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RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT (HM 432)
CHAPTER 5
Planning and Conducting Effective Meetings
One activity that has come to dominate today’s business
world is meetings. According to the National Statistics
Council, 37% of employee time is spent in meetings.
Meetings are a way managers can keep channels of
communication open with their staff Meetings can also
serve other purposes such as finding solutions to
operational issues or brainstorming new ideas.
The structure that a manager ultimately selects for
meetings depends on a number of factors, including the
particular culture of the organization.
This chapter will look at reasons why people do not like to
attend meetings and then suggest a number of ways to make
your meetings effective.
This chapter will also examine the meeting process from
planning a meeting through conducting and evaluating its
effectiveness.
Basic elements that are common to meetings will be reviewed.
Suggestions on how to format meeting agendas will also be
described.
The flow of running a meeting is presented along with
requirements for following up after the meeting.
Many participants do not take meetings seriously and
are not prepared.
Just too many meetings.
Meetings are too long.
People are not focused at meetings.
Some people dominate the meeting.
The information presented at meetings is confusing.
Many people do not speak their mind in meetings.
Meetings never seem to improve.
Given the negative image that meetings have in the business
world, how does a manager conduct meetings without
perpetuating this image? The better prepared a manager is
for conducting a meeting, the better chance everyone will find
the meeting to be effective.
To be prepared, the manager needs to understand how to
plan a meeting. Planning involves formulating the details of a
meeting beforehand so you and the participants know what
should occur during it. Planning also involves applying a
standard methodology to the meeting process to ensure
outcomes are achieved.
Types of MeetingsTypes of Meetings
A meeting is an assembly of people for the purpose of
discussing or making decisions about some topics.
Knowing what type of meeting you want to plan and
conduct is an important step. Most meetings can be
sorted into four categories:
1. Information meetings2. Problem-solving meetings3. Brainstorming meetings4. Action meetings
Meeting Objectives Meeting Objectives
As part of the planning process, managers should
identify any business objectives that need to be
accomplished at the meeting and determine the
appropriate type of meeting to accomplish those
objectives.
An effective manager will also get feedback from the
management team and employees who will be involved
in the meeting in order to craft objectives helps
everyone attending the meeting understand its specific
purpose and reason.
Meeting Meeting Attendees Attendees
As you plan the meeting, you should determine
who needs to attend the meeting, which is
related to the type of meeting you are
conducting and its purpose.
It is important to invite and include only those
people who are essential to the purpose of the
meeting.
Meeting Frequency Meeting Frequency
For a meeting to be effective, it needs to
follow a useful and comfortable process with
established guidelines as seen in the
following Exhibit ;
Meeting Frequency Meeting Frequency
The type of meeting can dictate how often it is
held.
It is important for a manager to try not to mix
too many types of meetings together. It is more
effective to have shorter meetings that are
focused on similar issues and objectives than
to combine a number of items into one longer
meeting.
Developing the AgendaDeveloping the Agenda
The next step is to develop the meeting agenda
based on the objectives. An agenda is simply a list
of topics that will be reviewed or dealt with at a
meeting.
Agendas are created based on the objectives,
purpose, and any feedback you have gathered from
participants. The agenda becomes the roadmap for
conducting the meeting. A sample meeting agenda
is shown in the following Exhibit.
Parts of an Agenda Parts of an Agenda Name or type of meeting. Date, time, and location People attending Materials to bring Meeting purpose/objectives Agenda topics. Topic type.. If there are any presenters, associate them with the topic they will
be presenting or facilitating. Time frame for each agenda item. Next steps. Conclusion. Evaluation.
Warm-up Activities Warm-up Activities A warm-up activity is a quick, interactive activity that
prepares people to focus on the meeting and its objectives.
A wide assortment of warm-up activities can be planned and designed into a meeting, including:
1. Introduction activities
2. Rev-up activities
3. Appreciative activities
4. Competitive activities
5. Team-building activities
6. Training activities
Premeeting Activities and Assignments Premeeting Activities and Assignments
These activities can range from reading materials
that will be discussed at the meeting to completing
some type of task and reporting their findings.
If the manager determines that some type of
premeeting assignment does need to be completed
by participants so they are prepared to participate
productively, the manager should answer the
following questions:
Premeeting Activities and Assignments Premeeting Activities and Assignments
What pre-activity or assignment needs to be completed?
Does the activity need to be completed before the
meeting, or can it be done during the meeting?
Does this activity support one of the objectives and This
manager uses humor to engage his staff in a preshift
meeting. purpose of the meeting?
Will all participants need to complete the assignment? If
not, who will be designated to complete the activity?
Premeeting Activities and Assignments Premeeting Activities and Assignments
How much time will it take to complete the pre-
assignment?
What materials do you need to put together for the pre-
assignment?
What instructions do you need to write to accompany
the pre-assignment?
Do you need to include a cover letter when you
distribute the agenda and pre-assignment?
Have you included the pre-assignment in the agenda?
Scheduling the Meeting Scheduling the Meeting
Once you have determined the objectives and set
the meeting agenda, you need to schedule the
meeting time and date.
A meeting facilitator is someone who assists in
making the meeting run easier. Whether you as the
manager, act as a facilitator, or you decide to ask
someone to play that role, a facilitator’s major
responsibility is to keep the meeting focused and
moving.
Other responsibilities for a meeting facilitator are: 1.Determining whether any issues need to be tabled
and reviewed later or in another meeting. 2.Telling the group that time has expired on an
agenda item. 3.Intervening and refocusing the group if the
discussion breaks into several different but related conversations.
4.Managing the discussion of sensitive topics in a neutral manner.
5.Preventing anyone from dominating the meeting or being ignored.
6.Bringing closure to agenda points.
A few key objectives a manager can carry out to ensure a successful meeting include:
Arriving early Having a sign-in sheet Starting on time Using and following an agenda Understanding the purpose and objectives of the
meeting Identifying action items and assignments
consistently Ending on time Using evaluation information for improvement
Establishing Ground Rules Establishing Ground Rules
Ground rules are the norms regarding how meetings are run,
how participants should interact, and what behavior is
acceptable. Ground rules may cover any of these behaviors: Promptness Conversational courtesies Breaks Interruptions Rotation or routine tasks—such as recorder or flipchart
recorder Other norms the group wants to enforce Question and answer periods
During the Meeting During the Meeting
Throughout the course of the meeting, each
agenda item should be presented.
Closing the Meeting Closing the Meeting
Once you have gone through all the agenda items,
you need to bring closure to the meeting.