Meetings: What is Your Role?

Every professional who conducts or chairs any meeting or attends any meeting as a participant of the meeting should ask himself:

• Which meetings or what types of meetings do I attend?
• What is my role in the meetings? Chairman of the meeting, facilitator, participant, supplier, customer, consultant, expert or any other?
• What can be my contributions? To achieve what objectives?
• How can I bring about improvements in managing and conducting the meetings?
• Do have I some specific ideas of improvement and can I implement them?
• Do I possess necessary skills/competencies in managing and conducting the meetings and can I improve upon them?
• How can I make the meetings- their process and results more effective?
• Can the meetings be made more interesting and bit of fun?

Critical Questions Prior To Meetings

Before managing, arranging, conducting or attending any meeting find the answers to the following critical questions:

• Why meeting?
• What is the subject matter/agenda?
• Who are attending the meeting?
• When is the meeting?
• Where will the meeting take place/venue?
• Where to: expected outcomes/results of the meeting?

Also answer one more question: Is the meeting really necessary? what will happen if it does not take place?

Planning a Meeting

• Agenda preparation
• Agenda to be brief
• Duration of meeting
• Time allocation for each agenda item
• Decision on names of participants
• Date and time of meeting
• Venue of meeting
• Communication about meeting to all the participants

Role of the Chairman (or Facilitator) of the Meeting

• Welcoming the participants
• Communicating the purpose of meeting
• Managing agenda and agenda items
• Managing participants
• Controlling difficult participants
• Equitable treatment to participants
• Motivating the participants for contribution
• Appreciating the participants for good ideas
• Clarifying
• Summarizing
• Managing time
• Making sure that documentations/minutes are being recorded

Role of the Participants

• Come prepared for meeting
• Be punctual
• Be enthusiastic and show it
• Take active part
• Contribute by sharing information, ideas and solutions
• Contribute to the process of meeting
• Do speak and take your chance to speak
• Listen attentively
• Appreciate other participants for their contribution
• Be flexible about the acceptance of outcomes if you are convinced
• Accept your role as an implementer of the decisions arrived at in the meeting wherever required

Types of Meetings

• Statutory
• Formal
• Informal
• Business
• Team Building
• Physically together
• Video conferencing

Skills/Competencies Required for Conducting Effective Meetings

• Planning
• Organizing people
• Communication
• Assertiveness
• Time management
• Motivation
• Leadership