Meeting Management
Part I
Importance of Meetings
Meetings are one of the most important
management tools necessary to make
teams, groups, and organizations work
more effectively.
However, most organizations get into a
“paralysis by analysis” and “information
overload” mode and spend countless
hours debating issues, arguing, and
discussing things in a circular manner unable to come to a concluding decision.
Ineffective Meetings
Harold Reimer, a researcher in the field of
meeting management, estimates that the
cost of time lost after ineffective meetings
amounts to $800,000 per year for every
1,000 employees.
This cost is due to time lost to conduct
meetings, subsequent discussions about
the issues and the ripple effect to other
parts of the organization due to ineffective
decisions made.
Ineffective Meetings
The key to using meetings
effectively and providing value to
the participants and the
organization as a whole lies in
the planning and implementation
process of conducting meetings.
What is Meeting?
The word “meeting” includes
group decision making,
teamwork, JAD (Joint Application
Design) and any other group
process to discuss and solve
complex issues by more than
one person.
Five Principle of Meeting Management
1.
2.
3.
4.
Common Focus on content
Common Focus on process
Open and balanced conversational flow
Protection of individuals from personal
attack
5. Clear definition of all participant’s roles
and responsibilities
Key Groups in Meetings
1.
2.
3.
4.
The
The
The
The
Facilitator
Recorder/Scribe
Group Member
Manager/Chairperson
All the meeting participants should
understand the roles of each of these key
group members.
The Facilitator
 Takes control of the process from the
manager
 A neutral servant of the group that does not
evaluate or contribute ideas but rather
provides focus.
 Helps the group by:
1. Focusing its energies on tasks
2. Suggests methods and procedures
3. Protects all members of the group from attack
4. Makes sure everyone has the opportunity to
participate
5. Handles pre-meeting and post-meeting logistics
The Recorder/Scribe
Documentation for retention
A neutral, non-evaluating servant of the
group.
Records in the voice of the participants
and clarifies.
Makes the information collected visually
presentable and agreeable.
voice or video recorders can be
substituted for a recorder/scribe person.
The Group Member
An active participant in the meeting.
Maintains the facilitator and recorder in
their neutral role.
Clarifies and checks for accuracy of
content.
The Manager/Chairperson
Controls the power
An active participant
Makes all final decisions; has the power to
set constraints and regain control.
Sets the agenda
The manager plays a power and a process
role in the meeting.
Note: bosses generally cannot run a fair,
non-manipulative meeting.
Key Meeting Management Issues
The key to effective meeting management
is planning and preparation.
One of the fundamental problems in
conducting meetings is the problem of
separating the “What” from the “How”.
1. Group must agree on the common problem.
2. Group must agree on a common process to
resolve problem.
3. Group must respect and adhere to the
ground rules of communication exchange.
Separating “What” from “How”.
 Put effort more on the process than on the
outcome – takes more time, but
 Implementation of decisions is much faster
than if a hasty decision is made and the
ripple effect of the decision is discussed in
every area that it affects.
Guidelines for group decision making
1. Avoid arguing for your own views.
2. Do not assume that someone must win.
3. Do not change your mind simply to avoid
conflict.
4. Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as
majority vote.
5. Differences of opinion are natural and
expected.
6. Keep it simple and work on small pieces at a
time. Don’t jump from concept to concept;
finish one, then move on.
7. Always work from general to specific/detail.
Guidelines for group decision making
8. If a meeting is held without agenda
 Define the facilitator role
 Facilitator: setup the meeting content “
•
Facilitator: ask for agenda items “

•
•
Let’s start setting up a list of agenda items.
Anymore? We can always add other later.”
Facilitator: setup the meeting process “

•
•


How should we approach solving our problem?
Should we outline some suggestions and determine their
advantages or disadvantages or what?
Facilitator: start the meeting and monitor the process
Facilitator: summarize discussion and results “
•

Does everyone know why we are here?”
Okay, let me summarize what we’ve done here today….”
Facilitator: define the next step in the process and end
the meeting thanking everyone
Guidelines for group decision making
9. Two problems that prevent effective
participation:
 Difficulty in getting a chance to speak
 Fear of personal attack/humiliation
10.Always start on time .
11.Don’t confront chronic latecomers in the
meeting in front of the group.
 Discipline in private only!
Guidelines for group decision making
12.Avoid “groupthink” – thinking that the group
is invincible and becoming delusional.
13.Setting up a meeting in a semi-circle or
circle is preferred with semi-circle being the
best for presentation and note taking
purposes.
14.Set and distribute the agenda prior to
coming to the meeting (at least a day,
preferably a week) so that everyone knows
what to expect.
 Keep the agenda distributed to the participants
short.
Any Question ?