R. I. T Mechanical Engineering How (Not) to Run a Meeting Design Project Management Rochester Institute of Technology Mechanical Engineering Department Rochester, NY USA

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Monday Schedule (DeBartolo, Kaemmerlen) R13201: 32 minutes R13701: 16 minutes R13904: 24 minutes (Gomes, Walker) R13002: 32 minutes R13401: 16 minutes R13301: 24 minutes 2 minutes prep (setup, handouts, etc) and up to 5 minutes for questions/discussion (PER TEAM)

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Session Objectives Motivation Video Tools for making good use of meeting time Prepare agenda for Monday’s talk

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Think about… The best and worst meetings you’ve ever attended: What were the attributes of the best? What were the attributes of the worst?

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Why is this important? We want to have: Clear purpose for meeting Clearly outlined responsibilities and due dates Prepared participants We don’t want to: Waste people’s time Disengage participants

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Why is this important? Purpose of meeting not clear: Off-topic conversations Getting bogged down on a trivial issue Responsibilities during meeting not clear: Assign responsibility for to-do items Assign deadlines for to-do items Unprepared participants: Convey information ineffectively during meeting Not comfortable discussing unfamiliar topics

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Meetings Bloody Meetings (Meant figuratively, not literally – think British.)

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Discussion Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever been responsible for this? How can you prevent this?

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Tools Meeting Tips Sample Meeting Agenda Design Review Agenda Template Design Review Notes Template

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Be polite, but firm. Use a Parking Lot – holds topics for later, but shows people they are not being ignored “It sounds like we should follow up with you separately on this topic. We will contact you this afternoon to schedule an appointment.” “The primary concerns I’m hearing is/are […]. The team will [action item] and follow up with all of you. In the meantime, let’s continue with our agenda.”

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Remainder of Class Work Time Agenda for Monday’s presentations Other prep for Monday

R. I. T Mechanical Engineering Background/VOC Expectations Step back, assess what you’ve done, compile information, seek feedback. Every project is still a work in progress – don’t pretend otherwise! Convey to the class: Context and motivation for your project(s) Goals for your project(s) Research sources and summarize information (current state of the art) Stakeholders, and summarize information (VOC) Questions for audience, next steps