Meetings - Contributing and Chairing

Who Will Benefit

Those who attend or chair meetings.

Objectives

Identify the roles and responsibilities of those involved. Explain the ingredients of an effective meeting. Prepare an agenda. Plan the logistics of a meeting. Demonstrate the skills of chairing a meeting effectively. Make a constructive contribution at meetings. Handling problem solving and decision making. Review the effectiveness of meetings.

Course Outline

• The Purpose of the Meeting: preparation; setting agendas; pre-meeting discussions for quick agreement.

• The Roles and Responsibilities: the responsibility of the chair and participants; cost of meetings; do they all need to be there?

• The Skill of Chairing the Meeting: personal qualities; getting contributions from all; controlling the discussion; dealing with conflict; keeping to time; reaching consensus; agreeing actions; managing the minutes.

• Meeting Logistics: creating the right environment, meeting room preparation; equipment and facilities; visual aids.

• Meeting Participation: being persuasive; clarity and brevity; minute-taking; confidence building.

• Personality Factors: how people interact; resolving challenging situations; handling silence and multiple inputs; questions; involvement and commitment.

• Communicating Confidently: body language; obtaining agreement and commitment; constructive and challenging contributions; active listening.

• Facilitation in Meetings: the reasons for facilitation; the importance of control; controlling the discussion; involving the entire group; ensuring understanding is reached; summarising key points.

• Problem Solving: a systematic approach; creative and analytical problem identification; analysis; evaluation; willingness to change or compromise; brainstorming; participative decision making.

• Closing the Meeting: summarizing; points of action; ways in which decisions will be implemented.

• Reviewing Success: review and develop meeting process to be used at work.

  Action Plan: participants plan and discuss what they will do on return to work.