Conducting Effective Meetings

Effective communication, especially during meetings, is essential to management and to achieving business goals and objectives.

Conducting Effective Meetings
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Effective communication is essential to management and to achieving business goals and objectives. Few people would argue this. However, one very important communications activity that sometimes can be overlooked is that of effective meetings. Who looks forward to meetings? Not very many people in most cases. As college professors, we spend a significant amount of time (some folks would say too much!) in all kinds of meetings ranging from formal classroom teaching to committee meetings to informal office or hallway meetings with colleagues. What meetings are you in charge of; and how much time do you spend in meetings?
Studies reveal that managers and business workers spend between 25% to 80% of their time in meetings, suggesting that meetings consume a very large portion of one's working life. Given that we spend so much of our valuable time in meetings, it is critical that this be time well-spent. We ask the question: Are your meetings effective? This month we look at the some of the keys and tips for effective meetings.
Information on effective meetings is not scarce; scores of books and websites provide insight on effective meetings. Given that we cannot cover every meeting detail in our column, we focus on a few key concepts about types of meetings, and things to do before, during and after the meeting to make them more effective.
Types of meetings
When is it time to have a meeting? Not every situation calls for a group meeting. Some things are more efficiently done by a subcommittee or even one person and then presented to a larger group for review. Keep this in mind when considering meetings. Some typical situations for meetings are the following:
People management
Many managers call weekly staff meetings. These standing meetings provide a chance to review the work accomplished in the previous week and look ahead to what will be accomplished in the coming week.
Project management
Projects will typically require meetings at the onset, at regular intervals while the project work is progressing, and at the end. Toward the end of a project more frequent meetings may be necessary.
E-mail too complicated
When an email conversation gets increasingly complex, it may be time to have a meeting so that the conversation can take place in spoken words. A phone call or an in-person meeting may be more appropriate and can be quicker than a series of emails.
Problems arise
If a project is getting off course, interpersonal conflicts are escalating, or any other emergency occurs, it is probably time to have a meeting.
Meeting purpose
You, as well as the others attending the meeting, must have a clear understanding of the purpose of the meeting. Your meeting purpose will determine the appropriate format for the get-together. The basic types of meetings are:
Standing meeting
Examples include a regularly scheduled appointment, such as a weekly individual meeting with a boss or a department; or a project meeting taking place at intervals until the project is over. Since these meetings recur, their format and agenda become relatively well established. While it is important to hold these meetings at routine intervals for convenience and consistency, at times they can be rescheduled.
Topical meeting
This is a gathering called to discuss one subject, such as a work issue or a task related to a project.
Emergency meeting
This meeting is called to address a crisis, either internal or external. Such meetings are often arranged with very little notice, and attendance is usually mandatory. If the emergency meeting conflicts with another appointment, the emergency meeting typically takes precedence.
Presentation
This is generally a very structured meeting where one or more people speak and a moderator leads the proceedings. The purpose is usually to inform. Attendees may have an opportunity to ask questions, but usually their participation is limited.
Conference
This meeting is usually a highly structured and moderated meeting like a presentation; however, various participants contribute following a fixed agenda.
Seminar
This is a structured meeting with an educational purpose. Seminars are usually led by people with expertise in the subject matter.
Before the meeting
As a manager, you are probably responsible for organizing and leading meetings. Effective meetings do not just happen by themselves. They first require planning by you, and then you must conduct them efficiently and effectively. Having a good plan will help you be organized and more effective. Again, the purpose of the meeting will guide much of your prep work, so you must first define your purpose and objectives. Communicate the purpose to participants when setting the meeting date, time and location. Generally, the grander the meeting, the more likely you are to need good preparation. Before your meetings some other items you will want to give consideration to are the agenda and various other preparations.
The meeting agenda
One of the most important aspects of a well-managed meeting is a carefully prepared agenda. Preparing an agenda is an opportunity to think about the purpose of the meeting and the desired outcomes. Giving structure to the conversation helps ensure the time is managed effectively and that at the end of the meeting, your group has made good decisions and is ready to accomplish whatever is next.
Some meeting organizers prepare two agendas: 1 is distributed to group members, and the other is the organizer's key to keeping the meeting on track. The public agenda may list topics, speakers, allotted time, or other basic information such as start and end times and meeting location. The organizer's agenda also lists greater detail on the things that must be covered or might be said during the meeting.
You will want to be realistic with the goals you set for a single meeting and with its length, and you will want to take your attendees' attention spans into consideration. Most people struggle paying attention for longer than 90 minutes without a break. You may or may not send out the final agenda in advance, but at a minimum your meeting participants should have a clear understanding of the purpose of the meeting. You should also distribute any appropriate background materials or homework in advance and provide enough time for them to be useful and completed.
Meeting preparations
No matter how informal the meeting, good advance preparation can improve the effectiveness of the meeting itself. Several things you may want to give consideration to are the following:
Time and place
You will want to choose an appropriate time of day and place. If the meeting uses technology to link people across locations, you must consider time zones. First thing in the morning is a great time for department or staff meetings to get the day or week started. However, this may not be a good time for a brainstorming session unless you provide plenty of coffee and Diet Coke. Friday afternoon may be an appropriate time to ask people to let ideas flow freely, but it may be more difficult to reach decisions just before the weekend. Choose a meeting location that suits the occasion - right size, a convenient location, appropriate technological capabilities, proper ventilation to make the participants comfortable and the meeting effective.
Tables, chairs, atmosphere, supplies
There should be enough room for everyone to sit down and spread out at a conference table. A conference table where group members can face each other is ideal for many types of meetings. A cool room at the beginning of a meeting may warm up to a comfortable temperature as people gather and the meeting unfolds. Cold is generally preferred to hot; people may complain about cold temperatures, but they get really grumpy when they are too hot. Check lighting, including dimmer switches, and practice dimming the lights and covering the windows for audiovisual presentations if appropriate. For a larger meeting, be sure the speaker is well lit and visible from the back of the room. Arrange for flip charts and markers, notebooks, pens, sticky notes, pencils, name tags, podiums, projection screens, video equipment, and other necessary materials in advance.
Refreshments
If you are having guests in from outside the organization, refreshments are appropriate. Bottled water, coffee, soft drinks and food that is easy to eat without spilling are good to have. If lunch is necessary, decide in advance who will supply lunch to avoid unnecessary, time-consuming discussions. Regular work meetings may not call for food and beverages, but they are a nice gesture to consider periodically.
Breaks
For longer meetings, give attendees a break approximately every 90 minutes. Some meetings may need only five- to 10-minute breaks. If refreshments are served, a 15-minute break is typically needed. As the meeting breaks, announce specifically what time the meeting will resume to ensure that everyone returns promptly. Start again promptly at the time you announced.
Homework
When you send materials in advance of a meeting, be very clear what homework you are asking attendees to do before the meeting. For example, if you send a document for review, ask for comments on specific aspects of the document. If a meeting organizer asks you to prepare for a meeting, then budget enough time to do the work prior to the meeting. If you are not asked to prepare for a meeting, then you may want to double-check with the organizer to be sure nothing is expected of you in advance. Occasionally you may find it necessary to ask someone to speak on a topic for which they have not been asked to prepare. In this situation, as a courtesy, you should inform the others in attendance that the person is speaking extemporaneously. Even if you have provided materials in advance and asked attendees to prepare for the meeting, you may want to bring a few copies of the agenda and the handouts, along with your notes from the previous meeting if applicable. Prepare for difficult questions that you might receive during the meeting by considering them in advance.
During the meeting
As the meeting organizer, facilitator and leader, you are responsible for managing the course of the meeting and for accomplishing its objectives. The most effective meeting leaders generally pay attention to detail to stay on course, they encourage the group to take ownership of decisions, and they bring energy and a sense of humor to the meeting. Some tips to utilize during the meeting are the following.
Introductions
Greet members and make them feel welcome, even late members when appropriate. This will also help you get a sense for the mood of your participants. If appropriate, serve light refreshments since they are good icebreakers and they make your members feel comfortable. If any member or guests have not met one another, make sure you introduce them. If anyone's presence is likely to intimidate some of the members, put them at ease by explaining the reason the person is sitting in. If anyone is expected to be late, say so at the start to set everyone's expectations. If you know you will be late to a meeting, tell the organizer as soon as you know.
When a new participant is asked to join a group, particularly a standing group that has already worked together, the facilitator or another group member should give the new member an overview, and then the group can be invited to add anything else it thinks the new member needs to know. If you do not bring new members up to speed, then the group runs the risk of having to cover old ground.
The clock
Start on time and end on time. This is critical to establishing your authority and running an effective meeting. Remember, this is your meeting and you are responsible for controlling it. How you conduct a meeting will also set expectations for group members for future meetings that you organize. Managing the clock provides a very effective way to keep people on track and to keep the meeting progressing. It provides you a courteous way to end conversations that are not adding value. You can say, "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I want to make sure and keep to our scheduled time." As the organizer, you should have on your organizer's agenda an approximate time for each item on the agenda; this will help you manage the clock.
Ground rules
At the start of the meeting, review the agenda and establish what you hope to accomplish in the allotted time. Different types of meetings need different ground rules. Participants should understand whether they are expected to contribute to the conversation, or just listen. For example, there are no bad ideas in brainstorming sessions, and speakers may or may not be permitted to interrupt one another. Presentations may take questions throughout or only at the end. If you set clear ground rules and expectations at the beginning, it will be easier to keep the meeting on track.
Many meetings use some modified version of Parliamentary Procedure — generally using Roberts Rules of Order — to keep things organized or on track. Faithfully following every nuance of Roberts Rules is probably onerous (unless the meeting has legal obligations such as a published board meeting or the like — in which case Roberts Rules should be strictly followed); however the chair should be somewhat versed in the general procedure of making motions and voting. A good discussion of Roberts Rules can be found at: http://www.robertsrules.com.
Participation
A good meeting facilitator wants to professionally advance the agenda without stifling participation, steering off course, or getting stuck in any particular place. As a leader, be a role model by listening, showing interest, appreciation and confidence in members. Distribute handouts only when you are ready to use them. Otherwise, people will read through them instead of listening to you.
Encourage discussion to get points of view and ideas. This helps motivate members and you will have better quality decisions since members tend to feel that the meeting is worth their time. Feedback should be encouraged. Ideas, activities and commitment to the group and its purpose improve when members see their impact on the decision making process. If someone is not participating, offer them the floor but try not to make the person feel put "on the spot." Keep conversation focused on the topic. Tactfully end discussions when they are becoming destructive or unproductive. If someone wanders too far from the pertinent issue, acknowledge the value in the issue and record it for later discussion, and then focus the group back on topic.
Let people finish what they are saying. If someone interrupts, direct the conversation back to the previous speaker to let him or her finish. Ask follow-up questions that show the speaker's point was heard and that challenge the speaker to finish an unclear or incomplete thought. At the end of the meeting, summarize agreements reached, list the next steps, and reiterate follow-up actions including who is responsible for conducting the action, and end the meeting on a unifying or positive note. Show appreciation and praise participants for their time and efforts. Set a date and time for the next meeting if applicable.
After the meeting
Upon conclusion of the meeting, you will want to ensure any minutes or notes that should be distributed are prepared and distributed promptly and that any follow-up meetings are scheduled, (A good meeting secretary is a necessity for relatively formal meetings.) You should include any unfinished business from the meeting on the agenda for the next meeting. Quick action reinforces the importance of the meeting, reduces memory errors, and does not hinder participants from moving forward on any assignments. Promptly archive your meeting notes and materials so they can be easily accessed later if necessary. You will want to confirm that members understand any further responsibilities, and then follow up on these decisions as agreed.
Put it to use
So how can you use this information to improve your meetings? Conduct a self-evaluation of your current meetings. What percent of the time do they start and end on time? How smoothly do your meetings run? Are they organized or disorganized? Do you provide an agenda and follow it? What percentage of the time do you accomplish your meeting goals? Do you have control of the group? Do people frequently show up late and unprepared, or just not show up at? Do they tend to talk amongst themselves or work on other work? Do some attendees do all the talking and some never participate? Is progress made after the meeting? People tend to be social creatures … are you continuing to meet just for the sake of meeting, i.e., is the meeting really creating value or is it just a cost to you?
You may often attend meetings where you are not the organizer; think about what you find good and bad about these meetings. Are you doing or permitting the same things in your meetings that you list as your complaints about other meetings? Answering these and other evaluative questions like them will help you assess your current meeting effectiveness. You may want to collect anonymous feedback from colleague or employee meeting attendees as well. You might prepare an electronic form with several evaluative questions on it and ask several individuals to provide you their honest feedback. Then you can take action to make your meetings more effective — and maybe even more fun — for both you and other attendees.
Dr. Foltz is Associate Dean, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. Dr. Wilson is Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue, Univerisity.
author: By Drs. John Foltz and Christine Wilson




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