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Advice for Executives

Time Management

Chairing Meetings

Motivational Techniques

Managing Organisational Change

Chairing Meetings

Meetings are an effective tool in any industry sector and can be used to:

• Generate new ideas
• Boost morale and motivation
• Address issues and conflicts
• Enhance team spirit

However, if these meetings aren’t held for a particular purpose, they can be seen as a waste of time and, frankly, boring!  They can then have an adverse effect on the team causing a lack of motivation.  Successful meetings are well thought out and can lead to positive outcomes.  Here are some top tips and guidelines to help guarantee this.

Right time, right place

To ensure good attendance levels, it is important to ensure that all delegates are available and this means choosing a suitable date and time and an appropriate venue.  While bearing in mind others’ schedules, it is important to make people realise the importance of the meeting and urge them to prioritise their workload to enable their attendance.

Brief, in-house meetings can be held either at the company premises or at a location that is easily accessible while larger meetings may require the use of external conference facilities.  Either way, consideration must be given to the time taken for delegates to reach the venue and to get home afterwards so, for those coming from further afield, overnight accommodation may be required.

Plan ahead

Preparing and distributing an agenda before the meeting, detailing the objectives and items for discussion, will enable delegates to prepare by making notes of matters they wish to discuss.  The agenda can also be used to set the timeframe for the meeting with the most urgent items scheduled first and delegates given an idea of how much time will be set aside for each item.

Setting up the venue

By arriving before the delegates, you can ensure that:

• The layout of the meeting room is appropriate in terms of the seating arrangements so that all delegates can see the chairperson and any visual aids they may use
• All equipment and materials are in place and lighting and other electrics are fully functional
• Refreshments are organised, and toilets and emergency exits located
• You can meet and greet each delegate on their arrival

How to start

Opening a meeting should follow a standard format:

• Start on time
• Introduce yourself and other delegates
• Present apologies for non-attendances
• Clarify the purpose of the meeting
• Summarise the agenda
• Give timings for breaks and lunch (if applicable)
• Predict when the meeting will end

Gaining and maintaining control

The chairperson of any meeting is responsible for ensuring that the schedule is adhered to and that all delegates have the opportunity to participate.  A good chairperson can read body language, recognising and possibly prompting those in the audience who appear to have something to say but have not yet contributed.  The chairperson should encourage debate on each item on the agenda and invite questions from the delegates to ensure that each item is fully covered before proceeding.

Handling confrontations

When delegates disagree, it is possible that potential conflict situations may arise.  It is the responsibility of the chairperson to manage these effectively and to ensure that the agenda is not affected.  Agree to investigate the contentious issues further at a later date and proceed with the meeting as soon as possible.

Concluding the meeting

The meeting should end with a general summary and the clarification of items which need to be followed up and by whom.  If required, a further meeting can be arranged before the meeting is formally closed.

What happens next?

The chairperson should take notes throughout the meeting and is responsible for ensuring that these are typed and distributed to all delegates who attended, those who could not attend and other interested parties.  The minutes should list agreed actions and who is responsible for dealing with them and by when.  The chairperson should ensure that these are completed within the agreed timeframes.

Further meetings will only be effective if the previous meeting is deemed a success and all agree action is taken.  Delegates will be more receptive to future meetings if their opinions were listened to and positive action was taken as a result.