Planning, Conducting, and Recording Meetings Module Nineteen McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning Objectives LO 19-1 Apply strategies for good meeting plans. LO 19-2 Apply strategies for productive meetings. LO 19-3 Apply strategies for good meeting decisions. LO 19-4 Apply strategies for business networking LO 19-1 Apply strategies for good meeting plans. LO 19-2 Apply strategies for productive meetings. LO 19-3 Apply strategies for good meeting decisions. LO 19-4 Apply strategies for business networking

Learning Objectives LO 19-5 Explain techniques for effective meeting participation. LO 19-6 Select items for inclusion in meeting minutes. LO 19-7 Compose scripts for informal meetings with bosses. LO 19-8 Compare and contrast techniques for virtual meetings versus face-to-face ones. LO 19-5 Explain techniques for effective meeting participation. LO 19-6 Select items for inclusion in meeting minutes. LO 19-7 Compose scripts for informal meetings with bosses. LO 19-8 Compare and contrast techniques for virtual meetings versus face-to-face ones.

Types of Meetings Parliamentary Staff Run under strict rules Use Robert’s Rules of Order. Staff Typically are held to announce new policies and products, answer questions, share ideas, and motivate employees. Business, nonprofit, and government organizations hold several types of meetings. While other meetings can be held, these four are the more common in business. Other kinds of meetings can include sales meetings, conventions, and retreats.

Types of Meetings Team One-on-One Bring team members together to brainstorm, solve problems, and create. One-on-One Are perhaps the most common kind of meeting Highly informal Many companies hold sales meetings for their sales staff. Conventions bring together workers in the same field from many different employers. Retreats allow a small group to get away for team building, brainstorming, or long-range planning.

What planning should precede a meeting? Meetings can have at least six purposes: To share information. To brainstorm ideas. To evaluate ideas. To make decisions. To create a document. To motivate members. Meetings can have at least six purposes: • To share information. • To brainstorm ideas. • To evaluate ideas. • To make decisions. • To create a document. • To motivate members. When meetings combine two or more purposes, it’s useful to make the purposes explicit. For example, in the meeting of a university senate or a company’s board of directors, some items are presented for information. Discussion is possible, but the group will not be asked to make a decision.

What planning should precede a meeting? A good agenda indicates The time and place of the meeting. Whether each item is presented for information, for discussion, or for a decision. Who is sponsoring or introducing each item. How much time is allotted for each item. A good agenda indicates • The time and place of the meeting. • Whether each item is presented for information, for discussion, or for a decision. • Who is sponsoring or introducing each item. • How much time is allotted for each item.

Sample Meeting Agenda See Figure 19.1 for an example.

When I’m in charge, how do I keep the meeting on track? Help participants deal with issues in a timely and thorough manner. Make ground rules explicit. Pay attention to people and the process at hand. If conflict gets out of hand, focus attention on the group process. Meeting chairs should help participants deal with the issues in a way that is both timely and adequately thorough. To do so, pay attention to both task and to process.

What decision-making strategies work well in meetings? Understand what the group has to deliver and when. Identify the problem. Gather information and share it. Establish criteria. Generate alternate solutions. Measure alternatives against criteria. Choose the best solution. Standard agendas help meeting attendees to understand the goals of a meeting, as well as how they might be achieved.

Networking In your own organization, reach out to people. Go to lunch with co-workers. Meet at least one additional person a week. Seek out people in your department as well as those beyond it. Getting to know people within and beyond your own organization helps you build a network of contacts, colleagues, and friends.

Networking Get to know people outside your organization. Join community organizations. Take a course at a local college. Join a professional society. Be prepared when going to a meeting. Do your research, and make notes so that when you speak, you can be complete but succinct. In small meetings, people who speak early and often are usually seen as the most influential, but even in larger meetings, a single, fluent comment can be memorable.

Networking Be prepared Be targeted Be professional Be patient Focus on Quality Be referral centered Be proactive Be dedicated Purdue University gives tips for networking in both small and large group settings: • Be prepared. Define what you need and what you are trying to accomplish by networking. • Be targeted. Identify potential prospects: family members, friends, faculty, neighbors, classmates, alumni, bosses, co-workers, and community associates. • Be professional. Ask your prospects for advice—not for a job. Start off the encounter with a handshake, eye contact, and a smile. • Be patient. Stay politely persistent with your leads and build momentum. • Be focused on quality—not quantity. In a large group setting, circulate and meet people, but don’t try to talk to everyone. It’s better to have a few meaningful conversations than 50 hasty introductions. • Be referral-centered. Expand your network by obtaining additional referrals each time you meet someone new. • Be proactive. Stay organized and track your networking meetings. • Be dedicated to networking. Make networking part of your long-term career plan.

Dot Planning Allows Groups to Set Priorities Quickly Dot planning offers a way for large groups to choose priorities quickly. As Figure 19.2 shows, the dots make it easy to see which items the group believes are most important.

How can I be an effective meeting participant? Prepare for meetings. Speak when you have the chance. Make notes so that you can be succinct. Be prepared when going to a meeting. Do your research, and make notes so that when you speak, you can be complete but succinct. In small meetings, people who speak early and often are usually seen as the most influential, but even in larger meetings, a single, fluent comment can be memorable.

How can I be an effective meeting participant? While speaking Show that you’ve done your homework. Link your comment to that of someone in power. Find an ally ahead of time and agree to acknowledge each other’s contributions at the meeting. It’s frustrating to speak in a meeting and have people ignore what you say. Here are some tips for being taken seriously

What should go in meeting minutes? Decisions reached. Action items, where someone needs to implement or follow up on something. Open issues —issues raised but not resolved. Who was present, wording of motions and amendments, and vote results. Recording in minutes what has been discussed in a meeting is a good way to keep a record and to remind attendees what was accomplished and what needs to be done.

How can I use informal meetings with my boss to advance my career? Plan 90-second scripts that you can use to give your boss a brief report on what you’re doing, ask for something you need, or lay the groundwork for an important issue. You can take advantage of these meetings by planning for them. These informal meetings are often short. An elevator ride, for example, may last about three minutes. So plan 90-second scripts that you can use to give your boss a brief report on what you’re doing, ask for something you need, or lay the groundwork for an important issue.

Do virtual meetings require special consideration? Be aware of the limitations of your channel E-mail may seem more brusque Audio meetings lack nonverbal cues Videoconferences only show what the lens picks up Technology can fail When you meet electronically rather than in person, you lose the informal interactions possible in face-to-face meetings. So, build in opportunities to meet in person where possible, especially on important projects. Also, recognize that there are limitations to using video equipment, including how an image is presented and whether that equipment works properly.