

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References

• Chan, J. F. (2003) Academic Administrators Guide
  to Meetings. San Francisco Jossey-Bass.
• www.EffectiveMeetings.com