Managing Meetings

There are two basic kinds of meetings that are worth having:

• Informational/Status Meetings
• Problem-Solving Meetings

These are two distinct types of meetings, and they need to be treated differently. But there are some things that are common to all meetings that are worth having:

• An agenda exists, and is distributed beforehand (even if the agenda is a question or a problem statement)
• Someone is in charge of the meeting and keeps it moving along.

For Status or Informational meetings, the purpose is to share information among the participants. If issues are mentioned, typically the people affected by those issues should schedule a breakout session or problem-solving meeting. Then the status on that issue will be updated in the next status meeting.

Problem-solving meetings are tougher. One key is to limit the participation to people who can actually help resolve the problem, or representatives of teams who would implement the solution. These meetings can easily run out of control, so it is important to try to focus the meeting while still allowing input from the participants. This can be a difficult balancing act.

Sometimes the role of the person running the meeting may be as a facilitator rather than a direct contributor. Write things on a whiteboard. Draft points for discussion, and keep the pace moving. People should be able to speak, but should not be allowed to take over. Sometimes a long-running monologue can be disrupted by asking a clarifying question that requires a yes or no answer, then asking another person in the room for their opinion on that answer.

Take Responsibility for Your Meetings

Make sure that your meetings are well-organized and focused:

• Only call meetings that are necessary, with a clearly stated purpose.
• Only invite people who need to be there.
• Provide an agenda before the meeting, with ample time for participants to request clarifications or changes to the agenda.
• Run the meeting professionally. This includes introducing participants (if needed), stating the purpose for the meeting, and laying down the ground rules before starting on the agenda. Participation should be encouraged, but the schedule should be kept. Breakout or follow-up meetings may be scheduled as needed. Minutes are distributed shortly after the meeting, including only critical issues and decisions addressed in the meeting.