Best Practices for Running More Effective Meetings

May 17th, 2016

Less Pain More Gain: Best Practices for

More Effective Meetings

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Meeting Best Practices

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How many of you feel like this?

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11 million yearly61.8 monthly

50% waste of time

Facts About Meetings

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Facts About Meetings

MEETINGS COST $$$

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This SlideShare Covers …The GOAL: Meetings That Produce Results

Every Time

1. Use Foundation Tools to Set the Stage for Success.

2. Proactively Manage the Three Meeting Phases.

3. Keep Participants Engaged and Accountable.

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Why Have Meetings?

• In a business world that is faster, tougher, leaner and more downsized than ever, more work becomes team work and that increases the demand for meetings.

• More and more companies are team-based and in team based companies most work gets done in meetings.

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Meetings Reflect the Company’s CultureWhat do your meetings say about your

company’s culture?

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How do meetings impact your company?• Meetings are the most universal and – and universally despised part of business life.

• William R. Daniel, senior consultant at American Consulting and Training of Mill Valley, California is adamant about the real stakes: bad meetings make bad companies.

• “Meetings matter because that’s where an organization’s culture perpetuates Itself,” he says. “Meetings are how an organization says, ‘You are a member,’ Bad meetings are a source of negative messages about our company and ourselves.”

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Seven Sins of Deadly MeetingsIdentified by Fast Company:

#1: People don’t take meetings seriously.Solution: Adopt Intel’s mind-set that meetings are real work.

#2: Meetings are too long.Solution: Time is money. Track the cost of your meetings. Meetings should last no longer than 90 minutes.

#3: People wander off the topic.Solution: Get serious about agendas and store distractions in a “parking lot.”

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Seven Sins of Deadly Meetings#4: Nothing happens once the meeting ends.

Solution: Convert from “meeting” to “doing.”

#5: People don’t tell the truth.Solution: Embrace anonymity. Work on building trust.

#6: Missing information that is important for decision making.Solution: Get data into meeting rooms. Plan and prepare.

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Seven Sins of Deadly Meetings#7: Meetings never get better.

Solution: Practice makes perfect. Monitor what works and what doesn’t. Take feedback seriously.

Tip: Good meetings aren’t just about work,they are about fun – keeping people charged up.

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The Three PhasesProactively Manage

The Three Phases of a Meeting

Before During After 1 2 3

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Sample Meeting AgendaTopic/Outcome Who Action/Process Time1. Determine the

Theme for Team Conference

Sam & Louise Decision on Theme/ Brainstorm, Nominal Voting

30 min

2.

3.

4.

Tip: Send out 48 hours before the meeting

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Manage the Three PhasesConducting the Meeting

During2

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Roles – The WhoFacilitator/Leader

Meeting Participants

Visual Scribe

Summary Presenter

Time Keeper (optional)

Tip: Rotate Roles

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Roles – The WhoHaving clearly defined and assigned roles in meetings contribute to its effectiveness. When roles are not clarified and there is confusion about roles things do not get done or they risk getting done poorly.

There is the tendency for some project managers to do it all – let people share the ownership of meeting it is great for engagement and eliciting participation.

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Set the Stage for SuccessUse Foundation Tools

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The Three Foundation Tools1. Goals, Roles and Process2. Agenda with Time Frames3. Ground Rules

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Tip: Make sure people know each other, their roles, and reasons for participating.

Establish a Comfort Zone

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Closing the MeetingRecap and clarify actions to be taken (what, who, when).Summarize results of meeting, including agreements and decisions made.Thank people and reinforce positive contributions.

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Manage the Three PhasesAfter the Meeting

After 3

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After the MeetingPrepare and distribute meeting notes.

Take actions agreed to.

Monitor results, follow up as needed.

Use feedback/evaluation to improve next meeting.

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After the MeetingTemplate for meeting notes: Date, time, location of the meeting Names of members and guests List of key outcomes List of key outcomes and decisions Action items: what, who, when Links to or attachments of relevant documents Next meeting date, time, and location

Tip: Send out within 24 hrs.

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Keep Participants Engaged

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Three Meeting Processes1. Decision Making2. Problem Solving3. Managing Conflict

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Facilitation Skills and Behaviors

What works?

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Prevention techniques are used before or during team meetings which prevent the team from

getting off track with respect to either content or process.

Prevention Techniques

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Prevention Techniques GRP Agenda Ground Rules

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Intervention techniques are used to maintain and regain focus when the meeting or team

members start to go off track.

Intervention Techniques

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Intervention TechniquesTypes of intervention: Boomerang Say what’s going on Enforce process agreements Accept/legitimize/deal with or defer Use body language Use humor

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How would you rate your meetings on a scale of 1-10? (10 being the best).

1……2……3……4……5……6……7……8……9……10

What will you do to improve the quality of your meetings?

Meeting Quality Evaluation

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Keep Participants Engaged and AccountablePurpose, Direction and Meaning People need from their leaders a sense of purpose, direction, and meaning. They need to understand the connection between their individual and team

contribution and their organization’s vision, purpose and goals.Trust

People need to trust their leaders, their capacity to do their job, their competence. They need to believe that their leaders will stand by them when the going gets

tough. They need to feel their leaders care about them and empathize with them.

Optimism People need optimism and hope from their leaders, a belief that through their

combined efforts they can create new realities and overcome any obstacle.Action and Results

People need leaders who share their knowledge and expertise, are willing to make difficult decisions, have a bias toward action, and the ability to get results.

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The GoalMeetings That Produce Results

Every Time

1. Use Foundation Tools to Set the Stage for Success.

2. Proactively Manage the Three Meeting Phases.

3. Keep Participants Engaged and Accountable.