Successful Meetings

Agdex#:	057
Publication Date:	May 2005
Order#:	05-035
Last Reviewed:	July 2005
History:	Replaces OMAFRA Factsheet Effective Meetings 96-039
Written by:	Denise Edwards - Agriculture Organization Specialist/OMAFRA

1. Introduction
2. Key Roles
3. Before The Meeting
4. Physical Set-Up
5. At The Meeting
6. Approaches To Decision Making
7. Decision Making Processes
8. Concluding The Meeting
9. Evaluating The Meeting
10. Common Questions About Meetings
11. Acknowledgements
12. Related Links

• The Chairperson is responsible for ensuring that meetings are run effectively and efficiently. The chair must consider both the task functions of the group, i.e., the actions and decisions that are critical to achieve, and the maintenance functions – the relationships, welfare and harmony of the group. Both functions are important and will affect the organization’s success. The chair has the lead role in planning, preparing, implementing and evaluating meetings and is responsible for starting and ending on time and involving members in the decisions and discussions
• The Secretary helps the chair and is responsible for the legal record of decisions and group memory. The secretary ensures the meeting minutes are prepared, adopted and kept in a format that is available to the membership.
• Committee chairs are responsible for researching issues and bringing options and recommendations to the meeting for decision.
• Members should come to the meeting prepared, be on time, keep their discussion focused, and partici­pate in the decision making. Side conversations should be held until the end of the meeting or social time as they can be very disruptive.

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• Plan the agenda. An agenda is a step-by-step outline of the topics to be discussed at the meeting. The chair should consult the secretary, treasurer and committee chairs when planning the agenda and organizing the materials and resources. Ensure that critical items are discussed first, with the appropriate time allowed.
• Send out the agenda and background information prior to the meeting. This will remind people of the meeting, ensure important issues are not overlooked and help members focus on the issues and be pre­pared to discuss them.
• Ensure all reports and information are available.  Confirm that the required person or a suitable alternate is available to attend the meeting and make a report.
• Notify everyone who needs to know about the meeting Early notification is important to ensure that the required people can attend.

• Size of the room. How many people will attend the meeting? Too big a room gives an isolated feeling, and too small a room makes people feel cramped and uncomfortable.
• Seating Arrangements. The arrangement will depend on the type of meeting.
  • Large meetings with limited speakers suit the class­room or theatre style (chairs in rows). This arrangement makes it easier for participants to hear and focus on the speakers. However, this arrangement limits interaction.
  • Long narrow boardroom tables tend to minimize participation.
  • Chairs and tables arranged in circles, U shapes or squares support increased interaction as people can see each other, and the chair is part of the group.
  • For meeting efficiency have the chairs arranged before the meeting and extras available if needed.

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Do participants know one another? Nametags or table cards help people interact and assist those who have difficulty remembering names. New people could be assigned a host for the meeting to make them feel more comfortable and part of the group.

• Other considerations.
  • How do you access the room?
  • Who has the key?
• Where is the room in the building?
• Don’t forget the acoustics, temperature, ventilation, audio-visual equipment (including cords), lighting, parking, and location of rest rooms, coat racks and refreshments.

• Set the ground rules. These agreements for participant behaviour will make meetings more efficient and effective. They should be discussed by the group and revisited periodically. Some ground rules are:
  • Everyone has equal rights and can participate.
  • The will of the majority is carried out.
  • The minority will be heard.
  • Only one topic will be considered at a time
  • Decision-making will be done fairly and impartially.
• Start and end the meeting on time. Do not penalize the people who made the effort to be on time.
• Use a warm-up activity. As people come together, they should move their thinking from being individuals to being part of a group. Use of an ice-breaker activity can help build the team
• Make introductions. Welcome participants and ensure everyone knows everyone else, especially any newcomers.
• Summarize the purpose of the meeting and the timelines for discussions. It can be useful to write the agenda and points about the issues on a black­board or large piece of posted paper. This helps participants keep track of the discussion.
• Use a speakers’ list. Make sure everyone who wants to speak is given the opportunity before anyone receives a second opportunity.
• Encourage input from all participants. Sometimes a few participants dominate the discussion because they are more comfortable speaking in a group or are more passionate about the topic. The chairperson must ensure there is input from everyone and should try to draw quiet people into the discussion.

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• Keep the discussion focused on the topic. Avoid topic drift, when participants add comments that are irrelevant to the agenda. The comments are usually interesting, but if they are pursued, the conversation drifts further from the objective
• Use a “Parking Lot.” When unrelated issues are raised, keep track of them on the flipchart or black­board, visible to everyone. Participants will realize that these ideas and concerns will not be lost and can be considered at the appropriate time or put on the agenda for the next meeting.
• Explain acronyms. Ensure short forms or initials are explained so that everyone is aware of what is being discussed.
• Be aware of non-verbal behaviour. Body language can provide important clues as to the need for further discussion and/or the involvement and satisfaction of members. Respond to it accordingly.
• Assess when the debate has run its course. The chairperson should summarize the discussion and ask for a vote or expression of consensus
• Use an “Action Sheet.” Record the actions required, who is responsible and timelines for each action. The Action Sheet captures meeting decisions and reminds people to follow through on their commitments.

• Parliamentary Procedure. This is a formal and defined procedure that is especially useful for larger groups. Using Roberts Rules of Order or other meet­ing procedure resources can give organizations a defined process to ensure the wishes of the majority are followed.
• Consensus. This is an alternative decision-making method for smaller meetings, including board, executive or committee meetings. Consensus occurs when the participants, through discussion, come to an agreement on the decision. It eliminates the amendment process that parliamentary procedure dictates and encourages maximum participation. The minutes will reflect that the decision was made by consensus.

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• No evaluation, criticism or discussion on any point.
• Ideas are recorded until they are exhausted. Quantity counts. The more ideas, the greater the chance for a really good idea.
• Build on the ideas of others. Pool your creativity.
• Everyone participates.

• Give each person in the group five sticky dots and have them place the dots beside the options they prefer. They can choose five individual options or place multiple dots on an option they feel strongly about. The option with the greatest number of dots will determine the course of action.
• Participants are asked to rank the options using a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 points represents their first choice, 4 their second choice, etc. The desired option is the one that accumulates the highest total score.

• Draw a line vertically down the middle of the flip­chart page and post so that everyone can see. The situation is stated clearly and written at the top.
• Participants then list the forces that are driving (the pros) the change in the left column, and the forces restraining (the cons) the change in the right column.
• A comparison of the driving and restraining forces helps participants determine the course of action.

• Review the Action Sheet. This ensures that the people who are assigned a task are clear on their responsibilities and timelines.
• Confirm the date, time and location of the next meeting.

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• Before the meeting is adjourned ask, “what went well” and “what could be improved.”
• Appoint someone to monitor the meeting process and report on it at the end. Rotate the responsibility among the members.
• Have participants complete one of the numerous anonymous survey tools that are available on the Internet and discuss the results.

• Recognize there is conflict and identify the issue.
• Focus on the issue, not the personality. Do not criticize individuals
• Use a structured process to help the group discuss the issue, propose and assess solutions, and come to a resolution.
• If the discussion gets too tense, take a short break and, when the meeting reconvenes, summarize the pros and cons for the issues and negotiate a solution.
• In a sensitive meeting, a neutral facilitator can help the group resolve the issues.

• Was the meeting really needed?
• Was there a clearly defined purpose?
• Do people have input into topics?
• Did the participants receive adequate advance notice of the meeting, especially those that were not at the last meeting?
• Was there major conflict with other community activities?
• Is feedback on meeting effectiveness obtained from the membership and acted upon to ensure continued participation?

• Board Development, United Way of Canada - Meeting Management Page
• Nathan Garber and Associates Home Page
• Concenus Works - Running Effective Meetings
• Saskatchewan Industry and Resources - Conducting Effective Meetings
• 3M Meeting Network Home Page

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