Meeting Skills

Objectives
Identify the roles and responsibilities of those involved. Explain the ingredients of an effective meeting. Prepare an agenda. Plan the logistics of a meeting. Demonstrate the skills of chairing a meeting effectively. Make a constructive contribution at meetings. Handling problem solving and decision making. Review the effectiveness of meetings.

Course Content
The Purpose of the Meeting:
preparation
setting agendas
pre-meeting discussions for quick agreement.

The Roles and Responsibilities:
the responsibility of the chair and participants
cost of meetings
do they all need to be there?

The Skill of Chairing the Meeting:
personal qualities
getting contributions from all
controlling the discussion
dealing with conflict
keeping to time
reaching consensus
agreeing actions
managing the minutes.

Meeting Logistics:
creating the right environment, meeting room preparation
equipment and facilities
visual aids.

Meeting Participation:
being persuasive
clarity and brevity
minute-taking
confidence building.

Personality Factors:
how people interact
resolving challenging situations
handling silence and multiple inputs
questions
involvement and commitment.

Communicating Confidently:
body language
obtaining agreement and commitment
constructive and challenging contributions
active listening.

Facilitation in Meetings:
the reasons for facilitation
the importance of control
controlling the discussion
involving the entire group
ensuring understanding is reached
summarising key points.

Problem Solving:
a systematic approach
creative and analytical problem identification
analysis
evaluation
willingness to change or compromise
brainstorming
participative decision making.

Closing the Meeting:
summarising
points of action
ways in which decisions will be implemented.

Reviewing Success:
review and develop meeting process to be used at work.

Action Plan:
participants plan and discuss what they will do on return to work.