How to Run a Good Meeting

How to Run aGood Meeting

Copyright © 2000, 2010by Jeremy D. Sher

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works License 3.0Exact reproduction permitted with proper attribution.

PRESENTATION BYJEREMY D. SHER

Welcome, and thanksfor listening!

Jeremy Sher is President ofGrassroots Giving Group, Inc.,located in Boston, Mass.

[email protected]




THE BASICS1 of 34

GROUND RULES:Talking about Talking

No Interrupting!• Interruptions waste ideas• Interruptors aren’t listening

• Interrupting is rude

Generating Other Ground Rules• Let participants suggest their own rules• Brainstorm and seek agreement

• You don’t need too many rules

An Atmosphere ofRespect . . .

Make it a priority to maintain an atmosphere of respect. Think of rudeness as a waste of time and energy.




THE BASICS2 of 34

WHAT IS A MEETING FOR?

• Assigning responsibilities to people, and checking in• Answering questions that are before the organization

• Planning and controlling projects

Providing Information• Presenting progress reports and getting feedback• Making announcements and taking questions

• Also, sometimes providing a sense of group unity

Making Decisions

Meetings Are Expensive!

The cost of a meeting is:

• the cost of people’s time,• the opportunity cost of what they could be doing,• materials and support,• sometimes travel and food.

Use the time wisely!




THE BASICS3 of 34

Opening a Meeting

Be Punctual!

• Welcome participants.

• Distribute the agenda.

Make a clear opening.

It is important to let people know that the meeting has begun.

Closing a Meeting

Be Punctual!

• Review accomplishments.

• Review decisions made.

Create a sense of closure.

• Review responsibilities assigned.

• Pronounce the meeting over.




PLANNING IS YOUR JOB4 of 34

SETTING THE AGENDA

• The agenda is provided in writing.

If it isn’t possible to distribute a final agenda24 hours in advance, then at least give your participants a draft agenda.

Why Is the Agenda So Important?

The agenda serves two important functions:

1. It provides a sense of accomplishment that comes from reaching clearly defined goals.

2. It helps the meeting run more smoothly.

• The agenda is distributed at least 24 hours in advance.





Dividing Up Your Time:

ORDERING

BEGINNING OF MEETING END OF MEETING

Brief items

Easily estimated duration Minor items or “chores”

More Interesting

Controversial





Dividing Up Your Time:

EMPHASIS

Allocate More Time for . . .

• Items of greater consequence• More controversial items *

* Sometimes, it’s best to allocate less time for controversial items, if you feel that all the arguments have been heard before, and you’re going to ask for a decision.





Dividing Up Your Time: PRINCIPLES

Think about participants’ interest level and attention span.• Intersperse long discussions with quick items.

• Don’t leave a “dead zone” of boring business at the end of the meeting.

• Put most quick items earlier. People get anxious if you’re still stuck on Item 1 halfway through the meeting.

Make sure participants leave with a sense of accomplishment.• Plan for as much as you think you can realistically accomplish.• Be sure to end the meeting on a positive note.

Plan for any internal political issues that may come up.• Keep in mind which, if any, agenda issues might be sensitive.





Dividing Up Your Time: PRIORITIES

Set and adhere to strict time limits.• This is a skill that you will acquire with practice.

Postpone some items.• Perhaps some of your work could be “pushed” to the next meeting.

Insist on business.• Maintain a particularly businesslike tone. “No goofing around today.”

Plan to continue some items at a future meeting.• Try to make at least some progress at this meeting. Break a large task into subtasks, and accomplish at least one subtask.

What if you have too much to do in the time available?





MAINTAINING PUNCTUALITYWhy is punctuality so important?

Your skill at running things on time shows that:• You are in control of the meeting.• You take the group’s business seriously.

• You understand that people have other commitments, and you respect their schedules.

Maintaining punctuality is your first opportunityto show your skill as a chairperson.





Start on Time. End on Time.

• Start your meeting as soon as possible after the scheduled time.• Watch your first impression: if your first few meetings start on time, people will know to arrive on time—but it also works the other way around.

• You are responsible for making sure your meeting gets finished on schedule.

• Respect your participants’ schedules, and they will respect yours.If you started a couple minutes late, you might end late by that exact amount of time, as an incentive for people to be punctual.





In a meeting,it is alwaysappropriate

to:

In a meeting,it is

sometimes appropriate

to:

In a meeting,it is never

appropriate to:

Have participants report on progress and get feedback

Bring new ideas to the group’s attention

Make decisions AS A GROUP

Have fun and relax asa group

“Workshop” policy ideas or event plansLeave extra time for participants’ comments and/or announcements

Discuss issues that do not involve every member of the groupChastise any individual from the chair




FACILITATING DISCUSSION12 of 34

RECOGNIZING PEOPLE TO SPEAKWhy should you recognize speakers?

1. Recognition establishes that one speaker has the floor.

2. Recognition is essential to maintaining control of the meeting.

3. Recognition helps shy or quieter participants feel more comfortable speaking up.

Formal or Informal Recognition?

Recognition can be formal, but it doesn’t have to be. The degree of formality is entirely up to you (unless it’s already set by a governing document or authority).





FORMAL RECOGNITION or Informal Recognition?

(Some General Pointers)Size of

Group:LARGER THAN

12?Smaller than

10?Status of

Group:THE U.S.

SENATE?The Tennis

Club?Usual Decision-

Making Method:

ALWAYS VOTING?

Not always voting?

Expected Level of Controversy:

VERY CONTENTIOUS?

Not much debate?

Some factors will probably weigh one way, while others suggest the other. You have to comply with your group’s formal rules, if any, but everything beyond that is up to you. Sometimes, you can vary your group’s level of formality for meetings when you feel a different (usually higher) level might be required.





USING INFORMAL RECOGNITIONInformal recognition attempts to retain the benefits of formal recognition while adapting it for a less formal environment.• Generally, call people by name, even without strict rules.

• Use hand gestures and face the speaker. Use body language to make it clear that you have recognized someone.• Keep a queue in mind, and even announce it: “John, then Sarah, then Chris, then Jennifer.”• If you let people speak without explicit recognition, keep close tabs on the discussion. Do not hesitate to cut in if the discussion needs to be steered back on topic.





WHO SPEAKS WHEN?

Steering the Meeting

Remember to keep comments on topic and stick to your allotted time per discussion item.

Usually, recognize people in the order in which they signal their wish to speak.

At times, you may entertain a particular viewpoint or motion. (Thatis, you recognize that viewpoint before other participants may speak.)This can be done formally or informally.When is it appropriate to entertain a particular viewpoint?• If a minority view is being overlooked. (“Does anyone have a different take on this?”)

• In contentious debates, it is traditional to alternate speakers between the favoring and opposing sides.





PROGRESS REPORTSProgress reports are productive when:• Everyone at the meeting needs to know about the status of each project.

• A regularly scheduled meeting enforces accountability for getting work done.

• All or most participants are in a position to give useful feedback on each project.

Progress reports may not be productive when:• There is too much detailed discussion of issues that don’t involve everyone present.

• A report is too long, without a meaningful reason for feedback. (Sometimes the boss is the worst offender—be careful of long corporate announcements!)There are alternatives to the staff

meeting!• Consider using e-mail for announcements.

• Consider doing more business in smaller working groups that meet more frequently.

• Refer some issues to be dealt with individually or in smaller groups, offline.





CULTURAL ISSUESPeople behave differently in meetings due to differences in culture.

Here are some things to watch:• Volume of people’s voices: are only the loudest voices being heard?

• Time before speaking: people may wait to speak anywhere from a quarter-second to a full second or longer after someone else has finished speaking. Get to know participants’ habits and make sure everyone has a chance to be heard.

• Willingness to interrupt: can non-interrupters get a word in edgewise?*

* Cultural issues make it even more important not to allow interruptions!

Why Do CulturalIssues Matter?

Good ideas come from many different people in different walks of life. If you’re only hearing from one subset of people, you’re not getting the best ideas. Also, diversity in a group can itself lead to mind-opening dialogue.





MANAGING DISAGREEMENTWhat if participants seriously disagree on an

issue, and your group is at an impasse?

• Use brainstorming.

• Have people identify the interests at stake, and move away from fixed negotiation positions.**

• Try to make sure everyone can live with every decision.

** Negotiation theory can help here. (That’s a topic for another seminar.)

• Do not be afraid of disagreement. Your group may now be doing its best deliberative work! Just try to keep it cordial.

• Articulate and follow rules.*

* We’ll say more later about rules.





ADDRESSING PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR

Problem Behavior:

Dominators Silent Shadows

Consider that the person may be feeling:

Unheard *Insecure *

Useless, Incompetent *

Uninterested **

Actions you could take:

Put a quick stop to interrupting. **

Phrases that show the effects of the behavior.(“Let’s give someone else a chance.”)

Don’t dominate the conversation yourself.

Cold calling: once in a while; use discretion.

Offer praise and encouragement.

In private, ask them about their interests.

* Active Listening can help here.

** These may become disciplinary issues.





Addressing Problematic Behavior:

YOUR TONE IS ALL-IMPORTANT!

• Watch your tone of voice.

• Your goal is a smoothly run meeting. Do not chastise publicly!

• Keep your tone:

• You can communicate the same idea in very different ways.

Try it: “Let’s give someone else a chance.”

• Watch your word choice. Try it: “So far, your project is a failure.”“Your project has not yet met its objectives.”

constructiveopen and welcomingimpersonal and impartial





ABOUT ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER . . .• Robert’s Rules are wonderful for ensuring that

meetings are fair, and that they proceed smoothly.• Unfortunately, their formality and complexity tend to scare people.

If you don’t use Robert’s Rules, you can still use their principles:• Comments must be germane to the topic at hand• Decorum is essential• Equal time for opposing views

You might run Robert’s Rules “in the background.”• Governing authority in case of procedural questions• Run your meetings in the spirit of Robert’s Rules.




MAKING DECISIONS22 of 34

Decisions are made BY THE GROUP, and BY THE RULES.

The most important thing is that formal

decisions be accepted as legitimate.

• In a deliberative meeting, the chairperson or facilitator does not usually express his or her own opinions. You do so at your own risk. You must run the meeting fairly.

• As a leader, you will sometimes have to respect—and represent—decisions with which you personally disagree.




MAKING DECISIONS

CONSENSUS VOTING

or

?

Choosing a Decision-Making Method:

Your decision-making method must be clearly defined in advance.

Consider consensus when:• The group has a specific common goal• The group is fairly small• You want a more cautious approach

Consider voting when:• The group must take formal policy positions• The group is larger than 8 to 10 participants• The group may need to make decisions quickly

What if I’m the Boss?

If you make the decisions personally, you have a lot more latitude—but the morale issues of process legitimacy still exist. More on the next slide.

23 of 34




MAKING DECISIONS

Choosing a Decision-Making Method:

WHAT IF I’M THE BOSS?You may find yourself running meetings in situations where you make the decisions personally. But questions often come up at meetings, and peoplehave views on issues under consideration.

Isn’t legitimacy what I decide?

No. The decision is what you decide— legitimacy is how you decide it, and how your process is perceived by other stakeholders.

• People will come to you with creative ideas more often if they know they will be heard in a predictable manner.

• You will get better work and participation out of people if they feel their time in meetings is well spent.

Here are some ideas for how to use discussion time:• Frame the group decision as a recommendation to you.• Participate in the discussion (but don’t dominate it).• Take the opportunity to hear and evaluate different views.

24 of 34




MAKING DECISIONS

WHEN IS THE GROUPREADY FOR A DECISION?

These Signs Are for Consensus Groups, Too

They signal that extended discussion is no longer productive. In a consensus group, this means it’s time for you to actively push the group for a decision.

Move toward a decision whenyou see one of these signs:

• Arguments get rehashed on all sides; discussion produces few new ideas

• All (or most) participants seem to agree

– OR –

25 of 34





Getting a decision is as easy as stating it and having everyone agree.

• Try the suggestions under “Managing Disagreement” (Slide 15)

(Warning: if anyone disagrees, you don’t have consensus.Go back to discussion.)

• If one person is blocking consensus, talk to them privately. If their behavior is unreasonable, deal with that issue.

• You may have to accept indecision. Make sure partipants understand the consequences of indecision, and ask for a decision one last time.

• Do not resort to voting.

IN A CONSENSUS GROUP:CONSENSUS

If you see consensus . . . If there is an impasse . . .





If you see consensus . . .

Hold a quick vote and be done with the issue.

If there is an impasse . . .

• You may try any of the “Managing Disagreement” tactics (Slide 15) or hold a vote.

IN A VOTING GROUP:VOTING

In scheduling votes, defer to Robert’s Rules of Order, if applicable, and to your sense of fairness.• Consider trying for consensus

anyway.• Make sure everyone at least understands the minority’s view.





If you see consensus . . .

If you agree, announce the issue closed and move on.

If there is an impasse . . .

• Consider trying the “Managing Disagreement” tactics (Slide 15).

IF YOU’RE MAKING THE DECISIONS:

If you disagree, you might:• Take the group’s

recommendation under advisement.• Announce your decision, explain your reasoning, and move on.• Tell the group you’re not convinced and offer to continue another time.

• If you’re prepared to do so, simply make the decision.

• Take the matter under advisement and move on with the meeting.





REVISITING PAST DECISIONS:Generally, not a good idea.

* Except if the formal rules provide for reopening the issue, and the criteria set by those rules have been met. Even in this case, you may have wide latitude.

Whether to reopen a question is your decision.*Revisit recent decisions only if . . .• It becomes clear to you that a serious mistake has

been made.• There is strong stakeholder disapproval that surprises you.• The rules require you to reopen discussion.

If a decision was good enough last week,it’s probably good enough this week. Constantly revisiting decisions interferes with the legitimacy of any decision.




KEEPING RECORDS30 of 34

The Importance of

MINUTES

• Remind you what happened at this meeting• Help group members who were absent get up to speed.

Minutes . . .

• May provide information to outside stakeholders about your process. • Will help future groups like yours, or others who are trying to start or run a similar type of process.





Working with

CONFIDENTIALITY

• Minutes should always be distributed to all group members. If they were privy to the meeting, they’re privy to the minutes.

Depending on your group, you may need to keep minutes secret, or redact them.In any case:

• Often, you may choose whether minutes are to be made public, and whether they are to be destroyed at the conclusion of your project.Be sure everyone understands

your confidentiality rules!




✗


Good minutes include:

Necessary Components of

GOOD MINUTESGood minutes do not include:

• A list of decisions made, with vote records if voted.• Individual members’ responsibilities for the next meeting.• A concise summary of any progress reports.

• A brief list of key ideas from the discussion (only if needed).

• Verbatim, paraphrased, chronological, or narrative records of discussions.

— These are almost always useless, and— They make the important items difficult to find.





Minutes Are

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

• Try rotating “recorder” responsibilities among group members.

You will not usually take minutes yourself, but it’s your job to make sure they get done.

• If all else fails, take minutes yourself, but . . .

If your group doesn’t have staff, and nobody volunteers:

— Include only the basics.— Do not let yourself get distracted from running the meeting. Minutes are important, but in a pinch, running the meeting is more important.




CONCLUSION34 of 34

A GOOD MEETING:

• Has clear ground rules.• Begins, ends, and proceeds punctually.• Emphasizes respect.

• Is well planned, with a clear agenda.• Is guided by an active chairperson.

• Does not enable problematic behavior.• Makes decisions, explicitly, legitimately, and fairly.• Is recorded, with minutes that are easy to skim.• Leaves everyone with a sense of accomplishment.

Date post:	16-Jan-2015
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How to Run a Good Meeting

Business