Leaders Manage Meetings Chapter 8 Leaders Manage Meetings

Learning Objectives After completing this chapter, you should be able to: • Explain the need for meetings to be effectively managed. • Describe procedures for planning effective meetings. • Explain procedures for conducting effective meetings. • Suggest procedures required to evaluate and follow up on meetings.

The Need for Efective Meeting Management Types of Meetings Avoiding Problem Meetings

Planning Effective Meetings Overview of the Meeting Process

Meeting Objectives Meeting Attendees Meeting Frequency Developing the Agenda

Scheduling the Meeting Before-Meeting Activities and Assignments

Conducting Effective Meetings Focus on the Meeting Leader Warm-Up Activities Establishing Ground Rules Managing the Meeting

Closing the Meeting

Meeting Evaluation and Follow-Up

1. Explain the need for meetings to be effectively managed. Managers facilitate information, problem-solving, brainstorming, and action meetings. All meetings must be effectively managed to minimize problems. Challenges include leaders not preparing, excessive and long meetings, lack of focus, undefined objectives, and topics not applicable to objectives. Other problems involve failing to solicit input from all attendees or ensure that the information is clear.

2. Describe procedures for planning effective meetings. Strategies for planning meetings include defining the objectives to be accomplished, using input from the management team and employees. The meeting agenda should be based on its objectives and should include specific items with time limitations for discussion and action. The meeting should then be scheduled and any pre-meeting activities delegated.

3. Explain procedures for conducting effective meetings. The meeting facilitator is responsible for ensuring the meeting is effective, and especially that discussions focus on agenda items. Keeping the meeting on schedule is also necessary. Some meetings begin with warm-up activities to prepare attendees to focus on the meeting and its objectives. Ground rules must be established and followed to ensure that the behavior of all participants is acceptable. Each agenda item should be presented in the order listed, and action plans must be determined for those items that require follow- up. The meeting can be closed with a review of action items and a summary of decisions made. If necessary, a date and time for the next meeting can be announced.

4. Suggest procedures required to evaluate and follow up on meetings. Feedback is required to determine how to improve meetings in the future. A final step in the process is to write and circulate minutes. They will serve as a reference to remember meeting discussions, decisions, and action items.

Key Terms: Action item (meeting) A part of an agenda item that requires some type of action. Action meeting A brief meeting, often with just a few employees, that addresses and resolves a problem so action can be taken right away. Agenda A list of topics that will be considered at a meeting. Brainstorming meeting A meeting that develops a list of ideas or creative solutions to an issue confronting the operation; its purpose is to collect ideas, not to make a decision. Emergency meeting A type of action meeting that occurs when some type of emergency has occurred and immediate action must be taken. Facilitator Someone who runs a meeting. Ground rules (meeting) Rules about how meetings are run, how participants should interact, and what behavior is acceptable.

Key Terms continued: Information meeting A meeting that shares communication such as project reports and updates or one used for orientation and training. Minutes A record of what is decided, what is accomplished, and what action items are agreed upon at meetings. Problem-solving meeting A meeting held to consider and resolve one or more problems; it may involve discussing, analyzing, and reviewing alternatives, and deciding what actions should be taken. Robert’s Rules of Order A set of rules for conducting meetings in an organized way that allows everyone to be heard and to make decisions without confusion. Status quo How things are normally done. Tabled (agenda item) Held over for another meeting. Warm-up activity A quick exercise that prepares people to focus on the meeting and its objectives.

Chapter Images