Enhancing techniques to conduct meetings

Goals

• Prepare meetings efficiently
• Manage a meeting methodically to meet its objective
• Involve all participants to develop the full potential of the group and reach tangible results
• Handle difficult behaviors and sensitive situations during meetings
• Ensure follow up

Target audience

Anyone who conducts meetings or working groups

Prerequisite

None

Contents

Organise and prepare productive meetings

• Preliminary questions; challenge the need for the meeting
• What type of meeting will lead to the best result? Set a SMART goal.
• Define the agenda
• Involve the participants beforehand
• Set up the meeting (define the style, timing, resources); TOMATES-tool
• Prepare logistics

Manage the meeting; involve the participants

• Successfully start the meeting; define the “rules of engagement”
• Manage the timing and the agenda
• Involve every participant
• Listen, rephrase, summarise: get participants to listen
• Handle ideas and propositions; enhance productivity and group work; make decisions
• Control communication; handle difficult situations: individual or collective disturbances, digressions

Close the meeting and follow up

• Respect the length of the meeting
• Close the meeting: define a what-to-do list and a who-does-what list
• Write a report (or have it written)
• Follow up on the actions