BSBPMG507A Manage Project Communications Effective Meetings Meetings are one of the major forms of communication for projects and in the general business

BSBPMG507A Manage Project Communications

Effective Meetings

• Meetings are one of the major forms of communication for projects and in the general business environment

• These can be positive and fruitful or a total waste of time• An effective meeting is one that reaches the required

outcomes of all participants• Achieving the required outcomes requires planning and

preparation• Meetings are a form of ‘Interactive Communication’ and

can be conducted in many different ways – both formal and informal

• 'Hey, if this person can't manage a meeting, what chance does the project stand?'


How to Conduct Effective Meetings

1. Ensure outcomes are defined prior to the meetingNever go to a meeting where the desired outcomes are not

clearly understood by all involved. This includes the meetings you call and the ones you are

required to attend.Send an outline of the purpose of the meeting and the required

outcomes

2. Plan the meeting in advanceThink about what you want to say, what information you require

or what you need to learn from the meeting. Anticipate and prepare for questions and objections, raise them

yourself if they are important.Prepare agendas for formal meetings and distribute in advance



3. Manage your time and respect the time of others Understand the expectations around meeting start and finish

times Be clear about your expectations – eg.

1. Always start on time and finish on time vs Start 5 minutes late and finish 5 minutes early

2. Reschedule the meeting if key contributors are not present

3. Agree key contributors and minimum attendees

4. Pay attention and actively listen If it is important enough to attend then it is important enough to

listen carefully. Be engaged and present, you never know what you might find

out. Confirm understanding



5. Suggest optionsDon't be afraid to challenge what is put in front of you.Suggest alternatives if this will achieve the outcome more

effectively

6. SummariseRecap decisions and actions at the end of the meetingBe specific about who is to do what by whenClarify that outcomes have been achieved and assess

understandingAsk for feedback and confirm agreement



7. Confirm and confirm again Always confirm appointments the day before Leave nothing to chance Be prepared to reschedule immediately if there are issues

with the timeslot

8. Document agreed actions and decisions Formal meetings should have formal minutes including

action items and major decisions Informal meetings can be followed up with a brief email

outlining outcomes and action items Maintain a Decision Register and an Action item Register,

review with the group regularly


Meetings vs Workshops

– Small or large groups

– Specific plan of the outcomes

– Standing agenda distributed prior to meeting

– Room to accommodate additional business

– Formal minutes, action items and decision register

– Good meeting practices

– Active listening

– Small or large groups

– Require strong facilitation skills

– Very detailed plan for the sessions

– Room for flexibility if valuable information being obtained

– Specific objectives but less defined outcomes

– Good to generate ideas, gain understanding, problem solve

Meetings Workshops


Formal vs Informal Meetings

– Small or large groups– Specific plan of the

outcomes– Standing agenda distributed

prior to meeting– Room to accommodate

additional business– Formal minutes, action items

and decision register– Good meeting practices – Active listening

– One on one or small group– Scheduled in advance or ad-

hoc– High level plan of outcomes– Flexible agenda– Standing agenda or topics

agreed at start of meeting– Optional confirmation of

agreements, decisions and actions via email

– Active listening

Formal Informal


Effective Presentations

• Very few people enjoy giving presentations• Some are even more afraid of giving presentations that

they are of dying!• Speeches are being replaced by PowerPoint presentations• PowerPoint is only an aid, to be effective attention must be

applied to the content as well as the performance aspects of the presentation

• Audience expectations are often very high• People demand to be enlightened, informed and

entertained • Skilled presenters can transfer information, influence the

audience and inspire action

Adpated from PMBoK Guide – Fourth Edition


Planning Presentations

1. Have a strong introduction Plan an engaging introduction eg – provocative question, impressive

fact, quotation, recall an anecdote

2. Consider your listener Frame the presentation as though you are sitting in the audience Understand the specific needs, wants and emotions of your

audience

3. Ensure your audience knows what's in it for them Be clear about what is in it for the audience – WIIFM – What’s in it

for me! Tailor your presentations to the needs of the audience

4. Begin with the end in mind Let them know what to expect, how they can use the information and

the direct benefits to them Define the outcome and plan the messages Prepare a storyboard and remove unnecessary content



5. Establish credibility Be confident in your movements, speech and what you are saying Mention your background, skills and experience Get the audience emotionally engaged

6. Plan the flow of your argument Be clear on the outcome and your intentions Lead the listener through Obtain agreement along the way Summarise key points



7. Speak as if to one individual Deliver your speech as though each person was the only one in the

room Make the presentation personal

8. Practise your presentation style Include three different styles - audio, visual and kinaesthetic Plan how you transition between these elements It pays to practise with someone you trust and then to ask for their

comments

9. Strong conclusions Summarise key points Call the audience to action

10. Ask for feedback Be open and calm Take it on board if appropriate for future presentations


• Win the audiences attention

• Gain their interest

• Create a desire

• Stimulate action or agreement

AIDA – A Simpler Model


Tips for Using PowerPoint

• Keep it simple• PowerPoint is an aid not the main attraction• Avoid cheesy clip art, animation and fancy backgrounds• Use ‘slide master’ for consistent formatting• Presentations - 6 points per slide• Practice your interaction with the slides and other media• Report Format – can be very detailed and small font if

designed to be printed out• Lectures can break the rules as they are a combination

of presentation and detailed notes


Steering Committee Meetings

• Regular meetings with the Project Sponsor, major client and key senior stakeholders

• Hybrid between a presentation and a report

StandardAgenda

PowerPoint Presentation

Status Report Minutes

Action Items

Decision Log


Steering Committee Agenda

• Flexible depending on type of project and style of organisation, typically includes –

Key MessagesProject Status – Time & CostsSummary Performance MetricsScope Management and Change ControlRisks and IssuesDecisions RequiredOptional appendices with more detail –

– Project Structure– Detailed Performance Metrics– Detail to support decisions– Change Control Impact Assessments


Steering Committee Outputs

• Minutes

Attendees

Summary of discussion

• Action Items

Action item progress from last meeting

New action items assigned at meeting

• Decision Log

All key decisions made at all meetings

New decisions made at this meeting

Documents

BSBPMG507A Manage Project Communications Effective Meetings Meetings are one of the major forms of communication for projects and in the general business