Meeting Essentials
What is a meeting?
A meeting is a structured conversation among a small group of people who interact to accomplish a specific task.
Naturally occurring groups have conversations that rattle on without leadership, direction, or an agenda, and are more subject to have problems.
True
True/False:
Gathering a group to share information is considered a meeting.
False - Sharing information is considered a presentation or briefing when there is little to no interaction among group members.
True/False:
Always distribute an agenda to meeting participants before the meeting.
True
What helps a group or team stay focused on the task at hand and consists of the agenda and other techniques?
Structure
[Look in book for answer - there are 10]
What is the cardinal rule of meetings?
Meet only when you have a reason to meet.
True/False:
Leaders that are super hands on, involved, and structured always lead to the best results in discussions.
False - One study found groups generated more and better ideas when team leaders simply listened and waited for team members to contribute.
Too much of this can lead to chaos and unfocused talk, but too little can result in an unproductive meeting.
Interaction
Most groups spend _____% of their time talking about the task, and almost _____% of their time talking about social, relational, or maintenance matters.
60%, 40%
Name two of the three main meeting goals.
Sharing information, discussing information, taking action
Why is it important to have an agenda?
It is a key tool that helps structure the order and keep on topic.
Topics can shift once a minute if there isn't _____ in a meeting.
Can a meeting have too much structure?
Yes
A decision is made, problem is solved, or decision/solution is implemented
What is the first task to developing an agenda?
Consider all topics, issues, and questions that need to be discussed within the meeting.
Top-level managers spend this much time either in meetings or preparing for meetings.
2/3 of their time
Your meeting is getting off topic. How do you fix this problem?
Stick to an agenda, stay organized, have effective leadership, have clear goals
People are more satisfied with an outcome if they participate in the process that leads to it, rather than just being told what to do. Give an example, personal or not.
Good answer!
A meeting is scheduled late in the day or participants are tired. Why is this a pitfall and how would you suggest overcoming this?
Pitfall because participants are less likely to be involved.
Overcome by involving participants early in the meeting.