Advice Line | Bob Lewis | InfoWorld | Running an effective meeting | March 24, 2008 05:53 PM

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Running an effective meeting

March 24, 2008 | Comments: (0)

Running an effective meeting

Dear Bob ...

I need some meeting tools, to keep order, steer content on point and so on.

I find that often, meetings up here take on a life of their own and the moderator cannot take them back without banging on the table.

Also, my boss is very articulate. In the last two tech meetings which he asked me to setup, I wrote concise invitations, and attendees came prepared to get work done.

Fortunately or unfortunately, he took control of the meeting. In the end, he acknowledged his commandeering of the meetings, said there was a lot accomplished, and thanked me for setting them up.

Nevertheless, I felt unprepared as a moderator in comparison to him and see I need to improve my skills. I have asked him to approve my attending some more practical seminars on this.

Before that ... any advice?

- Facilitation-challenged

Dear Facilitating ...

Sometimes, you do have to bang on the table. Just keep your good humor about you as you do so. Here are a few other techniques you might find helpful:

1. Make sure every meeting has a point -- a reason for taking place. Announce the reason at the beginning of the meeting (except for recurring meetings; even in these it's worth reminding attendees on a regular basis).

2. Make sure every meeting has an agenda -- a list of specific topics to be covered. First item on the agenda: Status of action items from previous meetings. Last item on the agenda: A review of all open action items, including new ones this week.

3. Always have a flip chart or whiteboard. Use it to list ideas so everyone can see them; to sketch designs so everyone has a common point of reference; and to keep a "Parking Lot" -- a place to list ideas that have no place on the agenda but still shouldn't get lost. If you use a whiteboard, bring a digital camera so it's contents don't get lost.

4. Every topic should finish with agreement on action -- who is going to do what, and when it will be delivered.

5. Get good at facilitation -- at making sure everyone is heard (including people who would rather sit silently) and that nobody dominates. For people who dominate: "Thanks, Ralph. I think we have that point recorded already -- does this say it?" (pointing at an item on a flip chart or the whiteboard -- another reason for making sure you have one, the other, or both). For non-participants, "What do you think about this, Fred? I know you have expertise in this subject."

Another aspect of facilitation: Get good at recognizing when the group has beat a subject to death. "I think we've said everything we have to say about this subject. The next agenda item is ..."

One more: Recognizing when it's time for a consensus check. "It sounds like we're close to a decision on this - namely, blah blah blah. Let's go around the room. Fred - agree or disagree? Ralph? John?"

6. Rotate responsibility for meeting notes. Whoever is responsible must get them out within 24 hours.

One good format for meeting notes is: Topic/Decisions/Comments (if needed)/Action Items. Repeat and summarize the action items at the end of the notes.

Bad format for meeting notes: "He said/she said/they said." This wastes everyone's time.

Last point: If you do need to bang your shoe on the table, use the heel. Otherwise you'll scuff the leather.

- Bob

Posted by Bob Lewis on March 24, 2008 05:53 PM

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An old military tradition when soliciting consensus or opinion on a specific topic is to ask the meeting participants in reverse seniority order. The thinking there was that you'd get the person's real opinion, rather than hearing him parrot the senior officer present if you went in the order of seniority.

Do you think that this is a worthwhile approach in civilian meetings?

Posted by: John at March 26, 2008 10:44 AM

This individual's biggest problem might not be his lack of skills in facilitating a meeting. It might be his boss' unwillingness to let him run it. To avoid pronoun confusions, let's call the boss Ralph and the employee Fred.

There's not enough data to psychoanalyze Ralph with any confidence, but we can guess at some possibilities.
A. He is brimming with personal confidence and enthusiasm so he can't help himself from jumping in.
B. He has no idea that his behavior is having this effect on Fred.
C. He's not just brimming with personal confidence, he's oozing with it to the point where he feels like no one else can run a meeting like he can. He owes it to the company to micromanage.
D. He recognizes that Fred is really bad at this, and doesn't feel like they can afford to let the meetings run afoul while Fred learns how to facilitate.

I would recommend that Fred talk to Ralph and say, "I would like your help. In my next meeting, would you sit back and silently evaluate how the meeting goes? Afterward I'll meet with you to get your feedback. This could be hard for you because it might mean doing nothing while watching me flounder, but I would rather try to work my way through it and then get your advice than to have you rescue me in the midst of it. Would you have a few minutes after the next meeting to give me that kind of feedback?"

This will help get Ralph on Fred's side while also giving Ralph a reason to keep his mouth closed during the meeting.

Posted by: Marty at March 26, 2008 01:03 PM

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