1. Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
PCL Module 5
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

2. Objectives
Learn about strategies for structuring teams so that meetings can be effective
Learn about processes that teams can use to ensure effective meetings
Learn about strategies that team leaders and others can use to facilitate effective meetings
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

3. Essential Questions
What are some characteristics of effective meetings?
What structures and processes can be used by teams to ensure that their meetings are effective?
What facilitation skills can leaders and other team members use to encourage members to participate in effective meetings?
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

4. Agenda
Generating ideas for conducting effective meetings: A “Think, Pair, Share” Activity (15 minutes)
Presentation and discussion of strategies for promoting effective meetings (25 minutes)
Group problem-solving (20 minutes)
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

5. This module focuses on ways to organize, structure, and facilitate effective team meetings. To begin the activities associated with this module, have participants think back to their own experiences to recall a time when they have attended a meeting that they considered to be effective. As a way of building the rationale for the activities to follow, ask participants to talk about how effective team meetings contribute to an overall sense of collaboration.
Opening Discussion
Think about a meeting that you’ve been to lately that you consider to have been effective.
How do effective team meetings contribute to collaboration?
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

6. Think, Pair, Share Activity
The think, pair, share activity uses three steps to get people to talk about ways to conduct effective meetings. It serves as a way for participants to get to know one another and their perspectives and is an “opener” for the power point that follows. In addition, the activity is one that participants can use later in their own team meetings as a strategy for promoting participation of all team members when a specific topic is being discussed.
To being the activity, ask participants to take about 2 minutes to individually list as many ideas as they can about factors that contribute to effective team meetings. They may choose to think about the ideas and/or to write them down. Second, ask participants to form pairs or triads. Give them about 3 minutes to share their ideas with one another and to identify five ideas that they find most critical to effective team meetings. Finally, ask a representative of each pair or triad to share the five ideas with the whole group. As the facilitator, you can model good meeting facilitation by recording these ideas on flip chart paper, a white board, etc. At the conclusion of this whole group sharing, let participants know that in general, effective team meetings have three main characteristics: good structures, good processes, and effective facilitation (or leadership). If possible, show participants how their ideas fall into these categories. This will serve as a lead in to the power point slides that follow and provide more specific ideas in each of the three areas.
Individually, list as many ideas as you can about factors that contribute to effective team meetings.
In pairs or triads, talk about your ideas and identify five ideas that and your partner consider most important to effective team meetings.
Share your ideas with the whole group to begin thinking about tips for conducting effective meetings.
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

7. Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
The slides that follow talk about three ways to create effective team meetings through the ensuring that teams have good structures, productive processes, and effective facilitation. “Structures” refer to the building blocks of teams that define when and how groups will come together to do their work. “Processes” refer to communication and related strategies that help groups organize their work. “Facilitation” refers to the set of skills that a team leader or facilitator needs to have in order to ensure that team structures and processes are used effectively during team meetings to 1)accomplish the team’s tasks and 2) promote relationship building and the participation of all team members. You may choose to ask participants for a show of hands as to whether or not they work with facilitators whom they consider to be effective. It is important to note that team members who are not official facilitators can also help to promote effective facilitation by modeling effective strategies or making suggestions for more effective facilitation. The slides covering the three aspects of effective team meetings should be discussed in about 15 – 20 minutes. If the “Think, Pair, Share” activity generated a lot of ideas from participants that are repeated in the power point slides, feel free to go more quickly through this information. If possible, print slides 6 – 11 as handouts so that participants may take notes.
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
Effective Meetings Need to Have:
Good structures
Good processes
Good leadership/facilitation
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

8. Creating Strong Structures
In order to promote effectiveness, collaborative teams need to have good structures that define how they will organize and structure themselves to do their work. Decisions about team structures are best made when teams begin to form, but they may be modified as teams move through the stages of team development. To begin, effective collaborative teams need to have some specific and regular times that they will meet together. This is especially important when teams are beginning to form, as they will need extra time for team members to get to know one another and to discuss basic ground rules and team processes. When team members choose a time to meet, they should be sure that it works for all members’ schedules and that members are going to remain committed to attending meetings at that time. Second, teams need to identify their group norms and purpose. It is critical for new teams to know what their purpose is and what they would like to accomplish. The establishment of group norms provides an opportunity for team members to discuss how they would like to function and communicate with one another. Examples of group norms typically used by collaborative teams include:
We will not interrupt one another.
We will respect diverse points of view.
We may judge ideas, but not people.
We will strive for equal participation (e.g., equal talking time for everyone).
We will promote creative problem solving and risk taking.
We will tell people when we think their ideas are valuable.
We will clarify decisions that have been made.
We will start and end meetings on time.
Teams also need to decide on the processes they will use to work together, including what roles will be used, how agendas and minutes will be used, how decisions will be made, and how they will monitor their progress as a team. Leaders of newly forming teams may need to provide a lot of guidance to the team in order to accomplish all that needs to be done to form an effective team.
Finally, teams need to decide what communication systems they will use to convey information when they are not meeting. Examples include phone calls, , written minutes that are distributed following each meeting, etc. Each of these strategies needs to be inclusive and take into account the different language and communication styles of team members. It is critical to note that team decisions need to be made during face-to-face meetings only, while other communication systems may be used to disseminate information.
For more information on team structures, see the notes pages for Modules 3 and 4.
Creating Strong Structures
Teams need to decide how they will be structured to conduct their business
Decide on regular meeting times
Identify group norms and purpose
Decide how meetings will be conducted (e.g., use of agendas and roles, etc.)
Talk about how decisions will be made (e.g., consensus, democratic, etc.)
Talk about how members will communicate between meetings
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

9. Creating Productive Processes
The “productive processes” discussed in this slide are processes that effective teams use to ensure that they can accomplish their goals while promoting positive relationships and a sense of participation among all team members. For more information on the use of agendas and roles, please refer to modules 3 and 4. Although the term “effective” teams sometimes sound synonymous with “efficient” teams, truly effective teams must go beyond efficiency to focus on the “heart” of the team. These teams bring out the importance of trust and caring that allow the team to truly reflect on tasks as well as relationships. It is critical for all team members to use good communication skills and to build in specific time to reflect on strengths and challenges that the team may be encountering. Team members need to feel that they are comfortable enough to talk about individual concerns as well.
Creating Productive Processes
Use agendas with timelines
Have the group agree on the agenda ahead of time, or
Come with a partial agenda and ask for input
If there’s too much to do, prioritize and stick to your timelines
Use roles and share them when possible
Typical roles include: facilitator, recorder, timekeeper
The facilitator’s role can be shared, even if there’s one “official” leader
Shared roles help to create a sense that all members are equally valued
Find ways to develop trust and a sense of shared responsibility
Pay attention to the use of good communication skills
Build in processing time to discuss what the group is doing well and what needs to be improved
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

10. Paying Attention to Leadership and Facilitation
The above tips are primarily directed at team facilitators who can help to ensure that teams balance the need to focus on tasks as well as relationships. Teams that primarily focus on accomplishing tasks may get a lot done at the expense of building strong relationships, trust and fun in the team process. Teams that focus only on relationships and process may have members who feel better about one another but who do not get much done. Effective facilitators monitor the degree to which teams are able to achieve this balance and intervene as necessary to help the team find a balance between the two. For example, if the team is too task focused, the facilitator can help team members to check in with one another to see that all team members are being heard and that their ideas are valued. If the team is too focused on process and relationship building, the facilitator can bring team members back to the agenda and to reviews of “to do” lists, timelines, etc. Different teams have different energies and team facilitators can help to speed up or slow down the conversations that occur during meetings. While humor can often be effective in re-focusing a group or in identifying minor conflicts, facilitators need to be careful not to over-use humor, to use humor in ways that others don’t understand, or to sound cynical or demeaning instead of supportive and empathetic.
Paying Attention to Leadership and Facilitation
Remember to balance the task and relationship aspects of collaboration
Focus both on getting tasks done and developing good relationships
Try to read the energy of a group and adapt as necessary
Use humor-- wisely
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

11. Paying Attention to Facilitation (cont’d)
A key role of the facilitator is to create a sense of respect and equity among all team members. Effective facilitators need to monitor the contributions being made by each team member. They can encourage members who are less vocal to speak up, and remind talkative members that team participation means listening as well as talking. Team members who talk less than others may need more time to process their ideas. Facilitators can help to address this by using “wait time” before ideas are shared, asking all members to jot their ideas on a piece of paper before sharing them with the whole team, or breaking large teams into small groups when new or more controversial topics are being discussed. When facilitators encounter overly talkative or domineering members, they can remind the team of its group norms related to equal participation, re-direct the conversation to another person or topic, re-direct the team back to its agenda, or invite the participation of others by asking questions such as “Does anyone else have another idea?,” “We’ve heard from a few members, but I’d like to invite those who haven't had a chance to speak to offer their ideas,” etc. Participation can also be threatened by too much conflict. On the one hand, effective facilitators can be helpful in encouraging team members to express varied perspectives on a given topic. On the other hand, facilitators may need to step in when these differences of opinion turn into personal conflicts. For more information on conflict resolution, see Modules 4 and 7.
Paying Attention to Facilitation (cont’d)
Use your role to help develop a sense of equity among team members
Encourage equal participation among all members
Remind members that participating means listening as well as talking
Use your role as a way to identify when decisions are being made
Note the difference between “discussion time” and “deciding time”
When necessary, step in to help resolve conflict and/or to help in doing so
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center

12. Problem-Solving Activity
As a closing activity, ask participants to think about times when they have been members of ineffective teams. Ask three or four volunteers to share their situations with the whole group, focusing on what happened and why the situation appeared as a challenge. Have the remaining group members brainstorm alternatives to the situation presented. These may come from participants’ own experiences as well as from applications of the information presented in this module. As a final reflection, ask participants to engage in a “round robin” activity in which you ask people to “go around the room” so that each participant can share his/her perspectives. Remind participants that they have “the right to pass” if they are not comfortable sharing an idea. In addition, you can let participants know that the round robin activity is a good facilitation strategy for encouraging equal participation among group members.
Problem-Solving Activity
Think about some times when team meetings have not been effective.
Describe to the group: What happened and why you saw this as a challenge.
Group members: Drawing on your own experiences as well as today’s discussion, generate alternatives to the situations described.
Final thoughts: What are two or three things you learned as a result of today’s activity?
Tips for Leading Effective Meetings
©2008, University of Vermont and PACER Center