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12 Steps to Lead a Killer Productive Meeting
How many times have you been to a meeting where everyone got their
opinions out on the table but nothing was decided? Or how many
recurring meetings have you sat through where you wished you could
have been excused because even if you were to express an opinion,
nothing would change?
We’ve all been there. I’ve worked with managers who have planed for
their direct reports to page them out of meetings. I’ve seen telephone
conferences purposefully scheduled at the same time as meetings. I’
ve witnessed people repeatedly bringing work to monthly information
meetings because they’ve found them to be more of a “show and tell”
session than highlighting what is mission critical and why it is
important.
The main reason that meetings are not productive is because the
group framework is not effective and the facilitator cannot move the
meeting toward a predetermined purpose.
A Group Framework
Organizational culture plays a big role in the effectiveness of its
meetings. Organizational culture refers to a set of values and beliefs
that members of the organization share and that guide their behavior.
Is the environment one in which everyone understands the mission
and the vision of the organization? Are the core values of the
organization exemplified everyday by its executive leadership? Group
culture refers to the set of values and beliefs that are shared by the
group. A group’s culture may differ from the organization’s culture
because of the demographic and professions of the group’s members
but a group will be more effective if the organizational culture is
supportive.
Values and beliefs must be lived by everyone within the organization or
the culture turns cynical. It is one thing to say that an organization
values accountability and respect and another if members of the
executive team are not visible in the organization and do not show
compassion for their colleagues or customers.
A Clear Mission and Vision for the Group
Just as an organization has a mission and a vision for it to be effective
so must a group. The mission of the group answers the question,
“Why do we exist?” The group’s vision is a mental picture of the future
the group seeks to create. So the mission of a monthly information
meeting might be “To inform the management staff on the key
indicators of the business while recognizing outstanding performance
and enlisting their input in a specific action plan for areas that need
attention.” Then people go away from the meeting understanding the
specifics of what is going right and have helped define how to fix what
is not. The vision might be that “At every meeting the group will
evaluate whether or not to continue with its existing action items or
modify them. Additionally the group will determine what new action
needs to occur to improve on (a specific measure.)”
From a more strategic perspective a group may not understand what
philosophical direction to take an organization. So instead of just
having a discussion around this topic that may go in circles the group’s
mission may be to decide what direction to take to best meet the
mission of the organization as a whole. The group’s vision might be to
become a recognized leader in a certain industry within two years. The
meeting’s agenda may begin with a SWOT Analysis (Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) to evaluate the current state
of situation before making a plan.
The Facilitator
The role of the facilitator is key in determining the outcome of a
meeting. A strong facilitator will see him or herself as a third party
unless he/she is also an expert on the topic and will need to give
relevant input. If the facilitator is also an expert, he or she will need to
note when his or her comments are from outside the facilitator role.
Most of the role will be facilitating. The facilitator will work with key
people before the meeting to determine the mission and vision of the
meeting as well as the agenda for pre-distribution, who will attend,
who will take minutes, the meeting start and end times and the
appropriate follow up. At the onset of the meeting the facilitator will
establish the ground rules for the meeting such as: no idea is a bad
idea; everyone can openly disagree but opinions must be expressed
with the reasoning behind the assumption; the goal is to identify gaps
or problems in a theory; and meeting end time. When the meeting is
over, the facilitator clearly reiterates: who will take ownership of the
actionable decisions that were made from the input of the group; when
the next meeting will be; and what the deliverables are for that
meeting. Try unconventional methods to gain enthusiasm. Hold short
meetings standing up. Start at an unconventional time that is not on a
quarter hour increment – such as 8:47 a.m.
Good meeting facilitation means making the fewest and smallest
inferential leaps possible. An inference is a conclusion you reach on
something you may have observed. A low level inference might be to
ask someone who has made a comment to validate it with why they
feel that way. A high level inference might be to point out that they do
not seem to care what other people think. Stay with the low-level
inferences.
12 Steps to Lead a Killer Productive Meeting:
1.) Define the meeting mission (purpose) and vision (future view).
2.) Define the meeting facilitator and who will take minutes.
3.) Define who will attend the meeting – consider representation from
all parties needed to define and implement any decisions as well as
who would be affected.
4.) Define the meeting start and end times.
5.) Define and pre-distribute the agenda that should include the
meeting mission and vision, any relevant reports, start and end times,
and attendees.
6.) At the beginning of the meeting welcome everyone and if people in
the room do not know each other do a round table self-introduction.
7.) State the ground rules of the meeting such as: this is a safe
environment; no idea is a bad idea; everyone can openly disagree but
opinions must be expressed with the reasoning behind them; the goal
is define which ideas have the best chance to succeed.
8.) Work though the agenda items inviting a dialogue of views and
creative scenarios.
9.) Write the ideas (not the names of who created them) on a chart
visible by all. Gather consensus on which ideas have the least gaps
and the greatest chance to succeed.
10.) If follow up information is needed or if a decision has been made
assign an accountable party to execute and bring a report back to the
group.
11.) Review the action items with the group and set those deliverable
items at the beginning of the next meeting’s agenda.
12.) Thank everyone for their participation.
Effective meetings require planning, a healthy culture, a purpose and
good leadership. Start now!
Email this to a friend who may appreciate the advice. Follow Mary Lee’
s tips on Twitter at StartingOverNow.
For the FREE Worksheets: “Begin With the End in Mind and Sketch that
Vision on Paper” and “SMART Goals” go to Mary Lee's Articles and Tips
Sheets page.
Mary Lee Gannon is a personal turnaround, leadership and
productivity expert who went from being a stay-at-home mother with
four children living a country club life to the reality of a difficult
marriage, divorce, homelessness, and welfare. As a guest speaker,
she demonstrates how she went from an earning capacity of $27,000 to
president and CEO. Her book "Starting Over - 25 Rules for When
You've Bottomed Out" is available in bookstores and online. Email
Mary Lee at info@StartingOverNow.com.
How many times have you been to a meeting where everyone got their
opinions out on the table but nothing was decided? Or how many
recurring meetings have you sat through where you wished you could
have been excused because even if you were to express an opinion,
nothing would change?
We’ve all been there. I’ve worked with managers who have planed for
their direct reports to page them out of meetings. I’ve seen telephone
conferences purposefully scheduled at the same time as meetings. I’
ve witnessed people repeatedly bringing work to monthly information
meetings because they’ve found them to be more of a “show and tell”
session than highlighting what is mission critical and why it is
important.
The main reason that meetings are not productive is because the
group framework is not effective and the facilitator cannot move the
meeting toward a predetermined purpose.
A Group Framework
Organizational culture plays a big role in the effectiveness of its
meetings. Organizational culture refers to a set of values and beliefs
that members of the organization share and that guide their behavior.
Is the environment one in which everyone understands the mission
and the vision of the organization? Are the core values of the
organization exemplified everyday by its executive leadership? Group
culture refers to the set of values and beliefs that are shared by the
group. A group’s culture may differ from the organization’s culture
because of the demographic and professions of the group’s members
but a group will be more effective if the organizational culture is
supportive.
Values and beliefs must be lived by everyone within the organization or
the culture turns cynical. It is one thing to say that an organization
values accountability and respect and another if members of the
executive team are not visible in the organization and do not show
compassion for their colleagues or customers.
A Clear Mission and Vision for the Group
Just as an organization has a mission and a vision for it to be effective
so must a group. The mission of the group answers the question,
“Why do we exist?” The group’s vision is a mental picture of the future
the group seeks to create. So the mission of a monthly information
meeting might be “To inform the management staff on the key
indicators of the business while recognizing outstanding performance
and enlisting their input in a specific action plan for areas that need
attention.” Then people go away from the meeting understanding the
specifics of what is going right and have helped define how to fix what
is not. The vision might be that “At every meeting the group will
evaluate whether or not to continue with its existing action items or
modify them. Additionally the group will determine what new action
needs to occur to improve on (a specific measure.)”
From a more strategic perspective a group may not understand what
philosophical direction to take an organization. So instead of just
having a discussion around this topic that may go in circles the group’s
mission may be to decide what direction to take to best meet the
mission of the organization as a whole. The group’s vision might be to
become a recognized leader in a certain industry within two years. The
meeting’s agenda may begin with a SWOT Analysis (Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) to evaluate the current state
of situation before making a plan.
The Facilitator
The role of the facilitator is key in determining the outcome of a
meeting. A strong facilitator will see him or herself as a third party
unless he/she is also an expert on the topic and will need to give
relevant input. If the facilitator is also an expert, he or she will need to
note when his or her comments are from outside the facilitator role.
Most of the role will be facilitating. The facilitator will work with key
people before the meeting to determine the mission and vision of the
meeting as well as the agenda for pre-distribution, who will attend,
who will take minutes, the meeting start and end times and the
appropriate follow up. At the onset of the meeting the facilitator will
establish the ground rules for the meeting such as: no idea is a bad
idea; everyone can openly disagree but opinions must be expressed
with the reasoning behind the assumption; the goal is to identify gaps
or problems in a theory; and meeting end time. When the meeting is
over, the facilitator clearly reiterates: who will take ownership of the
actionable decisions that were made from the input of the group; when
the next meeting will be; and what the deliverables are for that
meeting. Try unconventional methods to gain enthusiasm. Hold short
meetings standing up. Start at an unconventional time that is not on a
quarter hour increment – such as 8:47 a.m.
Good meeting facilitation means making the fewest and smallest
inferential leaps possible. An inference is a conclusion you reach on
something you may have observed. A low level inference might be to
ask someone who has made a comment to validate it with why they
feel that way. A high level inference might be to point out that they do
not seem to care what other people think. Stay with the low-level
inferences.
12 Steps to Lead a Killer Productive Meeting:
1.) Define the meeting mission (purpose) and vision (future view).
2.) Define the meeting facilitator and who will take minutes.
3.) Define who will attend the meeting – consider representation from
all parties needed to define and implement any decisions as well as
who would be affected.
4.) Define the meeting start and end times.
5.) Define and pre-distribute the agenda that should include the
meeting mission and vision, any relevant reports, start and end times,
and attendees.
6.) At the beginning of the meeting welcome everyone and if people in
the room do not know each other do a round table self-introduction.
7.) State the ground rules of the meeting such as: this is a safe
environment; no idea is a bad idea; everyone can openly disagree but
opinions must be expressed with the reasoning behind them; the goal
is define which ideas have the best chance to succeed.
8.) Work though the agenda items inviting a dialogue of views and
creative scenarios.
9.) Write the ideas (not the names of who created them) on a chart
visible by all. Gather consensus on which ideas have the least gaps
and the greatest chance to succeed.
10.) If follow up information is needed or if a decision has been made
assign an accountable party to execute and bring a report back to the
group.
11.) Review the action items with the group and set those deliverable
items at the beginning of the next meeting’s agenda.
12.) Thank everyone for their participation.
Effective meetings require planning, a healthy culture, a purpose and
good leadership. Start now!
Email this to a friend who may appreciate the advice. Follow Mary Lee’
s tips on Twitter at StartingOverNow.
For the FREE Worksheets: “Begin With the End in Mind and Sketch that
Vision on Paper” and “SMART Goals” go to Mary Lee's Articles and Tips
Sheets page.
Mary Lee Gannon is a personal turnaround, leadership and
productivity expert who went from being a stay-at-home mother with
four children living a country club life to the reality of a difficult
marriage, divorce, homelessness, and welfare. As a guest speaker,
she demonstrates how she went from an earning capacity of $27,000 to
president and CEO. Her book "Starting Over - 25 Rules for When
You've Bottomed Out" is available in bookstores and online. Email
Mary Lee at info@StartingOverNow.com.
StartingOverNow.com
Articles
FREE e-book.
Get Mary Lee's FREE
e-book "Make Your
Wheel of Fortune
Spin on Balance" by
clicking here. Mary Lee
Gannon's work as a
newspaper reporter,
trade association
executive director,
public relations
consultant,
entrepreneur, and
hospital foundation
president and CEO are
the basis for her free
e-newsletter with tips on
"Starting Over."
Get Mary Lee's FREE
e-book "Make Your
Wheel of Fortune
Spin on Balance" by
clicking here. Mary Lee
Gannon's work as a
newspaper reporter,
trade association
executive director,
public relations
consultant,
entrepreneur, and
hospital foundation
president and CEO are
the basis for her free
e-newsletter with tips on
"Starting Over."
People who use the
FREE resources on
this site are:
* Starting over in
their career or
personal life
* Empty nesters
* Entrepreneurs
* Networking
* Job Seekers
* Starting all over
again
* Going through a
divorce
* Looking for career
opportunities
* Seeking FREE
career advice and
education
* Finding mentors
* Setting new life
goals
To chart your road
map to success
click here for FREE
"Worksheets and
Articles."
FREE resources on
this site are:
* Starting over in
their career or
personal life
* Empty nesters
* Entrepreneurs
* Networking
* Job Seekers
* Starting all over
again
* Going through a
divorce
* Looking for career
opportunities
* Seeking FREE
career advice and
education
* Finding mentors
* Setting new life
goals
To chart your road
map to success
click here for FREE
"Worksheets and
Articles."
Mary Lee Gannon's
Book "Starting Over"
will be released in
November of 2009.
Look for it in stores or
order it from
Amazon.com.
Book "Starting Over"
will be released in
November of 2009.
Look for it in stores or
order it from
Amazon.com.
Follow Mary Lee's tips
and information on these
Social Networking sites:
and information on these
Social Networking sites:
Turnaround Solutions for People & Organizations
Whether you are an executive who is "stuck," your company needs
better productivity, or you are in a life transition you represent the
people and organizations Executive Leadership Coach Mary Lee has
helped. Learn how to clarify direction, create strategy, upgrade skills,
optimize your environment and wipe out fear and doubt. Make it fun =
get more done!
Mary Lee’s strategies from her book “Starting Over” helped her in her
own transformation from stay-at-home mother with four children living
a country club life to the reality of a difficult marriage, divorce, poverty,
welfare and then on to president and CEO. Eliminate self doubt, under-
performance, money fears, relationships woes, and negative influence
so that you may soar. Then lead others to improve their lives and your
business. Start now! For a FREE introductory coaching session via
phone email info@startingovernow.com.
Whether you are an executive who is "stuck," your company needs
better productivity, or you are in a life transition you represent the
people and organizations Executive Leadership Coach Mary Lee has
helped. Learn how to clarify direction, create strategy, upgrade skills,
optimize your environment and wipe out fear and doubt. Make it fun =
get more done!
Mary Lee’s strategies from her book “Starting Over” helped her in her
own transformation from stay-at-home mother with four children living
a country club life to the reality of a difficult marriage, divorce, poverty,
welfare and then on to president and CEO. Eliminate self doubt, under-
performance, money fears, relationships woes, and negative influence
so that you may soar. Then lead others to improve their lives and your
business. Start now! For a FREE introductory coaching session via
phone email info@startingovernow.com.
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FREE Resources
to help you:
1. United States of America's
primary source on career
information:
www.onetcenter.org
2. Wage Estimates
www.salary.com and Bureau of
Labor and Statistics
3. Organize Your Job Search -
Post a Question etc.:
www.cvtips.com
4. Starting Over After Divorce:
www.womansdivorce.com
5. Starting Over for Women:
www.makingbreadmagazine.co
m
6. Self Improvement:
www.selfgrowth.com.
7. Job Postings, Resume
Advice and Resources:
www.careerbuiler.com
8. Templates for: business
plans, competitive analysis,
start up costs and more:
www.score.org/business_toolbox
.html
9. Federal/Sate/Local
Government jobs:
www.USAJOBS.com
10. U.S. Government's Free
online courses, webinars and
podcasts for workforce
development:
www.onetacademy.com.
11. Occupational Outlook
Handbok 2008-09 by Bureau of
Labor and Statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.ht
m
to help you:
1. United States of America's
primary source on career
information:
www.onetcenter.org
2. Wage Estimates
www.salary.com and Bureau of
Labor and Statistics
3. Organize Your Job Search -
Post a Question etc.:
www.cvtips.com
4. Starting Over After Divorce:
www.womansdivorce.com
5. Starting Over for Women:
www.makingbreadmagazine.co
m
6. Self Improvement:
www.selfgrowth.com.
7. Job Postings, Resume
Advice and Resources:
www.careerbuiler.com
8. Templates for: business
plans, competitive analysis,
start up costs and more:
www.score.org/business_toolbox
.html
9. Federal/Sate/Local
Government jobs:
www.USAJOBS.com
10. U.S. Government's Free
online courses, webinars and
podcasts for workforce
development:
www.onetacademy.com.
11. Occupational Outlook
Handbok 2008-09 by Bureau of
Labor and Statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.ht
m
| Mary Lee Gannon is interviewed on Mind Your BIZness |
Listen to Mary
Lee's interview
"From Welfare
to CEO" on the
Renee Bobb
Show on
BlogTalk
Radio.com.
Lee's interview
"From Welfare
to CEO" on the
Renee Bobb
Show on
BlogTalk
Radio.com.
Get the FREE e-Book "Make Your
Wheel of Fortune Spin on Balance"
and the Starting Over Now FREE
e-Newsletter. Start now!
Wheel of Fortune Spin on Balance"
and the Starting Over Now FREE
e-Newsletter. Start now!
StartingOverNow.com
Executive Leadership Coaching - Turnaround Solutions for People and Organizations
Executive Leadership Coaching - Turnaround Solutions for People and Organizations