BNET Crash Course

How to Run an Effective Meeting

by Cyrus Farivar

Tags: management, team, meetings, group, idea, e-mail, online communications, agenda, agenda item, team management, cyrus farivar, Crash Course

Have you ever sat though a pointless meeting and calculated just how much money was being wasted as a dozen well-paid professionals zoned out around a deathly boring conference table? Horror stories of bad meetings are legion, but the qualities that characterize a good meeting are harder to define. Whether they're team check-ins or department updates, the regular meetings we hold every week or every month are often the hardest to get fired up about. But making them better isn't simply a matter of ordering coffee and bagels (or even pretzels and beer). Productive, valuable, and engaging meetings require a clear goal, an open dialog, and a strong leader. Here's how to make your meetings matter.

Things you will need:

  • Free
  • A few minutes to a few hours to plan
  • Location: Lounges and coffee shops have a better ambiance for small groups of three or four. If your meeting is large enough to require a conference room, reserve one ahead of time.
  • Agenda: Know what you want to cover and how much time you want to devote to each topic. Set a goal for the meeting and stick to it.
  • Visual Aids: Get the most out of your gathering with a whiteboard or flip pad, and make sure to have a clock or timer visible.
  • Leadership: It's your meeting, so it's your job to keep people focused. If they're bored, that's your fault.
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Make Every Meeting Matter — or Don't Meet at All

Goal: Decide if a meeting is needed and invite only the necessary people.

The vast majority of meetings never need to take place. Massive amounts of valuable time are wasted simply because managers think that face-time is important, or because, like an old milk horse making the rounds, they've become accustomed to a particular routine. "The best way to determine whether a meeting is a good idea is to ask whether the transfer of information is one-way," says J. S. O'Rourke IV, a professor of management at Notre Dame University. If you want to give your team an update or a status report, e-mail will usually suffice.

"A second question to ask is whether you require feedback from all participants," O'Rourke adds. If so, e-mail has limitations: "In a meeting you get different kinds of feedback, with greater detail or texture." Finally, he adds, it's helpful to ask whether the real purpose of the meeting is to build consensus: that's much easier to do face-to-face.

Once you've decided that you absolutely need to hold a meeting, invite only the people who have something to contribute and will get something out of it: team members who work directly on the project in question, decision-makers who have the power to move an idea forward, or specialists who have knowledge and insight that the group needs in order to fully understand an issue. If you want but don't need an invitee's input, and they're overwhelmed with other work, let them know it's okay not to attend but that some decisions may be made without them. If they can live with that outcome, then it's their call how best to use their time.

What Not to Do

Meetings Are NOT Good For:

  1. Updates: If the flow of information is one way, send an email instead.
  2. Getting slackers on track: Berating or embarrassing people in front of their peers doesn't improve motivation, and it wastes everyone else's time. Have a one-on-one conversation instead.
  3. Getting everyone on your page: If there's disagreement about a project, approach team members individually and find out what they need to move forward. In a group setting, they might gang up on you.
  4. Whipping up enthusiasm: Motivation is a daily management challenge, not a one-time fix. If your team is losing steam, find out why in private conversations and address each person's issues separately.

Define Goals and Distribute an Agenda

Goal: Create a structure for your meeting.

Productivity expert David Allen recommends starting every meeting with a "statement of wild success," a clear definition of the best possible outcome for the meeting. Just stating the ideal result often inspires participants and makes meetings more productive. At the very least, it underscores a feature that every meeting needs: a goal.

Before the meeting even begins, make sure everyone understands the objectives by writing an agenda. If you're a procrastinator, write the agenda before you call the meeting. (This exercise should also help you confirm whether a meeting is necessary and who should attend.) Include everything your group will need to discuss or decide on but keep it brief, using bullet-pointed items instead of full paragraphs. Be clear about who will lead each agenda item and whether it's an update, a discussion, or an action item that requires group decision-making.

Email the agenda to your colleagues a day in advance, so that potential naysayers will have the opportunity to make their objections known privately — rather than during the meeting. (If necessary, you'll then have time to include their suggestions in a revised agenda.) Always paste the agenda into the body of the email; if it's an attachment, no one will bother to open it. Phrase your agenda in a way that will increase the sense of urgency and importance. An item called "sales challenge for this quarter" is much more captivating than "sales quarter update."

"You want to interest people," says Bert Decker, a communications consultant who has worked with Siemens, Charles Schwab, and Representative Nancy Pelosi. "It gives them a guide to where you're going. It has a point of view and an action step. You're influencing them towards something, not just informing them."

In bigger meetings that require more bodies and more time, give the conversation a clear structure by assigning topics an allotted amount of time. Decker recommends picking odd numbers — 25 minutes instead of 30, for example — to show that you're serious about sticking to a precise schedule.

To increase involvement, consider giving everyone a role or assignment. Team heads or those with specialized knowledge should handle the agenda items that apply to their areas. For longer meetings, if the material covered is not relevant to some people, arrange to have them excused from that portion of the meeting, so they can get back to work rather than waiting through issues that don't concern them.

Essential Ingredients

Jobs for Meeting Attendees

Meetings run more smoothly when the organizer enlists others to help handle the details. It's also a good way to engage coworkers who might otherwise stare out the window or pass the time by twiddling with a Blackberry.
  • Timekeeper: Makes sure the meeting starts and stops on schedule, reminds facilitator when agenda items are going over their allotted time.
  • Note Taker: Records what was said and distributes minutes as needed.
  • Whiteboard Wrangler: Writes ideas on the whiteboard during brainstorming sessions, makes sure every idea is recorded, whether or not it seems promising at first glance

Own Your Meeting

Goal: Take charge and keep your meeting moving forward.

Good meetings are products of good leadership. Take charge and make it clear that you intend to keep the discussion timely, useful, and relevant. Begin by writing the meeting goal on the whiteboard to remind everyone why they're there. If you've asked people to do some kind of homework and they haven't done it, stop and reschedule the meeting. It won't pay to continue, and meanwhile you'll send a strong message that preparation is not optional.

Show your colleagues that you respect their time by making sure a clock or timer is visible to all. At Google, facilitators project a four-foot-tall timer onto the wall to enforce the idea that meetings should begin and end on time.

Of course the number-one way to get people to show up on time is to start on time. "My calendar is scheduled for the entire day," says Catherine Smith of software company Linden Lab, makers of the online virtual world Second Life. "If someone's not there at 8, then the meeting will go on without them. I'm not going to wait, because I can't."

Hank Lambert, director of business development at Cisco Systems, warns not to take this approach to extremes, however, especially in a meeting with co-workers who outrank you. "I usually wait for higher-ups," he says. "Especially if I'm trying to convince them of something." If you have a senior VP who's habitually late, find out where she'll be before the meeting and escort her to the meeting place yourself.

Staying on topic is also key to maintaining a schedule. If the conversation runs off the rails, refocus the group by saying something like: "Interesting, but I don't think we're advancing our goals here. If I could, I'd like to return to the agenda." This is where an agenda becomes invaluable: Without one, it's far too easy to get sidetracked. When a tangent turns out to be important, don't let the rest of your schedule go out the window. Decide whether it's worth pursuing and direct the conversation accordingly: "We're talking about a new issue — do we want to swap out one of our agenda items to continue discussing it?"

Case Study

Let's Be Careful Out There

Meetings, and the way they're held, can help determine the culture of a business. Since 1924, UPS has held daily Pre-Work Communications Meetings at the beginning of every shift. At these highly structured three-minute meetings — held at all 1,700 UPS centers worldwide — managers deliver important information before their drivers head out for the day: weather and road conditions, reminders about safety and customer service, and announcements like employee anniversaries. Implicitly, the meetings also help instill company values — particularly safety and efficiency — by reinforcing them on a daily basis.

Make It a Meeting of the Minds

Goal: Get the constructive input you need from everyone present.

Since the point of a meeting is two-way communication, it's crucial to get honest input from everyone. Successful companies know that disagreement and debate are healthy signs of a passionate work force. "We require that people speak up and are challenged," says Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines. No one should feel afraid to say what they really think, and no one person or group should dominate the discussion.

It's the meeting leader's responsibility to make sure everyone is heard. Nudge the quiet types, curb the longwinded, reign in tangents, and control outbursts. To build consensus or come to a group decision, avoid wearing your opinion on your sleeve; it's easy for a leader to stifle a discussion if everyone assumes the outcome is already determined. Avoid the temptation to dismiss ideas immediately — even when they're terrible. For meeting participants, it's embarrassing to be told "no," and over time that kind of discouragement has a corrosive effect on brainstorming efforts. Instead, keep track of every idea, thank people for their input, and praise good ideas in front of the group.

Irv Schenkler, director of management communication at New York University's Stern School of Business, says a good manager should be an active listener who encourages participation by asking "door-opening questions" — inquiries that show you're paying attention and you value your co-workers' input. For example, when attendees are reticent or reluctant to speak, Schenkler advises calling on them: "Sue, you seem to know a good deal about what Beth just said. What are some things you would like to raise at this point?" Likewise, you can divert a conversation dominator with a neutral comment like, "Bob has made his opinion clear. Does anyone else have something they would like to add?"

"The best way I've found to get consensus is to make everyone feel like they had a chance to be heard," Lambert of Cisco says. If people still don't feel like their points of view are being understood or taken seriously, allow them a final opportunity to distill their disagreements down to one or two key points. That way, Lambert explains, a dissenter has a chance to articulate his or her rationale, and the group's decision can be adjusted to address those concerns.

Hot Tip

The Eyes Have It

According to A. Barbour, author of "Louder Than Words: Nonverbal Communication," only 7 percent of communication is what we say — the rest is how we say it. Pitch, volume, and rhythm carry 38 percent of a message, while body language, facial expressions, and eye movement account for a whopping 55 percent.

As a meeting facilitator, you can use non-verbal cues not only to communicate your message but to influence the group dynamic and make all attendees feel included. When people speak during meetings, often they'll look at the facilitator. Avoid their eye contact and look at other members of the group, which will encourage the speaker to do the same.

Close With a Plan of Action

Goal: Make sure everyone leaves knowing the next step.

Close the meeting with a review of what decisions you reached and what the next action will be. Everyone should leave knowing what's expected of them and when — by the end of the week, the end of the cycle, or the next meeting. End by asking everyone whether they thought the meeting was useful and, if not, what could be done better next time.

It's easy to walk out of a meeting room, go back to your desk, and immediately forget every change, decision, and new idea that your group came up with. Make sure that your meeting didn't happen in isolation by letting the right people know what was decided and what will happen next. Sending out complete meeting minutes may not be necessary, but make sure you have a system to keep track of what was decided and what assignments everyone agreed to take on, so you can follow up and keep things moving.

Technically Speaking

The Easy Way to Preserve Whiteboard Ideas

Say you and your colleagues had an intense whiteboard session and came up with a complex diagram that will solve all your problems. But copying it onto a notepad will take hours, and another group is standing outside waiting to use the conference room. What to do? Take a picture of the board with a camera phone and e-mail the photo file to wb@scanR.com. They'll clean up the image, improve the contrast and legibility, turn it into a PDF, and e-mail it back so you can forward it to everyone on your team (all the while securing the confidentiality of your file).

 
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  • 1

    apgsub@...

    04/10/07 | Report as spam

    How to run a meeting

    Dear BNET
    A well structured article, which needs a special commendation.
    As a very Senior Executive (Retd a short while ago from Reserve Bank of India)at decision making level and also ex-Director on the Board of a bank, I had attended or chaired not less than 800 meetings.
    You article brings out important and essential prerequisites for successful conduct of meetings.
    The arrticle essentially addresses requirements for in-house meetings with your employees/colleagues.
    Better, one more article may be thought of on holding of a meeting with your customers, general Body meeting with shareholders/other-interested, strategic partners in business, meeting with different agencies, Govt, qusi-Govt, private businessmen, scholors, academicians, etc.
    Pitfalls may be brought out.
    A few tips could be covered about pre-arrangement for water, tea/coffee, light snacks, lunch,table manners, mike arrngements, proper environment/location for a meeting to eliminate time wastage and better feel for participants, etc.
    Goodluck
    S.Subramanian
    Ex-DGM, RBI, India

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  • 2

    TownsendA@...

    04/10/07 | Report as spam

    Effective Meetings

    Agree with the article - no agenda and I will not attend the meeting. I must know what it is about.

    The meetings must start on time. Secondly late arrivals should not have the proceedings regurgitated to them because they were late. Message if the meeting is important enough to attend - get there on time. Of course there are times when being late cannot be avoided but not for habitual late comers.

    Only one person to talk at a time. A strong leader or chairman will insist on this for smoother proceedings.

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  • 3

    Mezzadm

    04/10/07 | Report as spam

    How to stop late arrivers (if you are brave enough)

    I heard a great story about the new CEO of a large company over here in the UK (this is a true story btw):

    To stop late arrivals he would lock the meeting room door and not allow anyone in past the start time. The meeting would start and if the key individual was not there it would end immediately.

    This worked on a number of levels -- nobody wanted to be identified in such a public way, by the CEO, for not attending important meetings and nobody wanted to be left out of the loop when important decisions were being made and they could not either contribute or get to hear them first. I love it.

    Admittedly this might not be a good tactic if you have invited the CEO to your meting and you lock them out wink

    Michael

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  • 4

    katyw@...

    04/13/07 | Report as spam

    Stopping late arrivals to meetings

    Michael,

    I had a manager that did the same thing....that is lock the door to the meeting precisely at the meeting start time. The difference was that he allowed late comers, but the late comer had the public humility of having to knock on the door to gain entry. The last to arrive was assigned an essay topic to share at the following meeting.

    Needless to say people were rarely late or his meetings.

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  • 5

    jentimus

    07/25/07 | Report as spam

    Late Comers

    We let them in, but don't allow them to comment on anything that has already been discussed (no effort is made to 'catch them up'). If they try, we tell them they missed part of the discussion (even if they only missed a few minutes) and request that 'someone' volunteer to fill the person in on the details after the meeting.

    The volunteer is praised for the extra effort, and the latecomer is typicially not comfortable being put in the position of the one who needs help (but it's not a scolding!)

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  • 6

    yatesto

    07/25/07 | Report as spam

    RE: Late Comers

    Personally, I do not support the idea of locking others out of a meeting. That approach goes against my values of inclusion and spirit of team. Also, most everyone encounters some emergency now and then, that causes a late arrival.

    Nor do I like the idea of excluding a late arrival from further participation, for the same reasons as above.

    I prefer the natural and logical consequences of not stopping the meeting to update the late arriver. As others have mentioned, the late-comer will need to catch up on his or her own after the meeting.

    This approach communicates respect for everyone. Respect for those who arrive on time (not stopping/interrupting the flow of the meeting) and respect for the late-comer, who hopefully gets the message that meetings start and end on time.

    I have found that if you communicate a clear purpose for the meeting, with a distributed agenda ahead of time, and that if you always start and stop on time, everyone respects you and each other.

    Otherwise, the best approach is a one-on-one meeting with the offender to better understand the reasons for the late arrivals.

    The key is to have the individual acknowledge that arriving late is a problem. ("Do you see that arriving late and interrupting the meeting is a problem?") If "yes," you can move towards a solution by saying, "I'm pleased to know you understand the impact of your behavior. Let's discuss a way to resolve this."

    What if the individual does not acknowledge the problem, e.g.: "Hey, the team knows how busy I am, and that I'm often late. It's no big deal. Besides, I awlays contribute and complete my assignments."

    You need to bring the conversation back to acknowledging the problem. Otherwise, you will never get a change in behavior; the individual is not going to change if there isn't a problem to correct.

    For example, "What you say may be true. However, when you arrive late you don't show respect for your teammates." (Or, "you stop the flow of the meeting;" "you interrupt the proceedings," etc.)

    "Do you see that (showing disrespect, etc.) is as a problem?" You have to be prepared to show the negative impact of the behavior, and then have that behavior acknowledged as a problem. Otherwise, you will rarely be successful in correcting the behavior of an employee who is habitually not performing up to expectations.

    At least this is the way I see it. I have been very successful with this approach.

    (stepping down from soap box)

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  • 7

    aanithaa

    04/11/07 | Report as spam

    Comments

    It is excellent and time saving. I would like this to be applied in my office too.

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  • 8

    sue.graham@...

    04/12/07 | Report as spam

    Effective Meetings

    All helpful - I teach low level management for construction students

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  • 9

    echijioke

    04/12/07 | Report as spam

    Meetings for motivation

    Although it can be a waste of time if abused, I find that meetings are often excellent sources of motivation for me (even when completely useless otherwise). There's something about a gathering of equally-concerned minds and strategy-focused discussion that always rejuvenates me and sort-of reminds me of many reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing. I don't think the same would be accomplished in a one-on-one meeting, not to mention it would take a lot more time to get around to each person. Of course, everything in moderation...

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  • 10

    Geoffrey James, Sales Machine

    04/12/07 | Report as spam

    OMG

    This is incredibly valuable information. Would that it were more widely disseminated!

    I once worked for an organization that had 3-way matrix management. Each manager wanted to establish that he was the prime manager, so we were expected to attend weekly, 3-hour, unagenda-ed staff meetings for each of the three managers. In addition, many of us were expected to attend the staff meeting of the boss of those three managers. These were shorter (only two hours) but, like the other staff meetings, completely mandatory, even though the big boss almost never attended or, at best, came in for the last five minutes.

    Every one of these staff meetings consisted of somebody bringing up a random topic and everyone commenting on it. The best part was when somebody would bring up the question of why our department wasn't very productive. Nobody could seem to figure that one out.

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  • 11

    beahmer002

    04/18/07 | Report as spam

    Meeting

    Overall I enjoyed the article. I would like to throw another thought into the ring and that is, people learn and communicate different ways. They deliver information differently and like to hear it differently. The style of delivery of the material in a meeting may be one underlying reason there is disengagement including tardiness. The author supports providing good leadership in a meeting and I wholeheartedly agree that should be present in a meeting just as it should in most other facets of any people centric business. However, I suggest that discounting the different learning styles will possibly lead to some of the same results we currently are seeing now. Dissemination of information, learning, even basic communication all are rooted in the same idea, ?did they get it?? The burden falls directly on the leader to ensure they have provided the best possible learning environment, respecting all learning styles, so they ?get it.? In the book ?Execution? the authors discuss why execution does and does not happen. How many times have we given what we feel to be ?crystal clear? direction in a meeting only to have it not executed? Far to many times. There are those leaders who put the ownership directly on the employee as compared to themselves because they never thought of structuring the message accordingly, they might as well be speaking a different language, it has the same result. An effective meeting should be a well orchestrated event that respects all that the author has outlined as well as ensuring they ?get it? in such a way that they won?t miss the next one or even think of being late. They see the value of such an interaction.

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  • 12

    andrewrimando

    04/21/07 | Report as spam

    Its efficient

    I held meetings in the pass only to inform. Now, I know that it is not necessary to hold those kinds of meeting. I will apply technology to give out information and not waste time.

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  • 13

    lamyjp

    04/22/07 | Report as spam

    Very effective meeting tips

    Thank for the article on how to run an effective meeting. I held a group meeting in the past. I think what I have applied to hold the meeting is quite close to some tips on the article(luckily). However, the obstance is that no one prepared berfore hand for idea contribution as assigned. So we had to spend a lot of time on branstoming stages, which should have been ready already. Now, I learned the possible way to handle that. Many thanks!!

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  • 14

    Theotoks

    04/23/07 | Report as spam

    One upgrade to your agenda planning

    "Be clear about who will lead each agenda item and whether it's an update, a discussion, or an action item that requires group decision-making."

    The "be clear" part is great. But listing "an update" or "a discussion" on a meeting agenda can be a recipe for disaster. If I saw an agenda with Maggie responsible for an update and Fred responsible for a discussion, that would be one meeting I'd avoid!

    The agenda should list outcomes.

    For example, the outcome for an update is a "shared understanding of 'x' so that 'y.'" The "so that" part fulfills the "what's in it for me" aspect of an agenda item. Example: A shared understanding of the sales figures for the month so that we can celebrate our accomplishments.

    "A discussion" is never an outcome. What will come out of the discussion? Generally, an agreement, a decision, or a list of next steps. Use that terminology on the agenda so people know they are working toward a concrete result.

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  • 15

    cmnaini@...

    05/02/07 | Report as spam

    How to Run an Effective Meeting

    Very useful pointers. The tips provided are of immense value. My personal experience fully agrees with all the tips of the article has surely enhanced my profile.

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  • 16

    diana.peterson@...

    05/07/07 | Report as spam

    Message has been deleted.

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  • 17

    diana.peterson@...

    05/07/07 | Report as spam

    ThinkTank software from GroupSystems is the Answer

    These guys have been running effective meetings since 1989 and just released their newest web 2.0 version of their software, ThinkTank which it totally easy to use and so efficient, check them out at www.groupsystems.com.

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  • 18

    DaveInTokyo

    05/23/07 | Report as spam

    So, is one way communication good or bad?

    In the article it's stated that meetings that are solely for the purpose of one-way
    communications are bad and should be handled with an e-mail instead. Further
    down, in a case study, UPS' daily 3 minute briefing is held up as an example of a
    good meeting - but, the description of the meeting says that managers provide
    drivers with weather, road conditions. Sounds like a one-way communication to
    me. So, which is it - one way communication good or bad?

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  • 19

    msm1016

    06/05/07 | Report as spam

    One-way communication

    In response to Dave's question concerning one-way communication I honestly believe it depends on your desired outcome. The morning "hudle" as described in the UPS piece is in some cases designed purely for the purpose of disseminating information. If feedback from the drivers is offered, and ignored, stifled or overlooked by the shift supervisor, then I would say it's a bad thing. If the drivers have nothing to offer, and as a result the communication is one-way, it is acceptable as long as the desired outcomes were met.

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  • 20

    yatesto

    07/25/07 | Report as spam

    One-Way Commiunication

    If there is no need or desire for feedback (coments) or discussion, then I prefer not to hold a meeting; such meetings are viewed as a waste of one's time. Additionally, such a tactic can communicate poor leadership/management skills to employees.

    A meeting should have a stated purpose and an agenda (sent in advance for review, give others a chance to add to the agenda, etc.) otherwise, I wouldn't call it a meeting. Would you take and distribute minutes for such a meeting?

    I would distinguish between a traditional meeting and a "huddle" or "roll call." I think getting a group together for five minutes or so to review the day's agenda can be a good thing.

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  • 21

    jentimus

    07/25/07 | Report as spam

    One way Communication

    Glad I'm not the only one to catch that ... but I just attended a one-way communication meeting ("Let's go over the project status list together") and felt that the status list already had a place for comments so it was not efficient to go over it as a group.

    So I'd have to vote against UPS's daily meetings, unless their people can't read or don't have access to weather reports. It's condescending to make them listen to something they should know to do their job well.

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  • 22

    jafferkhan

    11/30/07 | Report as spam

    is one way communication good or bad

    I completely agree that one way communication is not good. The example which has been taken 'a manager gives drivers depending on weather, road conditions each morning' is a different scenario. The article is all about meetings in office. Definetely, calling up meetings for one way communication is waste of time when email facility is provided.

    Jaffer Ali Khan

    Sales

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  • 23

    msm1016

    06/05/07 | Report as spam

    Another agenda consideration

    My job is to assist organizations in leading more efficient and effective meetings (hence my interest in this article). I would suggest sending out the agenda more than one day in advance if at all possible for these reasons: if a person is being asked to present information they may need more than one day to prepare (speaking points, handouts, etc.). The meeting attendees, upon viewing the topics to be presented, may need more than one day to read up on or research any topics they are not familiar with; especially if they will be asked to make decisions based on the information. Just something to think about.

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  • 24

    yatesto

    07/25/07 | Report as spam

    Agendas Sent in Advance

    I hardily agree. In addition, sending out an agenda in advance gives others the opportunity to reflect and be prepared to disucss the agenda item. Also, an agenda a few days in advance can allow participants to submit an addition to the agenda. "If it's not on the agenda, it won't be disucssed--unless there is time." This approach is a great way to enforce ending meetings on time; you can't add a new discussion topic unless it's on the agenda.

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  • 25

    msm1016

    06/05/07 | Report as spam

    Set Ground Rules

    I'll stop after this, I promise. I have found in working with a number of organizations that a growing problem is the inappropriate use of technological devices during meetings. Have the team or group decide prior to the meeting what is acceptable and what is not. Have the group sign a team charter if necessary. If an attendee needs his/her laptop to bring in data for the discussion, to make a presentation, or to take meeting minutes it should be considered appropriate. On the other hand if attendees are responding to email messages on their Blackberries, taking one cell phone call after another, or working on unrelated tasks on their laptop it is unacceptable. Everyone needs to be engaged for the meeting to achieve its desired outcomes. We all think we can multitask but the fact of the matter is many meetings fail because the meeting members aren't fully engaged in the process.

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  • 26

    st matthew

    09/28/07 | Report as spam

    Quarantine PDA's, Cell phones, Blackberrys

    I worked in a company that issued Blackberry's. When I joined, I was stunned by people hammering away at them during meetings, walking down the hall, sitting on the toilet. What I found in one weekly team meeting was that 3 women on the team carried on discussions throughout the meeting concerning hair styles, weekend plans and anything other than business.
    During one meeting, a VP walked around with a trash can and had all PDA's, cell phones and Blackberry's placed in it. He then left the can outside the door to the conference room. I enjoyed not only the complete attention the speakers recieved but the fidgeting induced by the trash can vibrating and spewing personalized ring tones for an hour.

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  • 27

    lester.mike@...

    06/14/07 | Report as spam

    Set aside 'late seats'

    At Boeing, the group-think is that everyone sits near the door - leaving a few seats in the front of the room for late comers, who are then forced to struggle past everyone to the open seats. It's a bit uncomfortable being late, trust me.

    A definite passive strategy - but it works.

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  • 28

    yatesto

    07/25/07 | Report as spam

    "Plenty of Seats Up Front"

    Hmm... an interesting approach. I would be apprehensive; this approach is passive-aggressive. It supposes that embarrassment will change future behavior. However, such an approach might not work for everyone, especially an employee who is unhappy and sees this as a way to really disrupt a meeting.

    And what about the totally legetimate reason for being late? That employee may really be embarrassed. The result could be a real negative for maintaining a good working relationship with that individual.

    Finally, the focus is on the late employee, not on those who arrived on time. If I had arrived on time, I would not look too kindly on latecomers walking up front and disturbing my focus.

    While this is a creative approach, I would urge caution. I pesonally think you need to look at the big picture, consider all points of view, and make a policy that respects everyone. There are more effective and productive ways to handle latecomers.

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  • 29

    rosian_warrington@...

    06/26/07 | Report as spam

    Ridiculous

    I've done that a few time but at meetings i've called but sadly each time the majority was on the outside. Tried getting the Managing Director to impliment the same but he seems to have no problem letting them walk in a full hour after the meeting has started. I guess that's why they refuse to be timely for my meetings. sad

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  • 30

    dmarasco

    06/27/07 | Report as spam

    Start meetings 5 mins later

    Check this out:

    I have recently started scheduling meetings for 5 mins past the hour (e.g. 1:05pm) since no one ever shows up on the hour on time. To their credit, its usually for a good reason - back to back meetings at opposite ends of the building sets unrealistic expectations.

    However, giving everyone that extra 5 minutes is appreciated and now meeting start on time! Its been very well received so far, and I've even started getting invites for x:05 meetings too!

    Cheers,
    Davis

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  • 31

    ajayjanotkar

    07/19/07 | Report as spam

    Superb...

    i appreciate the thoughts mentioned in this article. Talking to the point saves a lot time. This is only possible when we are ready with the Agenda proactively.
    Also, Starting meeting 5 minutes late makes sense.

    Requests you to keep up your good work.
    -Ajay Janotkar.

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  • 32

    gautam448

    07/22/07 | Report as spam

    COMMENT

    Good tips. I would like to definitely adhere to these tips. Thanks.

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  • 33

    AristonCC

    08/13/07 | Report as spam

    What about weekly status meetings?

    This is a tough one. In our IT department we have weekly status meetings so that everyone is on the same page. It's tough because it doesn't really have an agenda and due to the volume of people (8 in all), email isn't necessarily the best course of action. Does anyone have any tips that apply to these types of meetings?

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  • 34

    Matt6

    08/20/07 | Report as spam

    Weekly Status Meetings

    I understand what you are saying! Weekly status meetings can easily become non-productive. Our weekly meetings normally include 12-14 individuals and here is how I have laid it out.

    1. I have an agenda which I give to everyone and they know exactly what is needed from them at the meeting. The agenda stays pretty consistent and, since they know this, each salesman is well prepared for the meeting.

    2. I set a time limit. One hour is the longest it will go. Everyone also knows how much time they have to cover their updates to the group. You have to also allow time for feedback so the salesmen need to get to the point and not diverge from the information they need to give. I sometimes have to step in and move people back on track if they diverge from the subject much. What's nice is that now others will do that as well not wanting to lose their update time.

    3. I keep it light. There is always some point in the meeting where things turn humorous. It should not take much time but still be enough to keep things lively.

    4. I ask questions and encourage feedback. If people know they are required to be thinking through the meeting and know their ideas are greatly valued they seem to be more involved in the discussion.

    These are just a few ideas that work well for me. I hope they are of some benefit to you.

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  • 35

    mike@...

    11/08/07 | Report as spam

    Weekly status meetings

    Meetings are a poor tool for getting status. Really it's a series of one-to-one conversations between each team member and the manager. In theory the rest of the team gets updated as well - in practice, most drift off till their turn and few listen.
    Get each team member to send status as bullet list (succinct) under three headings to manager - complete, incomplete, red flags. The manager or team member collates and distributes to the team and then the manager calls a meeting in which you only resolve real issues (clashes, late dependencies and so on). As someone has noted elsewhere in these responses - share information outside a meeting (as much as possible) and use meetings for resolution.

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  • 36

    improvement infinity

    08/26/07 | Report as spam

    "we discuss late arrivals later"

    i found this agenda doing magic.while in driver seat iskip agenda pertaining to those who entered the conference room after the curtain raiser.skipping agenda is working as moderate reminder that you are out of line.with no strech on reason,issued discussed-and allow late comers to evaluate self through others eyes.
    as a precurser,the guidelenes and a grace of two mts is allowed and explained as meeting. a play card or glow sign "we discuss late arrivals later" which gets on after two minutes of the curtain raiser has done a great deal of job for me without impending moods and motion.regards.skj.chairman.fme-intl

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  • 37

    viruser

    08/27/07 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    I have been using this for a small project and it's awesome!!

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  • 38

    S.Howard-Sarin

    08/29/07 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    I coulda used this methodology this week -- and I work at BNET!

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  • 39

    viruser

    09/04/07 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    Great article indeed!!

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  • 40

    seanbernardino

    09/07/07 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    As a professional recently entering the mid-level management ranks, this information is very valuable to me. Seeing that I will be calling meetings in the future (in fact already started this), the tips and tricks provided here are just what the doctor ordered. The book 'The Toyota Way' by Jeffrey K. Liker, also has an interesting section on running effective meetings. Here's what the book says:
    1. Clear objectives prior to the meeting. These are sometimes reflected in an agenda, but the agenda needs
    to be very focused on clear tasks and deliverables.
    2. The right people at the meeting. People expected to show up need to show up.
    3. Prepared participants. All participants know what they should prepare for the meeting and have done it.
    4. Effective use of visual aids.
    5. Separate information sharing from problem solving. Share information as much as possible prior to the
    meeting so that the focus of the meeting can be on problem solving.
    6. The meeting starts and ends on time.

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  • 41

    DarylF

    11/08/07 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    A fantastic tool for preserving the contents of a white we've come across is the Mimio. Copies the tents of the whiteboard interaction onto a laptop through wireless. Preserves the images and acrries out text coversion. Has saved hours!

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  • 42

    juliogman

    11/18/07 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    Very good article. Meetings are the biggest time wasting activity on any organization. I like the UPS practice of a 3 minute meeting to support the company values DAILY.

    I have a couple suggestions that may complement the article.

    1. Sometimes conduct "standing up meetings." Once peope sits down they will tend to make the meeting linger and waste time.

    2. Have a board called "parking lot." Any item that comes up during the meeting and is interesting but not relevant to the present discussion write it in the parking lot board. Then we can implement that item in a future meeting.


    Julio Garreaud
    Executive Coach
    Human Architecture

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  • 43

    essam al-mohandis

    11/19/07 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    fisrt of all distrubute the agenda a head of time and ask for openion second one houre meeting is enough third encourague two way communication forth keep records and assign the task and follow up by next meeting
    those some tips and there is more and more to add
    Essam M Al-Mohandis, Saudi Food And Drug Authority

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  • 44

    suchapas@...

    04/01/08 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    I found it so useful. Anyhow, it's hard to follow like.... how to make people speak on the fact and data basis not on their opinion.

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  • 45

    WumiOlatj

    06/24/08 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    beautiful.. straight-forward stuff. i found myself measuring my recent 'performance' against the points. 1 stuck out though- having to look away from a speaker to the others in a meeting so he/she does the same. well i always thought it best to encourage people by looking directly at them as they spoke... i'll try this one out next time!

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  • 46

    Kavin

    09/02/08 | Report as spam

    Effective meetings

    This is great stuff.. Thank you for sharing this with us.

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  • 47

    kareemc@...

    09/02/08 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    I have read Lot of articles on effective meetings but this is really exceptional. The response from renouned personalities itself declares the relevance and vide acceptance.

    Thanks

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  • 48

    TownsendA@...

    09/03/08 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    I have found the use of what I call the PALM methodology a great guide. The meeting must have a Purpose - why we are meeting, Must have an Agenda - what are we going to talk about,Must have a determined length - as we all have time restrictions - guillotine closure after the expiry. The meeting can continue with a fresh agenda another time. The most important part is the Minutes - the deliverable out of the meeting, the record, the action plan, the definition of what should be done. It must go out asap after meeting and who other to do it than the person who called the meeting!
    Late comers must just catch up - no repeating the business discussed. They had the gall (mostly habitual) to mess with the attendees time - they deserve no better.

    Another big one is that only one person talks at a time. Its a serious breach of etiquette if there are several meetings going on at the same time. The Chairman must take control.

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  • 49

    geoffturner100@...

    09/03/08 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    Excellent informative article and good comments especially re latecomers. My own experience of weekly team meetings in the construction industry is to build the meeting around an ongoing "action list." Each item is not discussed; simply has it been done, if not does it still need doing, by who, when and any new items. Always aim for maximum one hour.
    Geoff

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  • 50

    pbshoe

    03/02/09 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Run an Effective Meeting

    I loved the first line "Have you ever sat though a pointless meeting and calculated just how much money was being wasted as a dozen well-paid professionals zoned out around a deathly boring conference table?"

    YES, I have done that numerous times. Too numerous to count, in fact.

    So a few weeks ago, I released a tool to help you actually calculate it.

    http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=303175087&mt=8

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