Running A Great Meeting

  Included are some video clips to the right of how others feel a great meeting should be run, as well as some funny commercials.  To run a great meeting you need a great team.  
  What I feel makes a great team are:

• Team Goals/Expectations
• Commitment to Improvements and Resolutions
• Good Listening Skills
• Good Communication
• Good Team Behaviours
• Equal Participation
• Established Ground Rules
• Clear Defined Decision Processes

  To conclude, I would like to say, I have noted down what I feel is needed to create and run a great meeting.  I am sure many of you have your own ideas or suggestions.  Please feel free to share so that others may benefit. 

Success/How to Measure

  Once you've implemented the team's solutions, it's a good idea to see the effects.  Is the problem/issue resolved?  How do you know?  Have other company employees commented that their jobs are more efficient, easier, less frustrating? 
  I would recommend surveying the employees your solutions affected for their feedback.  Hopefully, majority will be positive and therefore you know your team was a success.

Meeting Minutes

  Minutes of a meeting are a record of what transpired.  Minutes mention just the most important points of everything that happened as well as includes any tasks or assignments and the members responsible for them.  This way everyone knows what follow-ups are expected and what will be accomplished by the next meeting.   

Wrap Up/End of Meeting

  At the end of a meeting it's nice to do a wrap up to find out the opinion and thoughts of the team members.  
  What did the members think of the meeting in general?  What did the members specifically like?  What did they not like and what would they do differently? 

Problem Solving/Resolving Issues

  The most important part of a meeting, of course, is to solve problems/resolve issues, since that is why a team was created.  How is this done?

  a).  First, the problem/issue needs to be identified
         -> Why is it a problem?
         -> How does it affect others?
         -> Try to analyze possible causes.

  b).   Brain storm possible solutions
          -> Many ways to do this

   c).   Finally develop an Action Plan

           ->  Select brainstorm idea(s) that are possible to accomplish

           ->  Identify steps to take

           ->  Identify or assign primeships

     d).  Review Action Plan

            ->  As work is being done check to see if the impact of the solution is appropriate

            ->  Make changes if required

  Brainstorming can be done in many ways.  It can be done, as individuals or in groups.  The important thing to remember in brainstorming is to never judge any ideas and the more selection of ideas to choose from the better.  The ones that would be difficult to be actioned can be eliminated afterwards.  

         

 

  Solving the problems/resolving the issues can take a short period of time or a lengthy period of time.  It all depends on the number of steps required to reach the conclusion. 

Ground Rules/Team Expectations

  All teams should establish ground rules or team expectations to encourage positive team behaviours to make the most out of every meeting. 
  The following would be suggestions I would recommend having in the ground rules:
  
     1.    Attendance:

• Not all members have to be present, however there has to be at least half plus 1 to constitute enough to conduct a meeting
• The absent member(s) will be brought up to date by the facilitator. 

    2.   Promptness:

• On time is the start of the meeting
• The meeting will start even if all members are not present.
• If a short period of the meeting is missed by a member, they will be caught up briefly when they come in. 
• If a person missed a long period of the meting, that person will be brought up to date on a break or immediately if the discussion will continue during the rest of the meeting.
• Members are to let another member know when they will be late. 

    3.  Equal Opportunity:

• If a person is repeating, monopolizing, interrupting, engaging in side conversations, or offending, it is up to the facilitator to intervene.  Each member will respect the views and sensitivities of others. 

    4.  Interruptions:

• Members can leave a meeting in a situation of importance. 

    5.  Assignments/Tasks:

• Members should notify the Facilitator as soon as possible if they are aware they will not be able to complete their assignments/tasks. 

    6.  Meeting Role Assignments:

• Roles will be rotated on a volunteer basis.  At the end of each meeting volunteers will be solicited for roles at the next meeting. 

    7.  Decision Making:

• Consensus by all members and if unable to obtain consensus then majority rules. 

    8.  Confidentiality:

• Depending on the problems or issues, the team may decide that anything said or done during a team meeting is strictly confidential. 

    9.  Minutes:

• Should be distributed to the members 2-3 days after the meeting. 

  10.  Agenda Process:

• Submit requests for agenda topics or additions at least 5 days prior to a meeting. 
• Agenda will be distributed at least 3 days prior to a meeting. 

  11.  Review of Ground Rules:

• At the beginning of a meeting whenever:

        ~ A new member joins the team;
        ~ A guest is participating in the meeting;
        ~ After every 5 meetings as a quick overview.
 
  So, what do you think about my ground rules recommendations?  Have I missed anything?  Should I change anything?  Of course, ground rules does depend on the team and it's purpose, however I feel mine cover all teams universally.

Team Roles

  In a team meeting, various members take on roles to ensure the meeting stays organized and efficient.  The following are must haves:

Facilitator:  A facilitator is like a chair.  The facilitator makes sure the meeting process runs smoothly and controls the pace of the meeting.  If the team goes off topic, the facilitator ensures it returns back to the business at hand.  The facilitator also is responsible to book the meeting room, prepare and distribute the agenda to everyone participating before the meeting date and confirming and obtaining any supplies required.   

 Scribe:  A scribe takes notes on white boards or pad sheets during the meeting.  The scribe also notes ideas or issues on to a 'parking lot' so they can be discussed at future meetings if they are not relevant to the present topic.  Padboards give a visual as to what is happening and being discussed. 

  Notetaker:  A notetaker takes minutes of the meeting and is responsible to distribute to all members, even if they were absent.  The distribution of the minutes of course would be shortly after the meeting either the same day or one or two days later. 

  Timer:  A timer watches the time during the meeting and keeps the facilitator informed of excess time or if time is running out.  Without a timer, a whole meeting could be spent on one topic instead of everything on the agenda. 

  All functions are important to be sure meetings are effective and something gets accomplished. 

 

  Do you feel, I have the right roles?  Do you think I am missing any?  If so, let me know by just sending me a comment. 

Ice Breaker/Warm Up

  At the beginning; before a meeting starts, it's good to have a little fun.  The ice breaker or warm up is something that only should take anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes.  It gets team members laughing and thinking.  An ice breaker can be anything from a joke, a video to a short game.  Anything really that is short and fun. 
  As well, to keep the fun, momentum and atmosphere alive throughout the meeting, since meetings can last anywhere from 1 hour to a whole day, it's a good idea to have little toys in the center of the table.  Such things as squeeze toys (stress relievers) or little slinky's.  Basically toys that don't make noise, however can help a member clear their head and re-focus.  As well some candy or miniature chocolates in the center of the table will help to give members a sugar rush if they find they need a boost. 
  Below is a video which I found on the internet as a good ice breaker for a first team meeting.  Can you see how it relates to a team? Under the video is a link to a site of a gentlemen by the name of Ken Thompson who uses this same video as an ice breaker and has questions as to how to look at the video and relate it to a team.

                             http://www.bioteams.com/2008/08/29/team_collaboration_funny.html


  I am also including another link that has great ideas for other ice breakers for future meetings.  Remember, you can also create your own!

  http://www.wacaonline.org/resources_icebreakers.html

First Team Meeting - Introductions

  At the first team meeting, it's a good idea to do round table introductions.  Everyone introduces themselves and tells a little bit about themselves.  Just because people work for the same company or organization doesn't mean they know each other.  Introductions therefore no longer have to be done at future meetings unless new members join the team or if there are guest speakers or presenters participating in the meeting. 

Agenda

  The first meeting and every subsequent meeting should have an agenda.  The agenda outlines the purpose of the meeting in general as well as specific topics.  There are all different kinds of ways to write an agenda, however all of them should have the following information: 

• Date 
• Time 
• Location  
• Roles
• Purpose/Objective
• Topics to be discussed and time allotted
• Prime person responsible for each topic

  The purpose or topics to be discussed by the team is dependant on what is relevant in the company or organization.  If issues are known then the team agenda is easy to write if not the team can always solicit ideas from their peers. 
  You can create your own agenda or I have also added a link below whereby you can get free agenda templates. 

http://www.freemicrosofttemplates.com/category/agenda-templates/