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At the heart of successful meetings is the aim to inspire the most positive collaboration
towards the best possible action for everyone involved.
Ever sat through a meeting that was dull, unproductive, disorganised with tempers running
high, people talking over each other and no decisions being made? Or one person
dominating the whole meeting and making all the decisions, leaving you to wonder why you
bothered turning up? Another common complaint is that, although there is a lot of
discussion, few concrete results emerge. Most of us can manage sitting through such a
meeting for a couple of times, but then start finding excuses not to go anymore. These
patterns are very common, which lead to disappointment, frustration, ineffectiveness and
loss of group members.
Any meeting can be efficiently run, inspiring, energising and fun. Unfortunately, it doesn't
just happen. Meetings should be enjoyable, efficient, and build group morale. Usually the
most enjoyable meetings are also the ones that are the most efficient and productive.
Facilitating great meetings is a challenging task and requires enormous creativity, judgment,
innovation and effort. In light of the time, energy and resources expended, it's crucial to
make the most of meetings. A good meeting gets work done and also involves, supports and
empowers the participants, creating a high level of energy and enthusiasm - a sense of
community and connection to fellow group members is the basis for successful group work.
These ideas will help in making any type of meeting more successful.
Purpose of meetings
Generally: Meetings are generally called for planning, reporting and decision making
purposes.
Collaboration: Meetings are an essential link between group members for working
together smoothly.
Coordination: Meetings improve planning and coordination of group activities.
Knowledge: Members need to be updated periodically on current events, business
strategies, marketing direction and product knowledge.
Innovation: Meetings create an opportunity for brainstorming.
Motivation: Motivational speakers can boost morale of the group.
Enthusiasm: Enhance members' enthusiasm by inviting them to participate in
decisions that affect them.
Best practices: Members get a chance to share information, discuss and evaluate best
practices.
Decisions: Meetings allow groups to pull resources together for deciding how to get
things done.
Problem solving: Members identify solutions to any challenges they may be facing by
bringing a wide variety of voices to bear on the issue.
Goal setting: Goals and objectives can be set, discussed and evaluated.
Training: Meetings can involve mentoring and learning new skills to improve job
performance and efficiency.
Requirements: Members are informed about business requirements.
Questions: Members get an opportunity to ask questions.
Team-building: Meeting activities could develop a sense of camaraderie in the group
working toward the same mission - it is an opportunity to appreciate and value one
another's work.
Social networking: Meetings can create a sense of connectedness and are
opportunities to participate, interact, socialise and network within the group.
Celebration: Combine meetings with celebrations of successes and special occasions,
like meeting goals, birthdays, anniversaries etc.
Awards ceremony: Introduce a meeting which includes an awards ceremony and give
it an inspirational name, such as: The Top Performers Awards, or 2007 Achievers'
Club, or Hot Dogs.
Group traditions: Meetings could establish group traditions or themes that become a
group meeting identity.
Acknowledgement: Achievers can openly receive recognition, incentives, rewards,
awards and gifts.
Fun: Last, but not the least, meetings should be an enjoyable respite from day-to-day
duties, a time to just wind down and get to know others in the group better.
Facilitator role
Meeting rules
Most groups need some basic rules of order for meetings. If you choose to use a formal
system, such as Robert's Rules of Order or a consensus based model, make sure that
everyone understands how to use them. The facilitator and members can also decide on
their own guidelines prior to the meeting on what the rules and boundaries of the meeting
will be. Outline what behaviour is acceptable/not acceptable in meetings:
The time frame will be explained and everyone agrees to adhere to it.
It is agreed that discussions will be focussed on the subject and aims of the meeting.
One person may speak at a time.
Non-sexist/racist language.
No dominating/threatening behaviour.
The meeting could be declared a no whining zone.
Guidelines:
Who may recognise a speaker?
How is a time limit for a topic set?
How are discussions initiated or motions made?
How is voting done?
How are disagreements settled?
If something is not on the agenda, how will it be handled?
If a motion fails, can it be discussed again?
If strict parliamentary procedure is used, how are members trained in its use?
Over-talking: Those who talk easily in group settings will make an effort to speak less,
trusting that their point will be made by someone else.
Quiet/withdrawn: Those who are quiet or withdrawn will make an effort to speak
more often, helping everyone to feel more comfortable.
Solution orientation: The group may decide to forbid any problems being raised
without a solution - this will help members understand that they must be solution-
oriented.
Involvement: If your meeting is for fifty people or less, make it a rule that everyone
has to answer a question or voice their opinion at least once.
Create value: Aim to create as much value as possible for the investment of each
member's time. Respect people's time as their most valuable resource.
Innovate: Develop your own innovative meeting tactics to make your meeting fun
and interesting! Try out non-traditional ways of doing things, unexpected venues and
at unusual times that would get the best out of everyone.
Roles: Designate other members to cover the roles of minute-taker, vibes watcher
and time keeper. At minimum, a minute-taker and a time keeper is required.
o Time Keeper: The time keeper pushes the group to stick to time limits by
signalling or saying how much time is left for the current agenda item. Usually
they mention 20 minutes left, 10, 5, etc. If the group has run out of time they
have to make a concerted decision to extend the discussion/agenda item and
set a time limit for how much longer it wants to take.
o Stack keeper: The stack keeper makes a list of people raising their hands who
wants to speak. This is very helpful in a complicated discussion involving a
large group. When the stack keeper nods to the member, they know they are
on the stack and can put their hand down. The stack keeper can call on just
the next person or call a shortlist of up to 5 names.
o Scribe: The scribe takes on a large sheet or white board for everyone to refer
to - this is particularly useful for brainstorming, discussions, announcements
and proposals and enables everyone to refer to these notes. Good points
which are lost in discussions will not go unnoticed.
o Minute taker: The minute taker records the official notes relevant to the goals
of the meeting. It is written as headings with short bulleted points. Minute-
takers must be able to take clear, understandable notes. These are kept in the
group's archives for the future and reflect what was done, all the main
motions, a summary of the discussions, assignments taken on, report on
actions taken, summary of reports given. Meeting minutes are used as
reference of best practices and as legal agreements. Meeting notes must
preferably be sent out the same day as the meeting, so that members can
review their tasks, especially those who missed the meeting. The minute taker
keeps track of decisions, takes minutes, collects reports, and draws attention
to incomplete items on the agenda. If something really funny happened, it
could also be included. One could also videotape the meeting for record
purposes.
o Coordinator: The coordinator is essential for large meetings, to gather people
for starting on time and is responsible for the venue, seating, equipment,
refreshments and notices.
o Vibes watcher: The vibes watcher remedies situations of conflict and distress
by calling for short breaks/stretching, by taking the role of an intermediary, by
taking time out with someone and listening to them or by bringing it to the
group’s attention that injustices has been observed.
The vibes watcher monitors the emotional atmosphere and needs to
be able to sense underlying feelings, listen carefully and read body
language.
Tune into how members are feeling and what the opinions and
interest levels are.
Look after how individual members are affected.
Ensures that no one is being ignored or personally attacked.
Checks energy levels - has to notice if people are getting sleepy.
Must observe when members get too unhappy or restless to make
decisions.
Must assess whether aims are being fulfilled.
o Alternate facilitator: Find an alternative facilitator who can step in should
there be an emergency, or if the main facilitator tires or wants to participate
more actively in discussion.
Purpose: Be clear about 'why' the meeting is held. Define its purpose, objectives,
goals, and strategy.
Agenda: Use headings and short bulleted sentences to outline the agenda. Set time
limits for each agenda item:
o Start early: Start putting together the agenda for the next meeting as soon as
possible.
o Member input: Request input from member on what to include in the agenda
and on specific decisions that affect them.
o Member survey: Survey some of the members to find out what they like and
dislike, want and don’t want.
Issues list: Create an issues list from the particular issues members
want to discuss.
Interests: List topics that members want or need to learn more about,
or speakers they've been wanting to hear.
o Ice-breaking: Plan something to gather the group at the start the meeting
with a process to make your members feel special and build cohesion such as
team-building exercises, introductions, announcements, games or excitement
sharing.
o Juicy activity: Include something juicy that will engage, empower and uplift
the entire group.
o Reflection: Provide an opportunity for members to share their thoughts on
what the group has done well and to admit mistakes.
o content balance: One could use a 80/20 rule, where 80% of the agenda is
future orientated in discussion, debate and decision making and 20%
focussed on reports that help you make long term decisions.
o Anticipated action: Each agenda item could have an anticipated action
connected to it, in order to promote an action orientation for the meeting.
o Duration balance: Alternate short and long discussions. Think about effective
processes/tools for difficult or controversial topics. Deal with difficult items
after the group has warmed up but before they are is tired. Think about
priorities for this meeting. Which items could be tackled another time or in
smaller groups?
o Relevance: Share information with all members about everything that is
impacting the group's work. Avoid topics that are only relevant to a portion of
the group; instead use a smaller meeting for this purpose.
o Short breaks: Build in plenty of short strategic 5-15 minute breaks to provide
rest and relief from taxing discussions at least every hour so people will
remain engaged and comfortable. When the breaks are announced, ask
members to be accountable to come back on time.
o Evaluation: Plan in time for an evaluation of the meeting near the end.
o Reports: Request brief reports on the most important activities that are
important for the rest of the group to know about.
Distribute agenda: Distribute the agenda and circulate background material, lengthy
documents or articles prior to the meeting so members will be prepared and feel
involved and up-to-date.
Brainstorm: Select a few creative members to assist in brainstorming creative ideas
for the meeting and help you stay focused on what the group needs and wants in a
meeting, and how to make the most of their time and make it as effortless and
enjoyable as possible.
Target: Keep the unique group culture in mind and adjust activities to best suit the
target group.
Theme: Use the group's company slogan or an exciting punch line for the meeting.
You can obtain resources for meeting themes plus many additional ideas at
www.bizmotivation.com.
Location: Consider your objectives, length of the meeting and your budget. Site visit:
Make sure the venue the right size for the group. Choose a meeting space your
people will enjoy:
o On-site:
o Local off-site venue: You could select a hotel conference room, a restaurant.
o Out of town: If your budget will allow it, consider a resort, 'cause most people
love resorts. Most resorts offer enjoyable relaxation options such as
swimming, golf, and other activities your employees would enjoy.
o Variety: Variety is key in keeping meetings interesting and will ensure that
you accommodate the variety of members' tastes. A meeting could be held at
your ad agency, or even in the back room of the R&D department. Be
creative.
o Selection: If you do, ask for a formal presentation, check their qualifications
and get references.
Venue set-up: Set up the venue so that members face each other to create a sense of
closeness that will enhance intimacy, communication and participation.
o Circle or semi-circle: For small groups, round tables are best for interaction
because they allow everyone to see each other.
o Half-moon seating: For large groups, meetings can be held in a theatre or
classroom setting. Arrange the seating in an inclusive half-moon or semi-
circle-shaped rows.
o No seats! It might even be useful to arrange seating on big cushions on the
floor, then there are no seating arrangement and people choose their own
positions.
o Podium/platform: Another important rule of thumb is to always place your
platform and podium on the long wall, if the room is long and narrow - to
improve speaker/audience connection.
o Room size: Small rooms with too many people get stuffy and create tension. A
larger room is more comfortable and encourages individual expression. A
room that is too large may encourage members to daydream or become
isolated from discussion.
o Decor: Make sure your room environment is stimulating and helps to create
the mood for the meeting. Decorate the room with visual aids like acronym
charts, inspirational posters, diagrams or accents with your theme to make
sure the room has ambience. Post a large agenda up front to which members
can refer.
o Conditions: Make sure the room is comfortable! Not too hot or cold or
crowded. Be aware of air quality, ability to hear and see, insulation from
noise, bathrooms, and windows.
o Special needs: Consider any special needs participants might have and how to
cater for them.
o Music: Play nice upbeat music as members enter the room and during breaks.
Consider Mozart or New Age music for higher management. Music can also
be played as someone walks up to the podium.
Materials: Gather materials needed for the meeting, e.g. pens, marker pens,
flipcharts, written presentations and proposals.
Food: Avoid serving any food that are high in carbohydrates, like cake or lasagne - it
will make the group sleepy. Rather serve protein, fruit and vegetables. The carbs are
okay for afterwards.
Outsource: If you begin to feel overwhelmed, consider engaging the services of an
experienced meeting planner. Often, they can help you save money and their
experience can be invaluable.
Guest speakers: Guest speakers make the difference between a good meeting and a
great meeting, so choose wisely.
Meeting time: Choose an appropriate meeting time. Create a time limit. Consider
other commitments of members.
Invites: Ensure that everyone knows where and when the next meeting will be held.
Make sure all members who have the power to decide, and the ones who will
implement the decisions are present. Send an e-mail invitation to each attendee. Let
all members know about the meeting. Don’t rely on only one method of contact. Use
the phone, e-mail, snail-mail, word-of-mouth, notice boards, SMS and/or memos to
notify members.
Reminders: Remind everyone who needs to be there more than once, including once
the day before the meeting.
Promote: It's never too early to promote. A meeting is only successful if it is well
promoted. Be creative and systematic with your promotion. Get people pumped up
prior to the event by promoting it as if they had to make the decision to pay money
to attend. Include graphics with your theme on the invitation.
Customers: On occasion, and if appropriate, invite a few customers to attend a
meeting and explain why he or she buys from you and, most important, what they
want, need and expect by doing business with the group, or videotape a few of your
customers prior to your program.
Agenda and material: Distribute the agenda and background material ahead of time
so members will be prepared and feel involved.
Gifts: On occasion, give each member a surprise gift. The gift could be waiting at their
seat after the break. For example, you could purchase one lottery ticket for every
member or have a lottery for the meeting with three great prizes. Give gifts
throughout the meeting to keep it interesting and fun. The energy level in the room
could be increased by 100%!
During meetings
Checking: Make sure you can get into the meeting room early. Check that you have
the right amount of chairs and that there is proper signage to direct members to the
meeting room. Check the lighting, sound, etc.
Time management: The facilitator, coordinator and/or time keeper have to manage
time and the process of the meeting. The goal is to start and end on time.
Refreshments: If possible, serve beverages and light refreshments such as cookies or
fruit - they are good icebreakers and make members feel special and comfortable.
Name tags: Provide name tags for everyone, at every meeting. It's a great help to be
reminded what someone's name is, when it's hard to admit you don’t know their
names.
Start time: Ensure that smaller meetings start exactly on time, respecting the time of
those who were on time. For very large meetings, plan to start 10-15 minutes before
the official start time.
Welcome: Greet members and make everyone feel welcome and listened to at the
beginning of a meeting, and do not bemoan late members or absentees.
Meeting rules: Announce meeting rules that are particularly apt for this meeting.
Agenda: Review the agenda so that the group understands priorities for the meeting.
State the intention to stick to the agenda and to keep conversation focused on the
topic and ask if there are any items to add. Go through the agenda item by item.
Breaks: A 5-15 minute break every hour should suffice. Even a quick stretch can
lighten the mood and make everyone more productive.
Ice-breaker: Ask someone to think up a juicy ice-breaker a few minutes before the
meeting and use it during your opening go-around.
Introductions: In smaller sized groups, ask each member to introduce themselves and
encourage them to share more than just their names.
Regulate discussion as outlined earlier.
Participation: Set a tone for equal participation between the group and the
facilitator. Make participants feel comfortable and appreciated.
Enjoyable: The facilitator must ensure that decisions made, plans developed, and
commitments made, are done in a manner that is enjoyable for everyone in the
group.
Manipulation: Avoid manipulating the meeting towards a particular outcome. If this
becomes difficult, step out of role and let someone else facilitate.
Acknowledgement: In the meeting, be sure to recognise work well done, especially
committee work.
Feedback: Encourage feedback. Ideas, activities and commitment to the organisation
improve when members see their impact on the decision making process.
All perspectives: Encourage group discussion to get all points of view and ideas. You
will have better quality decisions as well as highly-motivated members; they will feel
that attending meetings is worth their while.
Q&A: A meeting is the ideal place for Q&A sessions between divisions of the group.
Let them know about the Q&A session early on in the meeting and to write down
questions on an index card. Collect the cards in time to hand them to volunteers who
would then answer these questions. The facilitator has to keep a close eye on
proceedings.
Minutes: Keep minutes of the meeting for future reference in case a question arises
or some members are not in attendance.
Summary: Summarise agreements reached.
Running long: If you must go longer, the facilitator should make sure everyone is
alright with adding extra time onto the meeting. If people aren’t okay with it, the
discussion should be tabled until a later date. If using consensus decision making
make an allowance for extra time to go deeper into the issue if necessary.
Agenda review: Find out from members if the agenda was adequate - discuss with
the group how or when the issue can be addressed effectively. Revisit your goals to
see how well these meetings are fulfilling members’ needs and make adjustments.
Write down what went right, what went wrong, and what you would do differently
when you plan the next meeting.
Evaluation: Member feedback will give you great insight into how members have
received the meeting. Use this feedback as a guide for future meetings. Bounce
specific feedback received off other members in surveys to gain more perspectives -
someone may suggest something otherwise overlooked!
Schedule next meeting: Set a date, time, place and assign roles for the next meeting.
Positive end note: Always end the meeting on a unifying or positive note, provide
satisfying closure:
o Sum up the meeting. Spend a few short minutes recapping your plan of action
at the end of the meeting. Did you meet your goals? What are the next steps?
Who's doing what?
o Use affirmation and appreciation to thank everyone for making the meeting a
success.
o Thank people who prepared things for the meeting, set up the room, brought
refreshments or typed up the agenda.
o Comment on special contributions of members and accomplishments of the
group.
o Encourage individuals to pursue projects or ideas.
o Remind everyone to read the meeting minutes.
o Reiterate the business's mission.
o End the meeting on time.
Meeting follow through
Minutes of meetings:
o Prepare minutes: The minute taker must prepare the minutes on the same
day, after the meeting to prevent errors of memory.
o Memorandum: Once the minutes are prepared, distribute them within one
day to reinforce the importance of the meeting.
o Follow-up: Diarise dates and relevant reminder notes when to inquire about
how agreed tasks are progressing. Makes sure that responsibilities are clearly
understood and duties carried out.
o Legal records: Store a copy of the minutes where the group legal documents
are kept. Minutes of meetings are legal records of agreements and decisions
of the group, and may be reviewed as part of the annual audits.
Reports: Tasks agreed to be completed have to be accomplished and progress reports
prepared for the next meeting.
Improvements: Discuss the meeting with members and note any areas that can be
improved for more productive meetings.
Absentees: You may want to analyse the recruitment plans after the meeting. Call
members who missed the meeting. Tell them you missed them and update them on
the meeting's outcome.
Action: Follow-up on delegation decisions. See that all members understand and
carry out their responsibilities.
Appreciation: Give thanks, recognition and appreciation to excellent and timely
progress. Write a thank you e-mail to everyone who assisted you in making your
meeting successful.
Unfinished business: Any unfinished business is put on the agenda for the next
meeting.
Additional resources for successful meetings