Effective Meetings

Effective Meetings Dr. Ken Haycock 2011 For related resources, visit our website: www.kenhaycock.com

Definitions
A meeting is a purposeful formal gathering of organizational members to determine and undertake tasks to advance the agenda, maintain functions and processes and build the group’s capacity to act in the future.
Meetings are concerned with people and processes to develop and advance the organization’s goals.

Some Reasons for Meetings
Dispense information (cannot be the only reason!)
Solve problems
Plan/strategize tasks
Air concerns
Invest in board growth and learning
Motivate staff
Make/validate decisions
Create new options, visions, directions
Establish new governance procedures
Evaluate works in progress
Celebrate successes

Essential Questions
Am I willing to invest the time to create an identity for our Board and a sense of teamwork?
Am I willing to work with the Board to move deliberations and operations to the level of setting policy, goals, priorities, processes and frameworks and monitor implementation?
Am I willing to delegate to staff the means of implementation?
Am I willing to avoid micromanagement and administration?
And I willing to be fair, consistent and constructive in feedback to the CEO?

Essential Questions
Can I acknowledge that the CEO directs the staff, not the Board? can I accept a CEO model of Board/staff relations?
Am I willing to invest the time in planning meetings to ensure success? [generate items; develop criteria; apply criteria]
Am I willing to invest in improvement? [feedback; retreats; process observer]
Am I willing to model the behaviors that the Board values? [consensus building? starting/finishing on time? moving the agenda forward?]
What is the current relationship among the Chair, CEO, board? What should it be?

Effective Boards/Meetings
Contextual characteristics
Mission, vision, values, strategic plan
Educational/ training characteristics
Training, retreats, role counterparts, self-assessment
Interpersonal characteristics
Inclusion, pairing, grooming, CEO partner, monitor health and morale of organization
Strategic characteristics
Strategic issues/plans drive agenda and work, monitor Board time and attention
Consider “CEO Workshops” if private meetings are not allowed for preliminary deliberations…

Norms/Ground Rules?
Arrive on time
Be informed; come prepared
Participate; ask questions; give opinions
Never make personal comments about someone; be respectful, trusting, caring
Board business in front of Board; personal business outside
Focus on ideas and issues, not people
Be honest; communicate authentically
Comment succinctly and on topic
Allow others to finish speaking
Seek first to understand
Assist the chair whenever possible; follow-up tasks
Summarize what has been accomplished
Finish on time

The Chair yes, you are responsible
Chair as Chair
Chair as Organizer
Chair as Facilitator
meeting progress; team development; conflict management; power struggles; always arrives early; reflects group process not self; pacing; observes; encourages; seeks contributions; clarifies, summarizes

Roles and Responsibilities
CEO
always arrives early; handles facility; acts as resource
secretary; corporate memory
Board Members
as Participants
as Colleagues
as Team Members (contract between chair and members)
understand group process

Meeting Goals
What do we want to accomplish? Put it in writing.
Is this meeting necessary?
Alternatives?

Explore Alternatives
Committee meetings: Governance; Planning and Policy; Audit
Copies of minutes/letters/reports: posted on Web site
Weekly bulletins/newsletters
Brown bag lunches/suppers
Electronic communication: teleconferences; e-mail; round robin memos; wikis; blogs
Telephone calls; informal conversations; (a)synchronous chat
Voice mail for board members
Executive summaries

The Facility
Plan seating, ventilation, lighting, temperature, equipment
Board table? Horseshoe/U-shape?
Head table? Seating of CEO?
Gallery: observers, guests (seating and materials)

Essential Components
Consent Agenda
Ground Rules
Demarcated Agenda
Self-reflection
Process Observer

The Agenda: Construction
Belongs to the Chair; starts mid-point between meetings; in consultation
Cluster critical items: information; decision (rank ordered); exploration (rank ordered)
Disseminated to those affected with all supporting materials (minutes; reports; related to decisions required) in advance on the meeting; week in advance
Plan on one and a half to two and a half hours (law of two feet)

The Agenda: Contents
Committee reports: standards format; one sheet maximum
No oral reports (what part of “n” “o” do you not understand?)
Consider color coding material
Last item: Issues for Next Agenda
Private/Executive/In-camera session: at beginning or end of regular meeting

Consent Agenda
Chair’s Determines; Board Decides
Remember: agenda belongs to meeting
Levels of Implementation
Cluster all reports: questions allowed
List all items: questions only if removed
Information only or “and recommendations and actions contained therein”
implications

Focus on the Process
Articulate at beginning of meeting: ground rules; organization of agenda
At beginning of item: how much time shall we allocate? When will you take questions?
Keep to topic: “help me understand how your comments address this topic”

Effective Decision-Making
Requires information, options, recommendations, right people present, preparation, participation
Common form and format, e.g., SOPPADA
Reflect Rhythms: information; easy decisions; more difficult decisions; discussion items (play time); easy decisions

Interactive Meetings
Plan for interaction:
pairs identify issues
points of agreements
signals for accept, can live with, cannot accept

Constructive Conflict
Substantive differences lead to better decisions, increased commitment, mutual respect, follow-through
Norms and tools for testing assumptions and conflict management
Worst: conflict avoidance; decisions by chair; decisions by most vocal; personalization… all lead to apathy, balkanization, poor decisions
Issue: conflict management

Process Problems
Group think (develop a culture of constructive skepticism)
Blocking, power-seeking, recognition-seeking, dominating, clowning
Late arrivals

Sample Agenda
1. Introductory Remarks (state objectives and time)
Optional: information/announcements forum-10 minutes
2. Approval of the Agenda
3. Consent Agenda
Approval by consent; one motion
No discussion unless item removed
All information items, including minutes
All non-controversial reports
All non-controversial decision items
List and number all items; include a staff name or Board name and voice/e-mail information for contact
- mission statement -

Sample Agenda… 2
4. For Discussion/Decision
written documents only
1.
2.
3.
5. For Exploration
at least one item on each agenda; use Board members as facilitators
1.
2.
6. Items for Next Agenda
7. Private Session
- mission statement -

The Minutes
Decisions made and actions taken only
Who is responsible for action and by what date?
Pending list
Tracking list (track disposition of decisions)
Work flows from priorities and decisions

Dissemination
Announce meetings, including date, time and location
Post agendas (print and electronic)
Post minutes (print and electronic)
Your Public Profile: your Web site is likely incomplete and out of date…

Self-Assessment
Criteria: useful; satisfying; fun
Process observer
Checklists: “I” and “we”
each ground rule; seek clarification; opinions welcomed and respected; summarize progress and decisions; encourage others; support others; listen attentively
never; occasionally; often
Identify corporate beliefs (“always been this way”) and challenge
Annual Reviews Process and Outcomes

Bottom Line…
How will the quality of life in our community have been improved as a result of our meeting here tonight?

To your success… contact me
Sometimes you feel awkward about asking a question…
Sometimes there isn’t time…
Sometimes you think about something later… Ken
Dr. Ken Haycock
[email_address]
778.689.5938
For related resources, visit our website: www.kenhaycock.com

Effective Meetings

by Ken Haycock & Associates Inc. on Mar 06, 2011

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Effective Meetings — Presentation Transcript