1. Meetings Saul Greenberg University of Calgary Based on: Meetings Bloody Meetings (Film by Cleese), How to Run a Meeting (Jay, 1976, Harvard Business Review)

2. The Message Most meetings are a waste of time They don’t have to be.

3. Agenda Meetings Bloody Meetings Discussion Summary of Highlights

4. Why Meet? Defines a social group –bonding Revises, updates and adds to what is known –shared knowledge –‘the social mind’ –combined experiences adds value to ideas, information Shared understanding of collective goal –Decision building, consensus, authority –and how individuals contribute to its success

5. Why Meet? Commitments to decisions and objectives –entails an obligation to accept them –greater authority of decisions to others Status roles –may be only time a leader is perceived of guiding a team –members discover / manipulate relative standings

6. Types of meetings Size –> 100assemblies –40-50councils –< 12committees Frequency –(daily, weekly, monthly, ad hoc…) Composition –work together, work in parallel, diverse,… Motivation –common objective, competitive, unifying… Decisions –general consensus, majority vote, by fiat, by chair after reviewing input… Make up –Peer group, senior to junior, outsiders…

7. Before the meeting What is the meeting intended to achieve? –what if we did not hold it? Don’t hold meetings if you don’t have to!

8. Before the meeting Clear objectives –informative – digestive clarifications, progress reports… –constructive – originative what shall we do? contribute knowledge, experience, ideas, judgement –executive responsibilities how shall we do it? Who is going to do what? responsibilities for implementing the plan –legislative framework rules, routines, procedures

9. Before the meeting Making preparations –people who? how many? (committee: 4-7 best, 10 tolerable, 12 limit) –agenda meeting plan descriptive labels with ‘for information, for discussion, for decision’ … include time: ‘3 minutes’: note that urgent does not mean important! order (importance, interest, unity) presenter include end time distribute 2-3 days before meeting –background materials short, to the point unless detail required

10. The Chairman’s job Facilitator –social leader vs. dictator or dominator ‘guides’ the meeting –monitors and runs the process who? how many? (committee: 4-7 best, 10 tolerable, 12 limit) –leads by gathering, selecting and combining options (brainstorming) discuss options decide

11. The Chairman’s job Facilitator –social leader vs. dictator or dominator ‘guides’ the meeting –monitors and runs the process who? how many? (committee: 4-7 best, 10 tolerable, 12 limit) –leads by gathering, selecting and combining options (brainstorming) discuss options decide

12. Conducting the meeting Dealing with the subject –clearly stated goals and outcomes –all understand issues / facts –rectify mis-understandings/confusion –head off irrelevant and off-topic discussions –terminate discussion when it has reached its purpose Dealing with people –start on time –control the garrulous –draw out the silent (nervousness vs hostility) –protect the weak –encourage a clash of ideas –watch out for suggestion-squashing –the most senior people last Close on a note of achievement

13. After the meeting Produce minutes –time, date, attendees –agenda item discussions, decisions –action items plus who is responsible