The Best Kept Secret In Business! Team Managed Meetings Save Time, Energy, and Build Relationships

What would a meeting which met recognized standards sound like?  It might start this way:

• - The meeting objectives are 1)_ 2)_ 3)_ so everyone is aware of what we need to accomplish between now and our meeting end at ________(time)
• - The agenda was sent out in advance. Are there any additions or deletions we should consider at this time so that your expectations might be met?
• - I have invited Pete to facilitate our meeting to keep us on target and alert to possible distractions and deviations from our agenda. His commitment is to provide a productive, safe environment so we can contribute with confidence.
• - Pete will encourage each of us to accept 100% responsibility for what we gain and contribute to this meeting. So you can accomplish that goal, please speak up on any issue on the agenda that you consider important to the success of our Team.
• - Thank you, in advance, for your contribution to today's meeting

A major concept of  Team Meeting Management is to expect every participant to be as responsible for the results of a meeting as the meeting manager.

That means that a team leader conducting a meeting would willing accept help from people during the meeting. Can you imagine how more productive meetings would be if participants accepted responsibility for the quality of meetings in the following ways:

a)(no advanced agenda) "I 'd appreciate it if we could agree to agenda items with some expected time frames to cover each "

b)(agenda is sidetracked) "I'm confused. Have we added an additional item to the agenda?"

c)(directed at side conversation)"Excuse me. I am having a hard time hearing "Mary."

d)(major resources not heard from)"I'd be interested to hear what Bill and Mary think."

Are statement/questions like these risky? You bet they can be

By Day's End 300 People Know How Productive The Meeting Was

However, we all have a choice to make in every meeting-to be a victim or be responsible.  If we choose not to be a 100% responsible participant, for practical reasons, then we are also responsible to refrain from publicly complaining about the meeting afterwards.  Meeting research indicates that before the end of the day, the grapevine will have notified up to 300 people in a company what the "results" of a meeting were. At least every participant can be responsible not to spread the word about how poor the meeting was, the one he/she sat in and choose to do nothing to improve.                                                                                    

The Facilitator's job is NOT to take over the meeting, which is what some Team leaders believe he/she might do, BUT TO ASSIST the meeting manager to conduct a productive meeting that meets his/her objectives and increases/demonstrates respect for each participant.

This partnership does not come easily. Trust needs to be developed.

Team Managed Meetings Work

What follows is an example of how Team Meeting Management works. As a Facilitator, I helped the Meeting Manager plan the agenda and timeframes for a national meeting in which representatives from across the country had been assigned specific presentations to make. This all-day meeting fell behind by lunch time because the presentations were being well received. The Meeting Manager continually dismissed my suggestions he limit the length of discussions after each presentation. At lunch I gave him a choice: "After lunch you may want to make an announcement that we will not have enough time for all the presentations."  He grimaced.  "We can't do that. They all put a lot of work into their assignments." Then you may choose to announce " we must stick to a strict time frame this afternoon.  I've asked Pete to limit discussion after each presentation."

We made it through all the presentations with only brief discussions after each. 

The Facilitator presents the issues. Meeting Manager is responsible for the choices.

Most Team Members spend as much as 50% of their time in a variety of meetings. Well run meetings have the potential for increased productivity and building relationships. They can be excellent opportunities to develop younger Team Members.

Unfortunately, meetings not managed by a Team waste time, energy and risk relationships. 

Fortunately, Team Managed Meetings expect the Team Manager AND the Participants to jointly accept 100% responsibility for the final results.