Meeting Meetings Head-on

	Hi there,	View Online
	Welcome to the July edition of mind-set, a newsletter designed to provide you with practical tips. Have you ever said or heard it said, “if I didn’t have so many meetings I would be able to get some work done”? If you think about all of the unproductive meetings that you have attended and look for what’s common in all of them you will find only one answer – you.
	In this edition of mind-set I have chosen to provide you with some tips on managing meetings. These suggestions presuppose that you are calling the meeting. If the outcomes achieved in these meetings are to change then how you manage meetings must also change.
	If you are invited to the meeting, encourage the chairperson to adopt some of these principles by requesting that the purpose, agenda and criteria for success are provided to you before hand.
	One of the qualities identified in exceptional leaders is the quality of the meetings that they hold. I have outlined some of the key elements that, if used, can enhance the productivity of your meetings. Bare in mind that you will need to practise these skills to become more comfortable with using them.

	Firstly, ask yourself, “Do I need to call a meeting?” or would it be better to use informal communications or phone calls with people who can help to achieve your outcome instead. Remember, presentations and brainstorming sessions are not meetings and need to be conducted differently.
	Preparation Adequate preparation in advance by one or two people can save time for all the participants of a meeting.
	Clearly state the purpose of the meeting (even if you think it’s obvious). It is even better if the specific criteria for success are also stated. This gives everybody direction.
	Write the agenda in terms of desired outcomes with qualifying criteria, and circulate them (along with date, location, starting time and finishing time) 2-3 days in advance of the meeting.
	The order of business proceeds from the quick and easy to the longest or most difficult items. This way the time available for discussion of contentious items will become apparent.
	Who should attend? Make sure that the attendees are also the decision makers otherwise you are actually having a discussion. Ensure that the key people (those that will carry out the actions) are present so that you can ensure they fully understand what needs to be done.

	Meeting Format This meeting format is designed to improve the efficiency of meetings over time. When the meeting begins:
	1. Start on time.
	2. Establish ground rules, courtesy and business / cultural requirements.
	3. Confirm the outcome and timeframe for the meeting. Write it on the board and stick to it. (My preference is a board because it can be seen by all and easily referred to.)
	4. Check for additional agenda items and outcomes for the meeting from all participants, write them all on the board and check for relevance to existing agenda. (Or add them if appropriate.)
	5. Confirm the order of business (deal with the least important items first.)
	•	When anyone changes the subject or introduces apparently irrelevant matters, draw their attention to the items on the board, and ask 'how is that relevant to...' (achieving the outcome being discussed). This is called a 'Relevancy Challenge' and prevents the meeting being high-jacked.
	•	Repeat the relevancy challenge each time anyone raises a point of dubious relevance to the matter in hand. Relevancy challenges also encourage new approaches to an outcome, as the challenged speaker demonstrates the relevance of their comment.
	6. Use the back track frame.
	•	At the end of each topic, review the outcome and the suggested methods for achieving it. Back track through the process, adding in the plan of action with details of who is taking what action, with whom and by when. All this is minuted as evidence.
	•	Another time to back track is if the discussion gets complicated.
	7. If you hit a sticking point or dead-end.
	•	Use the as-if frame. If you want to free up a discussion which has stuck, ask what would happen if we could ... or if .... were so.
	•	Another way to loosen sticking points is to ask what the outcome or objection is for, or what is its function. It may become compatible with other matters if they are chunked up to find common ground.
	8. End the meeting on time, even if it is not finished. Schedule another time for the remaining agenda items.

	At the first meeting, the parties may be challenged on relevancy several times. As they grow used to it, a look or a point at the board will be sufficient to draw their attention. Soon, they will check their own comments, and stay on track by themselves.
	The length of time allowed for the meeting should be sufficient for the business of the meeting. When the quick items are out of the way, the time available for the big ones is more apparent.
	Stopping on time allows everyone to run the rest of their day as they arranged, and demonstrates your intention of running effective meetings. When you arrange another time to finish the business, because you have left the most important item to the last, the parties will make more effort to find time. In future, they will be more inclined to stick to the agenda, so they can complete the business in the time allocated.
	As well as speeding up one-off meetings, this format has a cumulative effect on regular meetings, as the participants become familiar with the format and start to use it themselves.
	Any spare time at the end of a meeting can be treated as social time and well deserved. It is worth drawing this to their attention and thanking them.

I hope this provides you with some assistance and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me on 02 8969 6600 or e-mail paul@emergingmind.com.au If you wish to forward this edition to anybody that you think may find it useful, please do.

Kind regards,

Paul Kinsella

NB - If you have any topics that you would like addressed in this newsletter please feel free to send your suggestions to mind-set@emergingmind.com.au

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