Making Meetings Work!

September 20, 2011

FacilitatorAnn M. Delehant1001 Hillsboro Cove CircleWebster, NY 14580585-248-2587ADelehant@aol.com www.anndelehant.com

Making Meetings Work!

Are you attending more meetings and getting less done? Are you tired of an “us vs. them” approach to problem solving? Are you discouraged about how decisions are made and problems are solved? Want to get something done rather than hosting/participating in more unproductive meetings? In this Action Lab, we will practice using practical, user-friendly tools to support a true collaborative process and to improve the quality of your meetings and your decision-making. Participants will practice using strategies and tools for writing agendas, preparing norms, writing minutes, assessing progress and making decisions.

Participants will . . .Participants will . . .Explore five areas essential for ensuring

successful meetings: planning a meeting, getting the group started, running the meeting, making decisions, and taking action.

Explore processes used to facilitate group work and make efficient use of time.

Practice several strategies for making meetings more effective.

Preview the work on decision making styles determining WHO gets to make WHAT decisions.

Reflect upon how you will use the information learned in this program.

NormsNorms

SSupport each other in the learning process

MMonitor progress (individual/group)

AAsk questions

RRespect others’ viewpoints

TTake time to reflect

Making Meetings WorkMaking Meetings Work

1. Planning a Meeting2. Getting the Group Started3. Running the Meeting4. Making Decisions5. Taking Action

Making Meetings Work

1.Planning a MeetingDecide Whether to Meet 2

Consider these strategies to determine whether meeting as a group is the best response to the issue at hand.

Plan With a Few Colleagues 4 Help sustain participants’ involvement and dedication to the task over time by outlining a clear purpose for the group’s work.

Select Group Members 8 Give careful thought as to the right peopleto be involved in the work of the team.

Build the Agenda 16 Use a structured agenda to guide andfocus the group’s work and ensure ameeting’s success.

Arrange the Facility 27 Set up the meeting room in advance in a way that will maximize the group’s productivity.

Key Elements of an Key Elements of an AgendaAgenda

• Topic: brief description of the issue/item to be discussed

• Responsible Person: person who will lead the discussion of the topic

• Desired Outcome: goal or purpose; a statement of intention; what must be accomplished

• Timeline: amount of time allotted to the issue• Members’ Involvement:

• (I) information item • (D) discussion/dialogue item• (A) action item or (DP) decision point

p. 17

Build the Agenda p. 16

Topic I/D/A* Desired Outcome Person Responsi

ble

Time

* Information/Discussion/

Action

Boxed-Agenda FormatBoxed-Agenda Format

Topic I/D/A* Desired

Outcome

Facilitator Start Time+

I: InformationD: DiscussionA: Action/Decision Point

p. 20

Agenda:

Participants:

Date/Time: ________________________ Location: ____________________

Chairperson: _______________________ Facilitator: ___________________

Recorder: _________________________ Time Keeper: ________________

Purpose of Team:

+ Clock Time

Task #1: Task #1: Create an Create an AgendaAgendaDraft an agenda for an upcoming meeting. Support one

another and practice using the tool. (Work with a natural

partner if available.)

• State purpose of meeting

• Desired results

• Starting and ending times

•Agenda items (information, discussion/dialogue,

action, decision point)

• Prioritize and set realistic time limits

Meeting Planning FormatUse this format to suggest items for upcoming meetings.

Idea Submitted By:Name: Role: Phone: Fax:

TOPIC I/D/A* DESIRED OUTCOME PREFERRED DATE

TIME NEEDED

*Information/Discussion/Action

Topic Disposition

Use this space to inform the person who submitted the topic for consideration of the outcome. Let him/her know if the issue will be addressed on an upcoming agenda, if it was sent to subcommittee or if it was addressed in another way.

Others who should be present for the discussion: _____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________

Making Meetings Work

2. Getting the Group Started 35

Set the Norms 36 Ensure all group members understandthe expected norms of behavior.

Establish Roles 45 Help groups function effectively by identifying which team members will fill certain responsibilities, including facilitator, timekeeper, recorder, scribe, process observer, and agenda builder.

Build a Knowledge Base 76 Ensure that group members have the knowledge they need to support quality decision making.

Establish Roles, p. 45Task #2: Discuss your role. Identify and share highlights.

Role Expectations

Team Leader

Group Member

Facilitator

Time Keeper

Recorder or Minutes Taker

Scribe

Process Observer

Agenda Builder

Developing NormsDeveloping Norms Ground rules are the norms groups establish to guide their work and influence the behavior of members

Time• When will the meeting begin and end? • the meeting begin and end on time?

Communication Style/Active Listening • What agreements will this group make regarding

active listening?• How will we discourage interruptions?• What are our expectations about cell

phone/laptop/PDA use?

Confidentiality/Open Communication• Will the meetings be open?• Is there a need to maintain confidentiality?• How will we share information after the meeting?

Developing NormsDeveloping NormsDecision Making

• How will we make decisions?• Are we an advisory or a decision-making body?• Will we reach decisions by consensus?• What processes will we use?• How will this group use data?

Participation/Workload/Expectations• What do we expect from members?• What is our expectation about everyone’s

participation?• How will the group share the workload?• “Who” is responsible for “what”?• How will we recognize and accommodate style

differences?

Developing NormsDeveloping Norms

Power/Authority• How will we work with power, authority, and

influence of some members of the team?• What will the relationships be between and among

the members?

Team Development• How will this group learn together?• Is there a commitment to continuous learning?

Conflict Resolution• How will we resolve our differences?• Is it important for this group to discuss the

acceptability of disagreement during the process?

Developing NormsDeveloping NormsConsider the following suggestions for preparing and utilizing

ground rules.

• Create them as a team.• Review them often. Revise them as needed.• Discuss them with new members.• Post them in the meeting room.• Assess your attention to them.• Confront behaviors which violate them (e.g., if two

team members are having a side conversation, ask them to stop; if there is a lot of interrupting, remind team if the need to hear each idea; if people are consistently late, ask the team if it's necessary to review the time of the meeting, etc.)

• Use them to build community in your group.• Trust the wisdom of the group to create and use

the norms well.

SAMPLE Norms (Developed by a School Improvement Team)

1. Start on time. End on time.2. Conduct one piece of business at a time.3. Participation is a right . . . and a responsibility.4. Support . . . challenge. . . counter. Differences

resolved constructively lead to creative problem solving.

5. Give others a chance to talk. Silence does not always mean agreement.

6. Communicate authentically; what a person says should reflect what he thinks as well as what he feels.

7. Conduct group business in front of the group. Conduct personal business outside of the meeting.

8. Develop conditions of respect, acceptance, trust, caring.

10. Develop alternative approaches to the solutions of a problem.

SAMPLE Norms1. Start on time.2. Develop and review the agenda.3. Conduct one piece of business at a time.4. Participation is a right . . . and a responsibility.5. Initiate ideas.6. Support . . . challenge. . . counter. Differences resolved

constructively lead to creative problem solving.7. Give others a chance to talk. Silence does not always mean

agreement.8. Communicate authentically; what a person says should reflect

what he thinks as well as what he feels.9. Conduct group business in front of the group.10. Conduct personal business outside of the meeting.11. Develop conditions of respect, acceptance, trust, caring.12. Develop alternative approaches to the solutions of a problem.13. Test for readiness to make decisions.14. Make the decision.15. Assign follow-up actions and responsibilities.16. End on time.

Determine Operating Procedures

Meetings• How frequently will we meet?• Where will we meet?• When will the meetings begin and end?• How long will the meetings last?• Can meetings be extended or shortened?• Who will decide?• Who can cancel meetings?• Is it acceptable to call emergency

meetings?

p. 40

Determine Operating Procedures

Minutes• What format will be used to present the

minutes?• To whom and how will minutes be

distributed?• What is the process for amending and

approving minutes as public record?

Determine Operating Procedures

Agenda

• Who prepares the agenda?

• How do participants/others influence the agenda?

• How are emergency items/new business/

surprises handled?

• How far ahead are agendas distributed?

• Who gets a copy of the agenda?

• When are minutes distributed?

Determine Operating Procedures

Visitors • are observers welcome? what are the procedures? • who may address the team? • what is the role of alternates/substitutes on the

team?Resource Support • to team, to sub-committees of the team • how are decisions regarding use of team

resources/budgets made? • what information is available to all members?

TASK #3: Consider a team that you currently facilitate…what norms and operating procedures would help this group operate more effectively?

Sample Norms

Sample Operating Procedures

Minutes FormatDate: _________ Time: __________ Location: ___________________Participants: ______________________________________________

Topic 1:Discussion summary:

Decisions/assignments:

Topic 2:Discussion summary:

Decisions/assignments:

Topics for Next Meeting:Next meeting date:Time:Location:

p. 65

Role: Recorder or Minutes Taker

Making Meetings Work3. Running a Meeting 85 Use Introductions and Warm-Ups 86

Take time to make connections between and among participants.

Organize Small Groups 89 Introduce strategies for reorganizing the large group into small groups to ensure that all members are active participants.

Break Up the Time With Energizers 92 Keep the energy alive with strategies for breaks and transitions to improve the quality and productivity of long meetings and to keep spirits upbeat.

Ask Questions 95 Clarify, confront, and prod group members to keep the focus and achieve the goal.

Manage the Challenges 96 Prepare for typical challenges and develop a process to count on when the going gets tough.

Close the Meeting Well 104 Acknowledge the team’s work and review decisions and assignments for a smooth ending.

Use Icebreakers, Introductions and Warm-Ups p. 86

Stand up, start moving, when the music stops….

1.Share ideas for introductions2.Share ideas for group warm-ups3.Share ideas for icebreakers4.Share ideas for breaking groups into

smaller work groups

Other ideas can be found in an Internet search with key words such as introductions, tools, trainers, and icebreakers. Other excellent resources are Games Trainers Play (1980) and Even More Games Trainers Play (1994), by Edward E. Scannell and John W. Newstrom.

TASK #4: Think about one of your teams. What ideas could you use with one of your teams?

What Challenges Do You Face on YOUR Teams?• • • • •

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN….There are Challenges in the Meeting

1. Comments are made that indicate a lack of understanding of an agenda item.

2. Comments are straying from the agenda item under discussion.

3. Issues or topics are being raised that are not on the agenda.

4. Agenda time allotments are not being followed.

5. Side conversations are taking place among group members.

p. 100

Challenges in the Meeting

6. The group is restless, disinterested, distracted, and bored.

7. The discussion is circumventing the genuine underlying concern or point.

8. Group members are not expressing what they really think or want.

9. Some individuals are not contributing to the meeting.

10. The group is being dominated by one or more people.

11. The group is not thinking win-win.

p. 101

Closing a Meeting Successfully

• Take care of leftovers.

• Review action items. Review assignments.

• Highlight items for the next session.

• Debrief.

• Assess the work of the team periodically.Choose an assessment tools to check in on an

occasional basis.Use the data to make decisions to improve your

team process.

p. 105

TEAM EFFECTIVENESS INVENTORY (based upon the work of Frank Burns and Robert L. Gragg)

Team: Date: Circle one number for each statement. Review the scale. 1 2 3 4 Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

1. I speak frankly about the things that are 1 2 3 4

uppermost in my mind.

2. The other members of this team speak frankly 1 2 3 4

about the things that have been uppermost in their minds.

3. I speak directly and to the point. 1 2 3 4 4. The other members of this team speak directly 1 2 3

4 and to the point.

5. I listen carefully to the member of this team. 1 2 3 4 I pay special attention to those who have expressed strong agreement or disagreement.

TEAM EFFECTIVENESS INVENTORY 6. The other members of this team listen carefully 1 2 3 4 to me and to each other. They pay special attention to strongly expressed views.

7. I ask for and receive constructive feedback 1 2 3 4

regarding my influence on the team. 8. I provide constructive feedback to those who have 1 2 3

4 requested it - to help them keep track of their influence

on me and the other team members.

9. Decisions regarding our team's operating procedures 1 2 3 4

have been flexible, and they change rapidly whenever more useful structures or procedures are discovered.

10. Everyone on the team has been helping the team 1 2 3 4 achieve its mission.

Action PlanningTASK TALENT TIMELINE

PREVIEW: WHO Gets to Make PREVIEW: WHO Gets to Make WHAT DecisionsWHAT Decisions

Decision Making Styles

• Autocratic

• Consultive

• Majority Rules/Percentage Vote

• Consensus

• Will of the Group

Who Gets to Make WHAT Decisions

• A for Approve

• R for Responsible

• C for Consult

• I for Inform

• O for Out of the Loop

p. 131

WHO Gets to Make WHAT DecisionsWHO Gets to Make WHAT Decisions

A for Approve: Who needs to approve the decision? (There may be more than one A.)

R for Responsible: Who is responsible for making and implementing the decision?

C for Consult: Who needs to be consulted before the decision is made?

I for Inform: Who needs to be told about the decision?

O for Out of the Loop: These are individuals or groups who do not need to be consulted.

p. 131

36

Task #3: Decision Making MatrixIdentify decisions that need to be made. Discuss “Who” gets to make “What” decisions?)

Issue

Givens--contracts, policies, regulations

Board of Education

Superin-tendent,

Central Office

Principal

School Leader-ship Team

Department Heads/ Grade Level Chairs

Teachers

StudentsParents

• 3 strategies you recall

• 2 ideas or strategies you will use

• 1 insight

Application