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Tips & Techniques for PLANNING

Productive Meetings

Orientation

Planning Tools

Types of Meetings

Table of Contents

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Orientation

This material was developed to help you plan for productive meetings that can save time, money, energy and frustration. As you work through the slides, you will explore tools and techniques for improving how you plan for productive business meetings.

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The Problem & the Opportunity

Meeting Facts & Truths

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Use questions

Listen actively

Respond appropriately

Orientation

The Problem & the Opportunity

The problem

People in business are spending more time in meetings than ever before. If not planned and conducted effectively, meetings can be a huge waste of time, money and energy. They can also be downright frustrating to those who attend – whether as a participant or as a meeting leader.

The opportunity

If every organization was able to improve meeting effectiveness by just 10-20%, the impact on business would be dramatic. If you want to improve the quality of your meetings, you need:

1. personal and group discipline

2. effective communications

3. a commitment to planning and follow through

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Meeting Facts & TruthsThe facts

Some truths

• 37-45% of employees’ time is spent in meetings.

• 42% of meetings are unproductive according to a Wharton study.

• 50% of time in meetings is wasted according to a Harvard study.

• 25% of meetings happen out of habit rather than need.

• Fixing meeting problems produces immediate results.

• Solving 90% of meeting problems can be accomplished by attendees.

• Showing up is not enough.

• Changing meeting effectiveness means changing your own habits and behaviors first.

Types of Meetings

In this section, you will explore the first key to improving your meeting effectiveness: “Be clear on what kind of meeting you will be running.”



Not All Meetings are Equal


www.iwcctraining.comTypes of Meetings

Not All Meetings are Equal

Meetings vary a great deal in their frequency, purpose and timing. Consider what type of meeting you need. Some possibilities include:

Type Description

The Daily Huddle A short, stand-up meeting designed to help team members share information about daily happenings, priorities and trouble spots.

The Operational Meeting

A regularly scheduled (weekly, bi-weekly) meeting that focuses on short-term operational issues. It can be used as a forum for celebrating successes, pinpointing problems or reviewing progress. Content should be tied to the short-term objectives of the organization or department.


Remember: Regardless of the type of meeting, you (the meeting leader) must ensure that only those issues related to the objectives are discussed.

Next, let’s look at three planning tools that will help you get ready for success.

Type Description

The Strategic Meeting

A regularly, but less frequently, scheduled meeting designed to ensure that the organization is moving towards its medium/long-term goals. Such meetings will deal with policy and planning issues as well as resource and directional issues.

The Task-Force Meeting

One or more scheduled meetings designed to accomplish a specific operational or strategic objective. Such meetings are often cross-functional and they disband once the task is complete.

Types of Meetings

Planning Tools

In this section, you will gain three tools that will help you get ready for a successful meeting and reduce meeting pain. You will also review the meeting roles that can contribute to meeting productivity and your success.



Tool #1: Thought-Jogger

Tool #2: Meeting Planner

Meeting Roles

Tool #3: Action Agenda




Overall Mandate Objective(s)

Why are we meeting?

Is this meeting really necessary?

Is there a better way to accomplish the same thing?

What type of meeting is it?

Who should be there?

What is the specific objective or outcome?

What do we need to do in this meeting?

The Thought-Jogger will guide you through some key questions before you plan your meeting. By answering the questions listed in each category, you will be well on your way to structuring a productive business meeting.

make decisions

influence/persuade

plan

review

solve problems

generate ideas

provide information (Inform)

other: ______________

Planning Tools


Topics Attendees

What topics do we need to cover?

Who are the owners or champions of each topic?

What is the most important topic to cover at this meeting?

What can wait?

How much time will each topic need?

How will we deal with the agenda items?

What facilitation tools or processes might help us tackle certain topics?

Who must attend? For how long? When should they arrive?

Who will be the meeting leader?

Who will be topic leaders or presenters?

What other roles will be helpful to assign?

timekeeper

scribe

process supporter

minute taker

Planning Tools


Pre-work Time and Place

What do the attendees have to do, prepare, read or bring to the meeting?

What do the topic leaders or presenters have to do to prepare?

When is the meeting?

Where is the meeting?

Does everyone know?

How long will the meeting last?

Does everyone have to arrive at the same time?

Does everyone have to attend the entire meeting?

Planning Tools



The Meeting Planner is a useful tool for you (the meeting leader) and for anyone who owns a piece of the meeting.

By using the planner, you organize the flow of the meeting. You also determine the other players, the topics they will cover and more. In addition, you can use this tool to help you prepare the agenda for your meeting.

But before we begin, let’s consider one of the big reasons why meetings go off course: Meeting leaders or groups have not taken the time to really clarify their meeting objectives. If you take the time to consider what you want to achieve and how much time you need to achieve it, you will set your meeting up for success.

Planning Tools


Topic Objective/Outcomes

Topic Leader

Documents & Information needed

Time required

Meeting Details

Date: Time: Location:

General Objectives

Make Decisions

Influence/Persuade

Plan Review Solve Problems

Generate Ideas

Inform Other

Specific objective of the meeting:

Meeting Planner

Who should attend? And when?

Roles/Facilitation Tools

Pre-work: What do they need to prepare, do, read?

Planning Tools

Step 1. Check off the General Objective(s) for this meeting. Overall, what will the meeting do?



Topic Leader


Time required

Meeting Details


General Objectives

Make Decisions

Influence/Persuade


Generate Ideas

Inform Other


Meeting Planner




Planning Tools

Step 2. Clarify the Specific Objective. Once you are clear on your General Objective, identify specifically, what outcome you want/need.

Examples of Specific Objectives:

1.Generate Ideas: We will come up with a minimum of four ideas for new products.

2.Make Decisions: We will have a yes or no decision on whether to move to a new location or renovate our existing one.

3.Solve Problems: We will identify an affordable and immediate solution to our inventory control problem.




Topic Leader


Time required

Meeting Details


General Objectives

Make Decisions

Influence/Persuade


Generate Ideas

Inform Other


Meeting Planner




Planning Tools



Step 3. Breakdown your meeting into segments – topics you need to cover to reach your objective. For each topic, identify the desired outcome, topic leader, resources and time required.



Topic Leader


Time required

Meeting Details


General Objectives

Make Decisions

Influence/Persuade


Generate Ideas

Inform Other


Meeting Planner




Planning Tools



Step 3. Breakdown your meeting into segments – topics you need to cover to reach your objective. For each topic, identify the desired outcome, topic leader, resources and time required.

Step 4 Summarize the remaining details including: date/time/location/attendees/pre-work, assign remaining meeting roles and determine if/which facilitation tools are needed.


Meeting Roles

Role Responsibilities Behaviors

MeetingLeader

• leads group to achieve desired outcomes

• balances participation• encourages use of appropriate

interpersonal behavior

• information giving• information seeking• summarizing• consensus taking• group maintenance

behaviors

Topic Leader/ Presenter

• introduces topic• leads discussion

• group maintenance behaviors

• information giving• information seeking

In many meetings, you may have one main leader and additional individuals who will be topic leaders or presenters. So you will want to schedule specific parts of the meeting for others to lead. Let’s look at the roles, the responsibilities and behaviors for each.

Planning Tools


Role Responsibilities Behaviors

Timekeeper • monitors agreed-upon time frames• renegotiates time• leads renegotiation of time frames

• information giving• information seeking

Scribe • records ideas from group• captures flipchart contributions

• testing• comprehension

Process Supporter

• keeps the group on track during processes

• helps leader/facilitator guide the group through tools and techniques to achieve goals

• helps the group effectively apply tools

• information giving• summarizing• recording information

gained through using tools and techniques

• consensus testing

Minute Taker • records attendance, topics, action items and follow-ups

• information gathering• focus on relevant detail

In addition, you may find it helpful to have roles assigned to people who can help you manage the meeting to ensure it stays on track and is productive.

Planning Tools



Do you send out an agenda before your meetings? Do you use an agenda during your meetings? As a meeting leader or participant, what information do you find most helpful in a meeting agenda?

You may find most meeting agendas provide too little information, or too much. You may also find that some agendas are helpful while others are not.

Let’s take a look at IWCC’s Action Agenda. It can help you and the meeting participants before and during your meeting, and set you up for a successful and productive meeting.

Planning Tools


Whether simple or complex, an Action Agenda will help everyone participating in the meeting regardless of their role.

You can complete the Action Agenda using the information in your completed Meeting Planner.

Now, let’s take a look at a completed Sample Action Agenda.

• Before the meeting: Helps the participants and topic leaders know specifically what they are responsible for.

• During the meeting: Helps everyone

focus to ensure you reach your objective.

Planning Tools


Sample Action Agenda

Monthly Management Meeting

Date: May 15, 20xx

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Location: Montreal Main Office Boardroom

Attendees: John, V.P. Sales, Territory Managers: Pat, Janet, Roger

Objective: Review six-month targets and plan what we want on our new intranet site for better communication within all territories.

8:30-9:30 a.m. Topic 1: Sales Overview Topic Leader: John

Objectives:

What to bring:• Review where we are today against proposed targets.

• Present sales plan for next six months.

• Announce scheduled product launch for September 20xx.

• latest sales reports from North American market

• individual sales reports from each territory

Planning Tools


9:30-10:00 a.m. Topic 2: Ontario Sales Topic Leader: Pat

Objectives:

What to bring:

• Review account activities for Ontario.

• Present projected targets for next six months.

• Outline major challenges and action plans.

• sales figures for Ontario and six-month action planner

10:00-10:30 a.m. Topic 3: Eastern Territory Sales Topic Leader: Janet

Objectives:

What to bring:

• Review account activities for eastern territory.



• sales figures for the eastern territory and six-month action planner

Planning Tools


10:30-11:00 a.m. Topic 4: Quebec Sales Topic Leader: Roger

Objectives:

What to bring:

• Review account activities for Quebec.



• sales figures for Quebec and six-month action planner

11:00-11:15 a.m. Break

11:15-1:00 p.m. Topic 5: New Intranet Site Topic Leader: John

Objectives:

Come prepared to:

• Decide as a management team what communication, information and best practices to put on the new intranet site.

• Develop priorities for getting items on the site.

• Make recommendations about what is most needed on the intranet site and why.

• Decide who is going to contribute to the site by when.

1:00 p.m. End of Meeting and Lunch

Planning Tools


Now, it’s your turn. Go back to the three planning tools and complete them. Use the information for an upcoming meeting, or use the information from one you have recently lead, participated in or attended.

By completing this exercise, you will practice using tools and reinforce techniques that will make immediate improvements in the way you plan for a meeting.

Exercise




Planning Tools

By applying the tips and techniques you have learned in this course, you will be well on your way to:

• Reducing meeting pains - time, money, energy and frustration.

• Improving the way you plan for a successful and productive meeting.

“hosting a meeting is like hosting a party, you need to plan for success.” to move forward,...

Documents

equal meetings

meeting problems

meeting effectiveness

operational meeting

standup meeting

kind of meeting

meeting leader

type of meeting