Meeting 2

Starting the Meeting: What to do?

Always start meetings on timeeven if some
participants are missing.
Waiting for latecomers causes resentment and sets a
bad precedent.
Dont give a quick recap to anyone who arrives late.
At the appointed time, open the meeting by having all
participants introduce themselves if necessary.
Make a three- to five-minute introduction that includes
the following:
 Goal and length of the meeting.
Background of topics or problems.
Possible solutions and constraints.
Tentative agenda.
Ground rules to be followed:
Ground Rules
arriving on time,
communicating openly,
being supportive,
listening carefully,
participating fully,
confronting conflict frankly,
turning off cell phones and pagers, and
following the agenda.
determining how decisions will be made.
 The next step is to assign one attendee to take minutes
and one to act as a recorder.
The recorder stands at a flipchart or whiteboard and
lists the main ideas being discussed and agreements
reached.
Starting a Meeting: What to say?
MOVING THE MEETING ALONG: Handling
Monopolizers
Chairperson should say as little as possible.
Remember that the purpose of a meeting is to exchange
views, not to hear one person do all the talking.
An effective leader makes sure that each participant
gets a chance to speak, while no one member steals
the show.
If the group has one member who monopolizes, the
leader might say, Thanks, Gary, for that
perspective, but please hold your next point
while we hear how Rachel would respond to that.
This technique encourages quieter participants to speak
up.
MOVING THE MEETING ALONG: Handling
Digressions/Deviations
To avoid allowing digressions to sidetrack the group, try
generating a Parking Lot list: a list of important but
divergent issues that should be discussed at a later
time.
Another way to handle digressions is to say, Look, folks,
were veering off track here. Lets get back to the
central issue of . . . . Its important to adhere to the
agenda and the time schedule.
MOVING THE MEETING ALONG:
Summarizing
When the group seems to have reached a consensus, it
is important to
summarize the groups position and
check to see whether everyone agrees.
HANDLING CONFLICTS: Are conflicts useful?

Conflict is a normal part of every workplace. Conflict is not always

negative. In fact, conflict in the workplace can even be desirable.
When managed properly, conflict can:
improve decision making,
clarify values,
increase group cohesiveness,
stimulate creativity,
decrease tensions, and reduce dissatisfaction.
However, unresolved conflict can destroy productivity and reduce
morale.
When Conflicts Occur?
How to Handle them?
Conflict develops when people feel unheard or
misunderstood.
If two people are in conflict, the best approach is to
Encourage each to make a complete case while group
members give their full attention.
Let each one question the other.
Chairperson summarizes what was said, and the group
should offer comments.
HANDLING DYSFUNCTIONAL PARTICIPANTS

Dysfunctional Participants are those who block discussion,

monopolize conversation, attack other speakers, joke
excessively, not pay attention, or withdraw.
How to handle:
Warn that speakers who digress will be interrupted.
Seat potentially dysfunctional members strategically: seat
him/her immediately next to the leader.
Make sure the person with dysfunctional behavior is not
seated in a power point, such as at the end of table or across
from the leader.
 Avoid direct eye contact. In American society direct eye
contact is a nonverbal signal that encourages talking.
Thus, when asking a question of the group, look only at
those whom you wish to answer.
Ask members to speak in a specific order.
Encourage non-talkers by asking them direct questions
about their information or opinions.
Give praise and encouragement to those who seem to
need it, even dysfunctional participants
WHEN TO STOP A MEETING?

When the original objectives have been accomplished

(met);
When the group has reached an impasse (dead-end);
When the agreed-upon ending time occurs;
When it becomes necessary to table (postpone for
another meeting) some unfinished agenda items.
CONCLUDING THE MEETING:
Ending a Meeting
Summarize what has been decided and who is going to do
what.
Establish deadlines for action items.
No one should leave the meeting without full understanding
of what was accomplished.
Technique of once around the table: Everyone is asked to
summarize briefly his/her interpretation of what was
decided and what happens next.
Ask the group to set a time for the next meeting.
Thank participants for attending.
Distributing Minutes

Follow up by distributing meeting minutes.

The term minutes refers to a written report of what was
said in a meeting.
The minutes are taken during the meeting and
distributed within a couple of days after the meeting.
Send the minutes to all meeting participants and to
anyone else who needs to know what was accomplished
and discussed during the meeting.
COMPLETING ASSIGNED TASKS

It is the leader's responsibility to see that what was

decided at the meeting is accomplished.
The leader may need to call people to remind them of
their assignments and also to volunteer to help them if
necessary.
Meeting participants should complete any assigned
tasks by the agreed-upon deadline.