HOW TO MANAGE A MEETING AND ACTUALLLY ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING

A good and productive meeting requires a great deal of concentration and focus, some active listening and skillful people management, but the rewards are great. If you achieve the goals you set for yourself, you will have proved you can not only manage meetings, but departments and companies as well.

Many of us complain about attending too many meetings, often leaving them with an air of frustration, a feeling that there was too much petty sniping and dissention and not enough accomplishment. It doesn't have to be this way. A meeting can be energizing, with people leaving feeling good about themselves and each other, moving forward to accomplish specific goals with definite milestones, enthusiastic about their prospects for success.

It doesn't require magic or genius or even charisma to hold a productive meeting. It does require focus and discipline and a keen sensitivity to communications and group dynamics.

The Basic Structure

To keep on track and keep your time and discussions under control, you should have a written agenda. Given the fact that there will always be someone who wants to ventilate about something else on his mind, the more structure you can put in your agenda, the better. Some agendas list the type of meeting and facilitator, the topics, who is to speak on each and the time allotted for each discussion. This is followed by a section for note taking which includes a space for each agenda topic, room for notes on the discussion, conclusions, action items, person responsible and deadline. ( To make it even simpler, Microsoft Word has an Agenda wizard which will walk you through this and produce your customized agenda in a minute or so.)

This pretty much pins down an expected result and a schedule. It also helps to keep your time under control, although you may have to keep reining some people back in, to follow the agenda. It doesn't stop them from bringing up non-agenda items but it helps because it is so apparent they are out of order. Also, when they bring up a topic out of sequence, and everyone has to flip through their agenda to get to it, even the offender is reminded he is not following the prescribed sequence. Awareness of proper procedure is the first step towards adhering to it.

Ground Rules

In meetings of two or three people, you may not need any ground rules other than the agenda. For larger meetings, you may want to follow Robert's Rules of Order, at least to the extent that members have to raise their hands to be recognized and speak. This, at least, prevents the meeting from becoming a free for all and gives you, the chair or facilitator, some means of control over the flow of discussion and the achievement of the desired outcome.

Define the Goal

In the beginning you should define both the goal you are addressing, and the possibly more limited goal of this specific meeting. For example: " Our company has decided to build a new building for the engineering department. The purpose of this meeting is to select an architect. ( or to choose the type of workstation to be used or any other subgoal of the general project.)

Effective Communication Guidelines

• Draw people in, encouraging everyone to speak and share their thoughts
• Be a good "traffic cop". Rein in dominant players and draw out the reticent.
• Give positive strokes ( "That's a very creative solution"), encouraging further discussion
• Make it about issues not personalities
• Keep the tone spirited but emotionally managable. Take a time out if tempers flare.
• Repeat or rephrase someone's statment to him if you think he needs to think it through again.
• Reinforce that spirited debate is a sign of vigor in an organization and is always welcome
• You may want to make clear that once a majority decides an issue, all members should sign on and stand behind it. Next time someone else might be in the majority and no one likes a disgruntled member going out and sowing division, undermining his own group.
• Genuine communication and commitment come, not from having an overriding concern for harmony at all times, but by putting everyone's ideas on the table and working through them

Levels of Communication

According to Hendrie Weisinger, Ph.D., author of Emotional Intelligence at Work, there are four levels of communication below the peak level, where two people are totally in sync with each other and comfortable in sharing thoughts on any level:

• Niceties
• Factual Information
• Thoughts and Ideas
• Feelings

Weisinger goes on to make the point that true connection occurs when you are communicating on the same level and that this is a fluid process, moving back and forth between levels as nuances change. Of course, it requires some sensitivity to match your level to the other person's.

Two levels are central to the meeting process:

"To build trust and reach consensus, you need to establish openness and honesty. Sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings is a way to do that." In other words, displaying your feelings can help someone trust you.

The other cautionary advice about feelings is "Don't shift out of the factual and ideas level when you're problem solving."

Bottom line: communicate on a meaningful level, but maintain awareness about when you display feelings because they help build trust on the one hand, but can lead into uncharted territory with invisible land mines, on the other. Use judgement. Stay tuned in to the reactions of those around you.

Stay on Track, Stick to A Schedule, Use Time Limits

Clearly the structure and controls outlined in your agenda should help give you a disciplined means to keep moving each step of the way, even if you occasionally feel like you're clearing the path with a machete.

Restate the Goal as it has been clarified in the meeting; list the steps necessary to reach it.

By the end of the meeting, the goal of this specific discussion should have achieved greater clarity and many more specifics than when it began. It will help everyone to restate your goal in its newly evolved state, list each step necessary to achieve it, and express the support you will all give to that effort.

Next Step and Responsible Party

Review with each person which specific steps he or she is responsible for and emphasize the due date for the completion of each step.

Follow up - Closing the Loop

Set the date of your next meeting to receive reports on everyone's next steps, to track progress or address any set backs. Remember everything is managable but management must manage. There is no one else to do it, no place to run or hide. A good and productive meeting requires a great deal of concentration and focus, some active listening and skillful people management, but the rewards are great. If you achieve the goals you set for yourself, you will have proved you can not only manage meetings, but departments and companies as well.