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Make meetings work for you

Do you dread meetings more than Monday mornings? Do you find them boring, unproductive and far too long? Meetings are central to most organisations; people need to know what their colleagues are doing and then take decisions based on shared information and opinions. How well you present yourself and your ideas, and how well you work with other people, is crucial to your career.

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RUNNING A MEETING

Only call a meeting if you (and your colleagues) are quite clear about its purpose. Once you are certain of your objective, ask yourself whether it could be better achieved through alternative means, such as a memo.

Meetings called on a routine basis tend to lose their point. It's better to wait until a situation or problem requires a meeting. If in doubt, don't waste time having one.

If you're sure a meeting is the solution, circulate a memo several days in advance specifying the time and place, objectives, issues to be discussed, other participants and preparation expected. Meetings should be held in the morning, if possible, when people are usually more alert and should last no more than an hour. Six is the optimum number of participants for a good working meeting. Inviting the whole department (more than 10) increases emotional undercurrents such as, "Will my suggestions be taken seriously?" Larger meetings can be productive as brainstorming sessions for ideas, provided participants can speak freely without feeling they will be judged.

A successful meeting always leads to action. Decisions should take up the bulk of the meeting minutes, including the name of the person delegated to each task, and a deadline for its completion. Circulate the minutes after the meeting and again just before the next one.

Draw out quieter members of the group. Encouragement helps create a relaxed and productive atmosphere. Do not single out any individual for personal criticism — they will silently withdraw, upset and humiliated, or try to come up with excuses rather than focusing on the problems in hand. Save critical comments for a private occasion.

If you are talking for more than 50% of the time, you are dominating the meeting.

ATTENDING A MEETING

However informal the meeting, it always pays to prepare a few key points in note form to put across or discuss. If you're unprepared, you will not be able to concentrate on what your colleagues are saying and others are less likely to listen to you because you will either waffle or sound hesitant.

Don't memorise notes or read them out like a sermon. This inhibits your natural gestures: the eye contact and body language that is essential to effective communication. If you cannot answer a question, don't be afraid to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out and get back to you by...'' (give a definite date).

Phrase your criticisms and proposals positively. Seek to offer solutions rather than to complain.

Arrive early and sit close to the chairperson to ensure that you aren't ignored. If you're late, apologise and find a seat quickly and quietly. Don't try to sneak in as if you're invisible.

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Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1) Meetings are not very much important for a company — there always should be a way of solving problems by alternative means.

2) Meeting should be held according to some schedule — say, once a month, because in a large organisation there are always some problems to discuss.

3) For a good troubleshooting meeting six is the optimum number of participants.

4) It is stupid to read the minutes of the previous meeting — it's just a waste of time.

5) If there are some silent participants at a meeting, the chair should not ask them to speak — they may have nothing to say.

6) When you are going to the meeting do not make any notes, you should speak not read.

7) If you are late for a meeting try to get into the room as if you were invisible in order not to annoy other participants.

Comment on the fallowing advice of the author;

1) Only call a meeting if your objective can't be achieved through alternative means.

2) Meeting should be held in the morning.

3) A successful meeting always leads to action.

4) Do not single out any individual for personal criticism.

5) Phrase your criticisms and proposals positively.

DISCUSSION

1) Give some sample reasons for calling a meeting.

2) Could you assess the Board meeting at Harper & Grant? Comment on the actions of the chair and the participants.

3) How many items should an agenda of one meeting contain?

4) Could you draft the minutes of the Board meeting held in Harper and Grant?

5) If you were the chair of a troubleshooting meeting and there were some quiet participants, what would you do to draw them out?

6) How would the chair's behaviour differ at a troubleshooting, a brainstorming and a briefing meeting?

7) How should participants of a meeting prepare to a meeting

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