Article
Achieving Success With Successful Meetings
Copyright © 2004 Lynne Bullen
There are three elements to a successful meeting:
- Planning
- Execution
- Dissemination of the Minutes
Each of these elements has its own steps.
Planning Of The Meeting
The planning of a meeting is not just to call a meeting, set the agenda and hope that people will turn up. You'd be surprised at how many meetings do start like that. If you've attended a meeting of this nature, you'll already know that they're not successful in any way expect wasting time!
Meetings are necessary to determine if your plans are producing the expected outcomes. Whether meetings are called on a regular basis, or as the need arises, you must prepare well. You need to be able to measure the performance of key personnel who are involved in particular projects. You need to gauge the processes of a project to determine whether any change is necessary for the project to be successful.
The project can be anything from managing a budget, to staffing solutions, the line-up of the players for the season's "little league" or the budding ballerinas who will make up the lead or "chorus line", right through to mergers and acquisitions, Extraordinary meetings and Annual General Meetings.
So, what's the plan? What is needed to ensure that a meeting will be successful? Let's start with:
To meet or not to meet
Think carefully about what you hope to achieve by holding your meeting. Write down why you will call the meeting together with your expectations.
- Why do you need this meeting?
- What is the purpose of your meeting?
- Determine if a meeting is really necessary.
- If it is, what are the key points for discussion?
- Who will be expected to attend the meeting?
- Is the timing of the meeting appropriate?
If you decide that a meeting is necessary, you need to get busy with the following: Set an Agenda
List all that you want discussed and who will talk to each point. Prioritise your choice of items, beginning with the most important item as you see things. Send the Proposed Agenda, information about the meeting date, time and venue to all who are to participate. It should be accompanied by a note explaining why you are calling the meeting.
Invite those expected to attend to add any items they feel may be useful in the discussion. Often, the person calling the meeting will be so focused on their own expectations that they may overlook items, which, if not included, could affect the expectations and outcomes.
Request a reply within two days so that the meeting and items for the Agenda can be confirmed.
Once you've received replies, revise the Agenda.
This time, the Agenda should have the time and estimated duration of each item to be discussed. Below is a typical programme:
| 0900hs |
Item 1: Welcome - ...
Item 2: Attendance/Apologies
Item 3: Minutes of Previous meeting
Item 4: Business Arising from the Previous Meeting
|
| |
|
| 09.45hs |
Item 5.0: New Business |
| |
Item 5.1: State Concerns - facilitated by ...
Item 5.2: Budget - facilitated by ...
Item 5.3: Awards
|
| 12.30hs |
Break for lunch |
| |
|
| 13:30hs |
Re-commence meeting |
| |
|
| 13.30hs |
Item 6.0: Strategic Plan - facilitated by ... |
Setting the time and duration of items to be discussed will help your Chairperson keep the meeting on track.
Along with the revised Agenda, including draft motions or resolutions, send copies of the Minutes of the Previous meeting, and other relevant documents regarding items for discussion. This way, there is no time wasted at the meeting by having to explain the "whys and wherefores" of items.
Participants can see what motions or resolutions are expected. It also gains the confidence and trust of attendees. These documents should be delivered at least a few days, preferably up to a week before the meeting. This should ensure that all participants are well prepared.
Choose your Chairperson
Your choice will determine whether or not your meeting will be a success.
Often, it's the President of the company, organisation, association or incorporated body who will Chair the meeting. However, the President is not always the right choice. He or she may be an excellent President, but that doesn't mean that he or she will be an excellent Chairperson.
The Key points here are to choose a Chairperson who has some working knowledge of what is to be discussed, but more importantly, a person who will take charge and ensure that proceedings run smoothly.
I have attended meetings where the Chairperson is chosen purely on his/her abilities as a facilitator, even though he/she has no working knowledge of business at hand. This can also work to the organisation's advantage, in that most attendees will be on their best behaviour whilst there is an "outsider" present.
Choose your Minutes Secretary
The person you choose to record the proceedings may work with you and therefore have a working knowledge of the business at hand.
Again, a working knowledge is not essential. There are many Minutes Secretaries who are chosen because of their skills in Minute taking, and/or the technology they own. You may like to consider contracting the services of a VA (Virtual Assistant) [article: What is a Virtual Assistant?].
If there are external participants (persons who don't belong to the organisation), the Minutes Secretary should make name-tags for all participants. Not only will it help internal and external participants to know who's who, it will also aid the Chairperson and the Minute Secretary in the recording of proceedings.
Execution Of The Meeting
The Chairperson should follow the Agenda without diversion unless absolutely necessary. He/she will be responsible for keeping a "tight rein" or control of proceedings. All questions or suggestions should be directed through the Chairperson who will name the person about to speak.
The Chairperson will allow the key points to be discussed, know when to suggest an end to the discussion at hand, and if required, ask for a motion or a resolution at the appropriate time.
If an item needs to be deferred, the Chairperson will call for a motion to defer and seek agreement of all present and then move on to the next item. A good Chairperson will keep the meeting flowing.
Recording of the Proceedings
The Convenor of the meeting must advise the Minutes Secretary as to how the Minutes should be produced; i.e., verbatim, detailed, concise, dot point or other. All Minutes should have the motions,
resolutions, actions and results of any vote, no matter in which form the Minutes are to be produced.
Your Minutes Secretary will take a record of the proceedings using shorthand or an audio recording using the technology available. Both written and audio may be used in tandem.
If an electronic recording device of any kind is to be used, it is proper that the Chairperson advise those present that the meeting will be "recorded". He must have agreement from all parties present before the electronic recording device can be used.
If there are to be persons attending just part of the meeting, the Chairperson should seek approval from those persons before the meeting commences, that there is no objection regarding use of the
electronic recording device.
During a meeting, there may be certain items that, after discussion, require action. This should be noted as an Action, and beside it, the name of the person responsible for the action, and a time frame or a date by which the Action should be completed.
Often, the Minutes Secretary will provide an "Action Sheet" along with the Minutes of the Meeting.
In certain circumstances, protocol and the Constitution of the organisation will have great bearing on how voting, motions, dissenters, clarification of proceedings or points of order and other things should be carried out.
A good Chairperson and/or Minutes Secretary will arrive with a copy of the Constitution of the organisation. If clarification of whether or not the Constitution has bearing on an Action, Vote or other, the document can be referred to immediately.
Dissemination Of The Minutes
Minutes should transcribed as soon after the meeting as possible. The Chairperson should advise the Minutes Secretary when the draft is expected. Usually, Minutes are required no more than one week
after the date of the meeting was held.
Ideally, your Minutes Secretary will provide the Convenor (and others if required) a draft of the Minutes within one week of the meeting. Once the draft has been approved, the Minutes must be sent to all attendees.
Minutes must be a true and correct record of proceedings. If, during the course of the meeting the Minutes Secretary is requested not to minute an item, it will not be minuted. However,
Minutes cannot be changed after the event.
Your Minutes Secretary will send the Minutes and any documents referred to during the meeting, an Action sheet (if required) and other any documents "tabled" at the meeting, to all participants and to others as directed by the Convenor.
There you have it! The process is not difficult ... just follow the "rules".
Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, Mentoring Services and Secretarial and Administrative support
She is a specialist in Digital Transcription
Contact Lynne via email:
or visit her website at http://www.lynnebullenstrategies.com.au |
