What most people say about public speaking…that is that public speaking is way up there on the list of things most people would rather die than do…also holds true for some other public corporate duties including running a meeting.
Chairing a meeting is like public speaking only with a smaller crowd, usually, and with a less forgiving group. However, like public speaking, by learning and following a few simple rules, almost anyone can chair a meeting like a weathered circuit judge.
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The degree of formality of the meeting usually dictates the stress level. The more formal the more stress and vice versa.
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Most business people will agree that well-run meetings can be an effective way to help define objectives, brainstorm for solutions and go a long way toward boosting morale and building a team. In short they can be an effective method of moving organizations closer to their goals, keeping personnel motivated and defining next steps.
By the same token, poorly managed meetings can lead to confusion, waste time and lead to frustration and an erosion of morale.
So if running a meeting is part of your responsibility, then read on.
Meeting Style
Some companies encourage short, frequent, impromptu meetings other prefer a more formal approach with proper agendas, member responsibilities and minute taking for circulation afterwards. No matter which style you follow, basic rules of performance can help make your meetings more productive. Here we will look at the less formal meeting system used in everyday business
The Notice
Things seem to go a lot easier if a notice of meeting is circulated, depending on the size of the organization and the number of attendees the notice can be sent by e-mail, circulated memo or bulletin board notice. Unless there will only be three or four people attending, word of mouth is seldom an effective way to give notice for a meeting.
The notice of meeting should be sent out far enough in advance for people to plan ahead to attend. It should indicate at least the time, the date, the location, those attending and the reason for the meeting. In most cases, the proposed agenda is sent along with the notice.
The Agenda
Following an agenda gives people advance notice of the meeting topics and allows them to properly prepare. It also keeps the meeting on track and avoids speculation and confusion about why the meeting has been called. The agenda should be short and to the point. Many people strive to indicate a time allotment per topic to set the pace of the meeting.
Location
The meeting room should be clean, comfortable and have available any equipment necessary for presentations. Water, refreshments, and snacks, if required, should be available when the meeting starts.
Start Time
If you are in charge, nothing sets the tone of the meeting better than starting the meeting on time. By starting all your meetings on time, you will eventually change the habits of the attendees. Nothing says we mean business like meetings that start on time. Major corporations insist on it, you should copy their style.
Down to Business
Once the group has gathered and the meeting is ready to start, it is up to the chair to keep attention focused on the issues at hand. The chair is responsible for the agenda topics to be clearly defined, for the resolutions to be made, consent achieved and get a agreement on future direction.
A Good Chair Should…
- Open the meeting with comments on why it was called.
- Introduce the topics.
- Be impartial to all members.
- Maintain decorum.
- Indicate who should speak.
- Decide when enough discussion has been held.
- Explain issues before consent is sought.
- Seek consent on all issues by whichever means have been decided.
- Keep cohesion within the group.
- Decide when the meeting ends and all objectives have been reached.
Minutes
For informal, impromptu meetings, minutes aren't usually necessary but for meetings where decisions are taken that affect future direction etc. they are a good way to keep everyone on the same page. Minutes should not reflect the discussions leading to decisions, but should reflect decisions and future direction.
While we have just scraped the surface of chairing a meeting, we have tried to present at least a little insight into how to make the process less stressful and more productive. To find out more about meetings there is a wealth of material available on the Internet from the government, from business associations or your local small business resource.
Rod Feller, Editor/Publisher
