| I'm sure you've experienced those typical | | | | out a meeting notice and agenda well in |
| "headache" meetings! You know the kind I'm | | | | advance.Give your attendees plenty of advance |
| talking about -- the ones where the key | | | | notice -- for example, at least a week. Also |
| players are running late, no one knows | | | | consider whether any of your invitees are |
| exactly why the meeting was called, and | | | | likely to be unavailable on that date. If so, |
| there's not a single agenda in sight. | | | | you may want to postpone the meeting or seek |
| Everyone's sitting around wondering, "Will | | | | alternates.Be sure your meeting notice |
| this last 20 minutes or will we be here all | | | | includes all of the key information: Include |
| day?" It's impossible to tell!Then, once the | | | | the 1) meeting date, 2) starting and ending |
| meeting finally gets off the ground, the real | | | | times, 3) purpose, 4) attendees, 5) location |
| pandemonium starts. For instance:* You may | | | | with directions or access instructions, and |
| hear some people yak incessantly on the | | | | 6) the proposed agenda. That way, everyone |
| sidelines, or one or two folks might jump on | | | | will know exactly what to expect, what to do, |
| a soapbox and dominate the discussion.* The | | | | what their time commitment is, and what's in |
| meeting topics can bounce back and forth so | | | | it for them!3. Conduct the meeting using good |
| many times that no one can keep track of | | | | facilitation techniques.Here are some of the |
| what's actually being discussed.* If a | | | | most effective techniques professional |
| decision results, no one knows whether it was | | | | facilitators use:* Start on time; don't |
| ever recorded or even whether anyone agreed | | | | reward latecomers by waiting for them. |
| to it.To counteract these frustrating | | | | |
| problems, this article reveals four | | | | * Decide on times for each topic and stick |
| techniques for running great meetings and | | | | to them. |
| following up afterward.First, How Big Is the | | | | |
| Problem?What are the consequences of holding | | | | * Follow the agenda; avoid hopping around. |
| ineffective meetings? Meetings held for the | | | | |
| wrong reasons, that don't involve the right | | | | * Discourage side discussions. |
| participants, or that don't use a disciplined | | | | |
| meeting process can waste the time, | | | | * Set a "no interrupting" rule. |
| resources, and money of the business.Not only | | | | |
| do they have the potential to make the | | | | * Stop, repeat, and clarify the points |
| participants feel perpetually frustrated and | | | | people are making. |
| unproductive, they're also a financial drain. | | | | |
| Just in the area of cost, have you ever tried | | | | * Test for closure before moving on to the |
| to calculate the expense of holding even a | | | | next agenda item. |
| single unproductive meeting?If you multiply | | | | |
| the number of people sitting in a room by an | | | | * Record decisions, action items, and due |
| average hourly rate, and add the cost of | | | | dates for each topic. |
| employee benefits (overhead), you'll see what | | | | |
| I mean. And that's the average cost for a | | | | * Summarize the key decisions and action |
| holding a single meeting, not including | | | | items before closing. |
| expenses for any related travel, food, or | | | | |
| equipment.You can multiply that figure across | | | | * End on time.4. Follow up afterward with |
| the entire company to estimate the cost of | | | | summaries and action items.After you've |
| meetings held per month and per year. As you | | | | completed all of that hard work, you can |
| can imagine, holding meetings, especially | | | | avoid having everyone's ideas and decisions |
| unproductive ones, can be an expensive | | | | simply melt away because no one sent out a |
| proposition!How Can You Turn Your Meetings | | | | good summary or bothered to track the |
| Around?In contrast to the chaotic, unplanned | | | | agreed-upon assignments.A summary doesn't |
| encounters, at well-run meetings, | | | | have to be fancy or very detailed to be |
| participants collaborate to produce a | | | | effective, but it should contain enough |
| valuable outcome. They also leave the meeting | | | | substance to inform the people who weren't |
| feeling that their time was really well | | | | there, for example. The summary should list |
| spent. Making simple changes to the protocols | | | | 1) each topic, 2) the key points of each |
| for running meetings can shift the dynamics | | | | topic discussion, 3) all decisions made, and |
| into a highly effective mode. To achieve | | | | 4) action items and due dates. At the end, it |
| excellent results, try the following:1. Be | | | | may include the next meeting's 5) proposed |
| sure you really need a meeting before | | | | agenda, 6) date and time, and 7) location, if |
| scheduling it.Respect your colleagues' busy | | | | known.With a little fine-tuning, you can |
| schedules. Don't schedule a meeting unless:* | | | | convert your meetings from profit stealers |
| You really need the cooperation of several | | | | into profit boosters. The process will |
| people at once. | | | | transform the quality of group collaborations |
| | | | and breathe new life into your morale and |
| * The attendees must contribute to, or will | | | | productivity!Copyright 2005 Adele |
| be affected by, a vital decision. | | | | SommersAdele Sommers, Ph.D. is the creator of |
| | | | the award-winning "Straight Talk on Boosting |
| * You want various people to listen and | | | | Business Performance" success program. |
| respond to what others have to say.2. Send | | | | |