A section of a workshop I ran in June 2014 on the essential attributes and activities of a meeting Chair.

1. Cambridge Judge Business School
5 ESSENTIALS OF
CHAIRING
MEETINGS
Andy Priestner
Cambridge Judge 101

2. ‘Ineffective meetings
are almost entirely
the fault of
ineffective chairs’

3. 5 Essentials of Chairing a Meeting
1. Stick to a clear agenda
2. Intervene
3. Ensure everyone participates
4. Record action points
5. Keep to time

4. 1. Stick to a
clear agenda

5. • You’re the pilot of the plane (make it a smooth flight)
• Always have an agenda preferably with initials and
allotted times (journey plan)
• Think about the agenda ahead - what you need to
say and when (pre-flight checks)
• Writing your introduction to frame the scope of the
meeting can be useful (pilot’s announcement)
• Clarify purpose, meeting length and intended
outcomes (flight length, destination)
• Always follow the agenda and bring people back to it
(refuse to go off course, but expect turbulence)
• Don’t skip about at the whim of others (plane crash!)
1. Stick to a clear agenda

6. 2. Intervene

7. 2. Intervene
• In order to get through the business of the agenda you will
need to intervene:
• What is an intervention? Not scolding but redirecting attention
• Interventions should feel awkward and uncomfortable
• Direct Interventions: ‘<Name> I need you to...’
• Indirect Interventions: or ‘I’ve noticed that’ or ‘I’m aware that...’
• Timing: before (ground rule), during (become impossible to
ignore), or after (when you have the floor)
• Insert your voice into the meeting
Timing of intervention & type of intervention

8. 3. Ensure
everyone
participates

9. • If they don’t contribute what are they doing there?
• Overwhelmed by personalities/feeling inferior?
• Disengaged, unwilling to help?
• Draw them into the meeting directly/identify their value
• Goal: equal contribution and common goals (scope)
• Defined roles can help
3. Ensure everyone participates

10. Record Action Points
4. Record
action points

11. Record Action Points
• Don’t leave conversations open-ended, ensure all the
talking has been worthwhile
• Agree an action point
• And assign it to someone!
• Ensure it’s in the meeting minutes
• Remind assignee ahead of the next meeting
• Also ensure minutes record key actions and points as
you go. Don’t assume this will happen!
4. Record action points

12. Good time-keeping
5. Keep to
time

13. • Open and close on time
• Don’t let any section overrun...
• ...if any does then you need a separate meeting,
to discuss it afterwards, or add it to the next agenda
• Shorter meetings are more effective
• Keeps participants focused
• Meeting attendees will love you for it
5. Keep to time

14. Also...
• Its not about you, its about getting attendees to share and agree
actions. Chairs should be selfless.
• Different personalities (beyond introvert and extrovert tags) will affect
how people behave and interact in meetings (big picture; focused on the
now; on the past; on people and relationships)
• If meeting is largely informational could it be an email update instead?
• Does everyone need to be there?
• Environment is important, as are refreshments
• Meetings can be fun as well as productive and professional. Chairs set
the tone.

15. Image Credits (all from Flickr Creative Commons)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyforfun/2824282566/ (Fly For Fun)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fanofretail/14104564738/ (Nicholas Eckhart)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/6861256042/ (kevin dooley)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivydawned/4756812558/ (Ivy Dawned)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darronb/8646458244/ (Darron Birgenheier)

16. Andy Priestner
ap547@cam.ac.uk
@PriestLib