Time effective and engaging meetings

1. Time effective and engaging
meetings
Lauren Doggett and Tobias Fett

2. Housekeeping
• We are new to this so please bear that in mind
• You should have received a link to Jamboard via
email
• Mute your microphones
• 1 presenter and 1 facilitator
• Enter comments/ questions in the chat box
• Raise your hand
• Keep video on

3. Outline
• Introductions – check register
• Exercise - Jamboard
• Meeting preparation in 8 steps
• Managing the meeting
• Exercise - Jamboard
• Learning styles
• The end of the meeting
• Summary – Unmute for discussion
• Further Information

4. Think about the worst
meetings you have attended
…
Think about the best meetings
you have attended …

5. EXERCISE – GO TO
JAMBOARD
https://jamboard.google.com/d/1cEINO5hXArjHqAJcgLcBOsEi
7b9uSZTdID1fl2uKUSY/viewer?f=0

6. Our worst meetings:
• Moaning
session
• No structure
• Run over time
• Not sure why
you are there
• Boring
• Hard to
understand
• Hijacked by
someone
• Don’t achieve
anything
• People haven’t
read the
materials in
advance
• Timing is
wrong

7. Our best meetings:
• Feel like you’ve
achieved
something
• Leave feeling
positive and
ready to get
started
• Chaired well
• Everyone there
is committed
and contributes
• Doesn’t
overrun

8. Meeting preparation
1. Define a clear goal
– At the end of the meeting I want the
group to…
2. Select participants
– Who really needs to be there?
3. Decide on the form of the
meeting
– E.g. objective setting, team
performance review, ideas generation,
learning session, collaborative session
communication session
– Do you need a meeting at all?
– Short, stand up, different location
– Activities

9. Meeting
preparation
4. Prepare an agenda
– Priorities
– Sequence
– Timing
5. Distribute agenda and supporting materials in advance
– Do what you can outside of the meeting
– Allow people to contribute

10. Meeting preparation
6. Assign roles
– Have a clear meeting leader
– Get everyone involved, e.g. note taker, timekeeper, cake
maker
7. Set ground rules
– Proper preparation
– No technology
– Attendance means participation
– Time keeping
– Staying on subject
8. End with clear action steps

11. How to manage time in a meeting

12. Managing the meeting
• Agree goals, agenda and timings at the beginning,
with reasonable adjustments
• Identify and work with a timekeeper
• Minimise disturbances
• Use an action log or matrix to ensure up-to date
actions and progress is captured
• Start on time…and end on time

13. The disruptors
• Video
• https://youtu.be/CbKB-yzDSOA
• (stop at 2:05)

14. EXERCISE – GO TO
JAMBOARD
https://jamboard.google.com/d/1cEINO5hXArjHqA
JcgLcBOsEi7b9uSZTdID1fl2uKUSY/viewer?f=0

15. If you know your meeting includes a continually
disruptive person, WHAT COULD YOU DO?
• Activity to share one type and come up with ways
to manage
• Then share with group
1. The Dominator
2. The Complainer
3. The Slacker
4. The Mute
5. The Rambler

16. 1. The Dominator
We’ve all experienced “the dominator” in one way or
another. Some people tend to dominate discussion
simply because they’re excited and over
zealous. These can be assets to the team if we can find
appropriate approaches to harness and manage all that
positive energy. Unfortunately, most of us are more
familiar with the other type of dominator – the overly
aggressive, bullying personality that tramples on others’
comments and may attempt to hijack the meeting
completely! Sometimes, these dominators are overly
negative (“That’ll never work here!”), and other times
they just won’t let anyone else get a word in
edgewise. In either case, dominators can certainly sour
not just the effectiveness of the meeting but also the
morale of the team.

17. 1. Managing the Dominator
• Thank the dominator for their feedback and ask for
other’s input
• Reiterate the dominator’s comment, write it visibly for
all to see, and then ask for other ideas to complete
the list.
• "Parking" subjects
• Instead of having the group respond to an issue
verbally, ask them to take 2 minutes to jot down their
idea, issue, or recommendations on a sticky note
instead. Then ask each person to share one
comment they wrote.
• Call on a few people you haven’t heard from
(e.g. “Michael, what are your thoughts on this
issue?”)

18. Parking – forget-me-nots

19. 2. The Complainer
The complainer/griper is a person that has either a pet-
peeve or gripes for the sake of complaining. Often this
individual has legitimate complaints, and are willing to
express them but are often overlooked in a group
because of the overall negative approach to “all” topics.
In addressing these individuals it is easy to want to try
and talk with them and change their mind by giving
advice, or engage in an argument with them. Over time,
it may seem easier to ignore them than to address them.
All of these reactions fuel this individual and their
challenging personality.

20. 2. Managing the Complainer
Try asking, “How would you address this?” When the
individual is making or saying positive comments, praise
them for their positive approach. Be ready to help,
support and guide this individual when they present a
solution to their complaints. Last but not least, be a
positive role model yourself.

21. 3. The Slacker
The slacker always finds ways to do the least
amount of work possible, is often seen
indulging in marathon YouTube sessions, and
has gained a reputation among coworkers for
not pulling their weight.

22. 3. Managing the Slacker
There’s only one option here, and that’s to set clear
expectations about the changes you need to see in her
work performance and the consequences for not
meeting those expectations, and then follow through.
This is the least enjoyable part about being a manager,
but it’s also one of the most fundamental job duties. If
you don’t do it, you’ll bring down everyone else’s morale
(and possibly their performance, over time – after all,
why should others work hard when the slacker gets
away with little work?) and seriously impact your team’s
results.

23. 4. The Mute
The mute is a participant that does not actively
participate and can appear disengaged. They can be
introverts, shy or may not be prepared. The Mute
may be able to provide new and additional input into
a meeting and therefore participation should be
actively encouraged.

24. 4. Managing the Mute
• Instead of having the group respond to an issue
verbally, ask them to take 2 minutes to jot down their
idea, issue, or recommendations on a sticky note
instead. Then ask each person to share one
comment they wrote.
• Suggest the group use the round robin technique (go
around the room asking each person to share a
comment) and start half way round the table from the
mute
• Call on a few people you haven’t heard from
(e.g. “Michael, what are your thoughts on this
issue?”)
• Break the group into pairs or triads and let them
discuss an issue in those smaller groups before
initiating a large group discussion

25. 5. The Rambler
The rambler can seriously derail a meeting with their
circuitous, protracted, rambling
commentary. Oftentimes, the rambling strays into areas
bearing little resemblance to the topic at hand. The
rambler can not only significantly extend the length of a
meeting but also completely alter the meeting content

26. 5. Managing the Rambler
• Have a displayed agenda. When conversation strays
off topic, stand up and point to the specific agenda
topic to refocus the group.
• Include timings for each section of the agenda so you
can more easily focus the group on the time allotted
for each discussion point. Use a time keeper.
• Raise your hand and interrupt discussion to ask if the
conversation is on topic and helping the group reach
their goal for the meeting.
• Introduce the Parking Lot at the beginning of the
meeting and agree that you’ll interrupt discussion to
place any off topic discussion points on the parking
lot. Review all parking lot items at the close of the
meeting and assign action items for each.
• Consider using the ELMO technique.

27. E verybody
L ets
M ove
O n
Whenever anyone in the group feels the group is
rambling too much, they’re expected to pick up
the ELMO doll (in the center of the table).

28. Learning Styles

30. The end of the meeting
• Ensure minutes or other records are agreed to be
written up and shared, with due-dates
• Ensure any parked topics are addressed or
scheduled for forthcoming meetings or actions
• Finish early
• Check the action logs or matrix

31. • Follow through with any actions or tasks.
• It is okay to ask for help, and further clarification.
• It is better to flag any issues or time slips ahead
of the next meeting.
Post meeting

32. Take home messages

33. Take home messages continued

34. QUESTIONS?

35. FURTHER INFORMATION
Will be emailed to you