Handling Effective Project Meetings

How do I make my project meetings more effective?

Pros and cons

·      A good meeting can

·         Provide swift, efficient information exchange

·         Enhance motivation

·         Enable coordination

·         Resolve minor issues rapidly

·      An improperly handled meeting can

·         Waste time and money

·         Heighten differences and bad feelings

·         Result in poor decisions

·         For tips on planning meetings, see Issacon #1442

·         For meeting tips, see Issacon #1444

Before the meeting

Items to consider

·         Is the meeting really necessary,

·         What should it accomplish

·         Set clear objectives, as a preamble to the agenda

·         Determine who should be present

·         Too few will be uneventful

·         Too many will be tedious

·         Set the date and time to start and finish

·         Limit information-sharing meetings to two hours maximum

·         Set the agenda, priority and time table

Logistics - 1

Arrangements for the meeting

·         Reserve a suitable room

·         Order equipment and supplies

·         Arrange for refreshments

·         Notify all as early as possible

·         Including date, time and place

·         The list of attendees

·         The agenda

·         Any essential supporting documents

Logistics - 2

·         Contact anyone who may have a special contribution

·         To the success of the meeting

·         Try to ensure that anyone who could be impacted by a decision

·         Is present

·         Or at least represented

·         Arrange for someone to take notes, keep a record

·         Don't rely on a tape recorder

·         It often comes out as just a babble!

At the meeting

As the chair person, set the example!

·         Arrive in good time

·         Check that all arrangements are as they should be

·         Seating, equipment, refreshments

·         Greet people upon arrival, especially new participants

·         Start promptly

·         And keep control of the time

·         Get "house-keeping" out of the way

·         Introductions, appreciation, apologies, notices

During the meeting - 1

·         Introduce each agenda item crisply

·         With its "objectives" statement

·         Guide the discussion

·         Encourage participation

·         Discourage verbosity

·         Maintain focus

·         Try to balance discussion on controversial issues

·         "Park" peripheral issues

·         For later, or separate discussion

During the meeting - 2

·         As chair, avoid expressing your own opinion

·         Until everyone has had their say

·         But nodding encouragement is OK!

·         Summarize at convenient intervals

·         And reach agreement, consensus or consent

·         Make decisions

·         And test for commitment on the decision!

·         Record "Action items"

·         And who is responsible, and by when

·         Read back the description for confirmation

On closing

·         At the end of the meeting

·         Close on a positive note

·         Thank everyone for their contributions

·         And close on time!

·         Do distribute the notes-of-meeting

·         As soon as possible thereafter

·         So that action items also get done

·         As soon as possible!