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Press Release |
Edge Magazine, February 2010.
How To Chair a meeting
By Scott Beagrie
Spending time in meetings can be one of the more fruitless tasks in a busy working day, but if you fine-tune your ability to chair a meeting and keep to a strict agenda, there is no reason why meetings can't be highly productive, says Scott Beagrie.
Every meeting needs an effective leader to ensure efficient and productive use of participants' time. His or her role is to facilitate the meeting, maintain order and keep proceedings on track, elicit contributions from participants and ensure that debate and discussion is constructive. They must also ensure there is a plan and commitment for follow-up action.
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Too often, the ability to chair a meeting isn't viewed as a skill in its own right and few people receive adequate training. Moreover, the boss often assumes the role as the most senior person present. But as Graeme Leith, managing director of management training and development consultancy Morgan Leith Partnership, points out, this is a mistake in the same way that the old practice of combining the roles of company chairman and chief executive is now frowned upon. "The role of chair is to ensure the success of the meeting, not to provide the content - and it is a job in its own right," says Leith.
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1. Prepare and plan in advance
Before convening any meeting, liaise with the person who has called it to discuss its purpose and the intended outcome. These factors will dictate the agenda, who should be invited to attend as well as those who shouldn't. Ensuring the right people are around the table is a key task for the chair. Think carefully as to who is likely to have the most meaningful contribution to make, irrespective of their role or seniority, and be sure to include everyone who is affected by the outcome or whose authority is required. Remember that it may be necessary to only invite participants along for specific segments.
2. Set a firm agenda
A clear purpose, defined structure and focused discussion are essential if the meeting is to fulfill its objectives and a water-tight agenda is the best way to achieve this. The agenda needs to not only focus the minds of participants but also to force them to consider what they want to accomplish from the meeting. Before preparing the agenda, try to meet every participant at least once to discuss issues, canvas opinions and make sure you understand what they're expecting. Leith says, ideally, the chair should prepare the ground for agreement "without subverting the main meeting". If performed effectively, this pre-meeting networking should help to ensure the official meeting is a simple affair where decisions and agreements are formalised. He adds: "The other benefit of this approach is that most meetings are mercifully short." Once you have drawn up the approved agenda, circulate it well in advance along with a confirmation of the time and date of the meeting.
3. Location, location, location
It's easy to make light of factors like choosing a venue and ensuring adequate facilities, but they can make or break a meeting. If the desire is to stimulate and generate ideas, for example, it may be a good idea to hold it offsite. Choice of venue will depend on the size, style and scale of the meeting and could range from an office breakout area for a small, causal gathering to a conference room for a more formal meeting. Don't assume a whiteboard, visual aids or technical support will be available on the day. While it's easy to snigger when a presentation is impeded by dodgy equipment or IT support, this can also undermine the credibility of the overall meeting and those who called it.
4. Assign a note taker
Recorded minutes are the best way of keeping everyone up to speed with any conclusions made and decisions reached. This also reduces the risk of key points being misinterpreted or relayed inaccurately. Delegate the note taker with the task of distributing the summary to each participant and any other relevant parties, such as those who missed the meeting, no later than one week after the event. Ensure any follow-up actions are defined clearly along with who is responsible for what by when. In addition to a note taker, you may want to select someone to publicly record notes on a flip chart or whiteboard. This can help clarify points and decisions during the discussion and help concentrate the minds of participants.
5. During the meeting
Make sure the meeting starts promptly and make any necessary introductions. Start by outlining the purpose of the meeting and its objectives. Ensure participants keep to the agenda but be careful not to impose yourself - the chair's role is to facilitate the discussion and to make sure everyone is given an opportunity to contribute. If you feel an individual is being left out, take steps to draw them into the discussion. It is within your remit to play devil's advocate if you think it will add value to the meeting and generate interesting discussion.
Take notes yourself so that you can regularly recap on the discussion throughout the meeting. Keep a close eye on the clock and make sure you leave adequate time to sum up the proceedings. It is important to end the meeting as you started it, on time. If there are issues or topics that haven't been discussed, add them to the next meeting's agenda.
6. After the meeting
Elicit feedback and comment from those involved in the meeting and ask how it could have been made even more effective. This also demonstrates that you value their contribution. As with everything, you are only as good as your last meeting, so hone your skills and look at what you can learn from the practice of others.
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THE WAY I SEE IT
Graeme Leith, Managing Director, Morgan Leith Partnership Ltd.
Q. What would you say is the most challenging aspect of being a chair?
The most difficult part of being in the chair is to stay professional at all times and remain outside the discussions, unless they have to do with the running of the meeting itself. External chairs are therefore the best choice.
Q. What would you personally do to bring a meeting that's gone awry back on course?
There are several options a chairperson can use and he or she will need to use their experience and character to choose which is appropriate. Taking an adjournment gives all parties the chance to re-group. Informal discussions can go a long way to reaching decisions and a short adjournment can take the emotional heat out of a situation. Calling the meeting to order, restating the purpose of the meeting and insisting all comments and questions go through the chair highlights the formality of the event, instilling order and professionalism. As a last resort, expelling a member or members from the meeting for behaving inappropriately is an option. This is pretty drastic and is only suitable in extremis.
Q. How important is a chair's body language in a meeting?
The ability to read body language is fundamentally important for all managers and chairpersons, yet understood well by few. This is a remarkable omission in most managers' training considering body language can convey up to 60% of all our communication. The chairperson should have a deep understanding of his or her body language at all times to portray the independence, integrity and gravitas for the job. Look directly at a speaker and make eye contact while sitting in a neutral position. The chair should provide the example of how they want the meeting to run through their own behaviour.
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