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Effective Meetings “Two Heads are Better than One”

Why meet?

Meetings are held in all types of businesses Meetings are a great tool in communication process.

Meetings are held for variety of purposes:

To co-ordinate or arrange activities To give information to a group of people To report on some activity or experience To put forward ideas or grievances for discussion To create involvement and interest To obtain assistance

Types of Meetings: Formal Meetings

Have set rules and guidelines. Formal record of them must be kept. A clear agenda is a must. Annual General Meeting. They are held to review company performance and all shareholders are invited. Participants must be given an advance notice. Statutory Meeting. Required by law. Directors and shareholders meet to consider reports. Board Meetings. They are held more often, as needed.

Types of Meetings: Informal Meetings

They are not bound by regulations as formal meetings. An agenda will be a plus, but not required. Management Meeting. Attended by managers of various departments. For instance, they may come together to discuss launch of a new product. Departmental Meetings. All personnel of a certain department is invited. Good for information sharing and/or obtaining feedback. Working Parties (Work Groups). They are set up to handle a particular problem or task. Progress reports are shared and further actions are specified.

Why Meetings Fail?

Managers spend about 60% of their time in meetings. If held effectively, meetings contribute greatly to efficiency of organizations. Unfortunately, in many organizations meetings boil down to “killing time”. Energy, time, and resources are wasted. Bunch of formal statements are made. Such meetings are not managed well and/or participants are not sure of their roles.

Attending Meetings

Try to understand the meeting’s purpose and your role in it. Do your homework. Prepare for meetings. Read all necessary information in advance. Talk to people who will be presenting. Get others’ feedback on important topics. Take active part in the meeting. Participate when appropriate. Don’t be the one who later says “I should have…” Give everyone a chance to speak up. Do not interrupt. Try to lay out your disagreement in a constructive way. Listen to others carefully. Take brief notes.

Roles

Our role in meetings is a set of behaviors expected of us by the group. Try to relate to the following nine roles: Chair/Coordinator Shaper/Team Leader Innovator/ Creative Thinker Monitor-evaluator/Critical Thinker Worker/Implementer Team builder Finisher/Detail-checker and pusher Research investigator/Researcher outside the team Expert (Meredith Belbin’s Categorization of Group Roles, taken from “How to Manage Meetings”, 2002.)

Successful Team

Will contain a balance of all nine roles. Several people may share the same role or one person may perform several roles. Try to pick the role which fits you best. Do not pretend. Be open. Observe your meetings to see unfilled gaps.

Committed Members

Devote time and energy to team Support final decision Perform needed functions

Necessary for effective team participation . . .

Microsoft Image

Group Task Functions

Initiate Give information Seek information Give opinion Seek opinion

Elaborate Energize Review Record

Include the following functions . . .

Group Maintenance Functions

Encourage Harmonize Relieve tension Gatekeep

Nonfunctional Behaviors

Blocking Aggression Storytelling Recognition seeking Dominating

Confessing Special-interest pleading Distracting Withdrawing

Cause unproductive conflict in groups . . .

Handling Nonfunctional People

Plan opening remarks carefully Seat nonfunctional person next to leader Avoid direct eye contact Assign nonfunctional member tasks Ask members to speak in order

Nonfunctional People (con’t)

Break in Place talkative member between quiet members Encourage withdrawers Give praise and encouragement

Member Skills Active Listening Open-mindedness

Communication skills for group members include . . .

Leadership Defined:

Leadership is the use of power to promote the goal accomplishment and maintenance of the group. - D. W. Johnson (Hamilton, p.238)

Leadership in Meetings

The best soldier is not soldierly The best fighter is not ferocious The best conqueror does not take part in the war The best employer of men keeps himself below them This is called the virtue of not contending This is called the ability of using people - Lao-tsu, the writer of the Tao Te Ching, more than 2000 years ago

Trait Theory of Leadership

Do you believe that some people are “born leaders”? Basically, that’s what this theory suggests at the extreme. However, research on leadership does not fully support the trait theory. Most experts believe that good leaders are not born, they are trained. So this is a moderate version of the trait theory.

Successful leaders are more likely to be . . .

Ambitious Trustworthy Motivated Self-confident Knowledgeable Creative

Leader Responsibilities

Inform members of meetings Select place for meeting Check that everything needed is in place Welcome people as they arrive Start and end meeting on time Preview and stick to agenda Make sure recorder is present

Leader Responsibilities (con’t)

Encourage discussion Ask questions skillfully See to task and maintenance functions Listen carefully Summarize Thank participants and audience Make sure results are passed on

Awareness Check

Leadership Trait Questionnaire . . .

Function Theory of Leadership

“There are certain functions that must be performed if a group is to be successful. Any time you perform a task or maintenance function, you are the leader for that period of time.” Imagine your boss gave you a task of organizing and chairing the next week’s departmental meeting. According to the trait theory, you have no chances of becoming a leader in a week. But in the Function Theory You are a leader while performing any of the functions.

Leadership Function Questionnaire . . .

Three-Dimension Theory

To be a good leader, you should be aware of your leadership style (the way you handle yourself and others in a group). Autocratic leadership style (more common in Uzb.) Democratic leadership style Laissez-faire leadership style (good only for experts)

Situational Contingency Theory

Situation dictates leadership style Leadership depends on: Power Task Relationship

Situational Contingency Theory states that…

Autocratic Leadership Style works best when: Group agreement is not required for implementation The group is very large Time for a decision is short

Democratic Leadership is best when: Greater employee satisfaction is needed. Group commitment is needed for implementation Tasks are complicated and require lengthy discussion. Increased productivity is needed. Reduced resistance to change is sought.

Situational Leadership Theory

Definition: “A good leader is flexible and can change styles when needed .” Hersey and Blanchard described four leadership styles whose selection depends on the ability and willingness of subordinates to carry out a particular task.

Delegating style. Employees make and implement decisions on their own. This style works best when employees are both willing and able to do the job.

Participating Style. Employees and leader share in decision making. This style works best when employees have the ability but require encouragement. Telling Style. Employees receive detailed instructions with close supervision. It works best when employees are able but lack the knowledge needed to do the job.

Transformational Leadership

Charismatic leaders (Lee Iaccoca,Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin Roosevelt, Mary Kay Ash,..)… Inspire followers Articulate a vision Provide plan for attaining vision Mobilize commitment