- Acquire a toolkit of methods for controlling meetings
- Learn how to structure a meeting so that the aim is clear and the outcome is achieved
- Run meetings that are both short and productive
Overview
This programme enables managers to appreciate the ‘inner game’ of beliefs and values as they apply to managing meetings. During the course discoveries will be made as to how to plan, run and control meetings in a structured and professional way. The course will give those attending the tools and techniques to run meetings that achieve their set aims, in the agreed timescale and with a high degree of consensus from the participants.
Learning objectives
By attending this highly interactive and practical two-day course you will:
- Gain an insight into the ‘golden rules’ and guiding principles of running effective meetings
- Understand the three fundamentally different types of meeting that take place in business and why that affects how they are run
- Use a seven step process for running a meeting efficiently and professionally
- Be aware of the difference between facilitating and leading a meeting
- Acquire specific influencing skills to keep things on track
Who should attend?
All professional people who want to acquire a methodical and professional approach to managing the meetings that they run.
Day 1
The inner game of managing meetings
The phrase the ‘inner game’ is a term borrowed from sports psychology. It is a reference to the fact that what is going on inside a person’s head (their state of mind) is crucial to good performance. Here we consider the role perception and beliefs of the expert chairperson.
- Examining your current beliefs
- Reviewing expert beliefs
- Making changes that you feel are appropriate for you
Pairs exercise: applying the ‘Affirmations’ technique
Meetings planning process – the three types of meeting
One of the most important aspect of planning a meeting is to realise that there are three distinct reasons for having a meeting and that each type needs a different format for the agenda, if it is to run well. Here we identify the three types of meeting and discuss how to structure the agenda in accordance with the overall aim.
- Specify the outcome. Which of the three types of meeting am I dealing with?
- Decide topics and attendees
- Planning for participation
- Ordering the agenda
- Notifying participants
- Setting the stage. Organising the room and equipment etc.
Exercise: planning a meeting
Day 1 (cont)
Running meetings
Once a meeting starts the chairperson must control the flow of the meeting. He/she must make sure that the agenda is kept to and that any particular individual does not dominate the discussion.
- State the outcome
- Outlining the agenda
- Agree the house rules
- Ensuring active participation
- Summarising outcomes
- Closing the meeting
- Writing the minutes
Exercise: role-play based on running a meeting
Controlling meetings
The chairperson must ensure that the focus stays on the topic on the agenda and that the group does not digress e.g. on to another subject or personal observations. To do this he/she must make use of ‘control techniques’.
- Three step assertive technique
- Relevancy challenge
- Time challenge
- Car parking
- Bringing in
- Rounds
- Maintaining neutrality
Exercise: two person drills to learn the control techniques
Day 1 (cont)
Communication meetings – the team briefing meeting
Team briefing is a structured approach to communication within a company and/or a department. It is a drill, whereby a manager brings his/her team together and briefs them on the key things that are happening in the company and their department. This activity helps to (a) confirm the teams’ sense of shared identity and (b) gives everyone a common understanding of how the team is doing and what the priorities are.
- Making the purpose of the meeting clear
- 4 P’s briefing format
- Making the message relevant to the participants
- Welcoming appropriate questions
Exercise: learning the 4P’s team briefing format, running a Team Briefing Meeting
Day 2
Problem solving meetings
Problem solving and decision-making meetings are about (i) analysing data to identify a root cause of a problem or issue, (ii) generating a number of solutions to ensure that a choice about how to move forward is created, (iii) choosing a solution based on an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of each option and finally (iv) implementing the solution and reviewing the results achieved.
- Key problem solving concepts
- The Boulden focused problem solving system
- Data squares to capture the facts
- Decision matrixes to choose a solution
- Seven aspects of the leader's role to ensure active participation and good time management
- Leading versus Facilitating a problem solving meeting
Exercise: leading a problem solving meeting
Information gathering meetings
The purpose of running an information-gathering meeting is to get people’s views on some aspect of a problem or issue. Sometimes we may want to simply gather data; on other occasions we may want their views on the root cause of a problem or on possible solutions to an issue.
- CEDAC diagrams
- Brainstorming
- Nominal Group Technique
- Metaphor Analysis
- Project Team Meetings (the role of ‘rounds’)
Exercise: running an information-gathering meeting
Feedback
Feedback is based upon peer review using Boulden assessment checklists. Completing the assessment checklists is not only valuable to the people involved in a given case study, it also helps those completing them to gain an in-depth understanding of the building blocks that make up an excellent meeting.
Course Structure
There is an option of following the workshop with a three month long Action Learning project to link the lessons from the training back into the workplace. If this option is selected there is a closure workshop at the end of the project phase where delegates present how they have applied the techniques learned on the course into their daily work routines.
Remote Training
All of our workshops can be delivered as Remote Training via e-learning modules plus Zoom based virtual workshops. Please see our Virtual Training page for more information.
