MODUL 4 : CONDUCT UNIT MEETING

INTRODUCTION

A meeting can be defined as a gathering of three or more people sharing Common objectives
where communication (verbal and/or written), is the primary means of achieving those
objectives .A meeting is effective when it achieves its objectives in a minimum amount of time to
the satisfaction of the participants.

INFORMATION

First, determine whether or not a meeting needs to be held. Avoid the trap of meeting too often.
Be willing to cancel a meeting or adjourn early if there is nothing important to discuss. Deciding
whether or not to meet depends on the objection you want to achieve, once you establish an
objective, you may find there is a better way to complish it than a meeting. If a meeting is
appropriate, decisions must be made about when and where to meet and who should attend.
When choosing a time, keep the needs of participants in mind. Avoid particularly busy times.
The meeting site should be comfortable and freed of distractions. It should comfortably
accommo - date the attendees When choosing participants, be guided by who can either gain
from attending or contribute by attending. Keep the number down to the minimum necessary to
accomplish your purpose. Next, develop an agenda and notify participants of the meeting. The
agenda should list in sequential order, items to be dealt with. It also should show the time the
meeting begins plus any scheduled breaks and a targeted ending time. A copy of the agenda
should be sent to all participants whenever possible. When it is not possible to distribute an
agenda in advance of a meeting, one should be developed as the first item of business.

The day of the meeting the leader should arrive at the meeting room early. During this time, it is
important to check the room arrangement and change it if necessary. Also, to check audiovisual
equipment to insure it is operational.

The meeting should begin promptly at the scheduled time. An operating statement should
include the meeting's objective, a brief review of the agenda, and any appropriate ground rules
such as "no smoking".

In an information meeting, information should be presented in a clear, concise, easily

understood style * Monitor the level of interest as reflected through nonverbal cues. Use voice
levels to keep the energy level high. Change the format if interest seems to lag by asking
questions. Get the group involved.

In a decision making meeting, it is essential to facilitate the group's problem solving/decision

making process. Monitor group interaction and suggest procedures to help make decisions.
When there is too little interaction generate discussion. When there is too much interaction,
keep things focused and summarize progress, techniques for displaying and analyzing data,
generating alternatives, and choosing among alternatives will help keep the group moving
toward the objective.

Regardless of the type of meeting, it is important to close with a restatement of objective, a

summary of what was accomplished, and a list of agreed action that needs to be taken.

After the meeting, it is essential to follow up on action. A brief memorandum of conclusions

should be written and distributed. Inform appropriate people who did not attend the meeting
about essential decision made.

Finally , each meeting should be viewed as a learning experience, future meetings should be
improved by soliciting evaluations and deciding what action steps are required to conduct better
meetings.

The checklist and action summaries that follow will be helpful reminders of what you need to do
to conduct effective meetings in the future.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEETING

Meetings can be classified to two major categories. Each category has two subsets:

Information Meetings
 Advise/update
 Sell

Decision Making Meetings

 Goal Setting
 Problem Solving

This classification is helpful because each type of meeting must be conducted differently. By
studying the chart below you will learn the differences between the two types. Use this chart to
classify your meetings and then determine the proper way to plan for each type.
SOLUTION TO COMMON MEETING PROBLEMS

State Your Objective

Every meeting needs objectives. They should be clearly presented in the leader's
opening statement. This simple procedure establishes the reason for the meeting With
an objective in mind, all discussion and energy can be directed toward it.

Prepare An Agenda
An agenda is a must. It should be prepared in advance and given to participants before
the meeting. It will serve as a road map to keep discussion on the topic. When
distributed before a meeting an agenda encourages advance preparation.

Be Selective When Picking Participants

You want the minimum number of appropriate people. Smaller numbers will hold interest
and increase participation. You may need to inform some people before the meeting to
explain your reason for not including them.

Manage Meeting Time

Strike a balance between wasting time and railroading the group. Allow sufficient time
for participants to become involved and feel satisfied with the outcome. Start on time
keep things moving toward an announced ending time.

Take Charge
Effective control and guidance are required for effective meetings. Use the agenda to
keep the discussion on topic. Encourage less active participants. Control those who
attempt to dominate. Determine a head of time the best procedures for achieving the
meeting's objective and use them at appropriate times.

Close With A Summary

Every meeting should close with a restatement of the meeting's objective, a summary
of what was accomplished toward the objective, and a review of agreed upon action
that needs to be taken.
DEVELOPING AN AGENDA

Every meeting should have an agenda and it should be given (in advance, if possible) to each
participant. Ideally, participants should have an opportunity to contribute to an agenda prior to
the meeting .An agenda need not be an elaborate document It can be hand written and
photocopied. It can be written on a chalkboard or flipchart. If there are only two or three items
on it, it can be communicated orally. Be guided in the preparation of any published agenda by
the needs of participants, what do they need to know to effectively participate in the meeting?
The following elements should be included.

o Items to be handled (listed in proper sequence)

o Meeting adjournment time
o Time of scheduled breaks, if any

As leader of a meeting you need more detail than the participants. For example, you should
have a rough time allocation for each item to properly gauge the progress of the meeting. Also,
you may need notes on techniques to use, points to be clarified, and equipment that may be
required.

When sending an agenda prior to a meeting, think about who should receive a copy . Determine
those who should receive a copy strictly for Information and those you expect to attend and
participate in the meeting. Address your transmittal to those you expect to attend Show the
information only recipients as CC-s. This will clear up any uncertainty that may exist over who is
expected to attend

Reqularly scheduled staff or committee meetings seem to be the most common violator of the
agenda requirement. One way to overcome this problem is to take five minutes at the beginning
of the meeting to develop and post an agenda. If there are several items on your agenda,
prioritize them so you can deal with the most important ones in the time available. Also. if new
items come up during the meeting, they can be added to the agenda in proper priority order.
EXAMPLE OF MEETING AGENDA

 Opening statement-reason for attendance, objective, time commitment.

 Problems to be discussed
 Generate alternative solutions
 Decide among alternatives
 Develop plan to solve problem
 Assign tasks to carryout plan
 Establish follow-up procedures
 Summarize and adjourn

SELECTING PARTICIPANTS

When selecting meeting participants the best guideline is to have the smallest number of
appropriate people .This isn’t always easy. There often will be people who feel they should
come but are unable to contribute or gain attendance. Also. there may be people you fee,
should be invited because of the position in the organization, but they too, may have nothing to
contribute.

The only feasible method for selecting participants is to consider the type of meeting you are
planning. If it is to be an information meeting, you want attendees who need to know the
information being presented. If it is a problem solving meeting, you need participants who have
knowledge to contribute, authority over the area affected by the decision, and the commitment
to carry out the decision .

Give some though prior to the meeting, to those who might wish to attend but do not appear on
your participant list. To maintain good relationships, it may be wise to explain the objective of
your meeting and why you feel they do not have to attend. They will probably react by:

 Agreeing with you and saying thank you for your thoughtfulness.
 Disagreing with you and presenting reasons which may cause you to change your mind
Disagreing with you but requiring you to stand firm on their exclusion

On the bellow is a list of criteria to aid you in selecting participants in a problem solving
situation.
CRITERIA FOR PROBLEM SOLVING MEETING ATTENDEES

 Knowledge of subject area involved in the problem. Represented among the team
membership should be the expertise required to develop a valid solution to the problem.
 Commitment to solving the problem. Team members should have a vested interest in
solving the problem.
 Time to participate. Each person must have time to participate in problem-solving
activities.
 Diversity of view point .The team must be able to look at a problem in different ways to
avoid patterned thinking.
 Expressiveness. Team members must feel free to express facts, opinions, and feelings.
 Open-mindedness. Team members must be wiling to listen to each other. This allows for
the best solution when members are willing to change their minds when convinced by
compelling arguments.

FACILITIES

The meeting room and its furnishing will contribute significantly to an effective meeting. When
facilities are proper, they go unnoticed. When they are inadequate or too elaborate, they can
detract from the meeting On-site meeting rooms are usually convenient and low cost. This
makes them attractive considerations. However, being convenient for participants also makes
them convenient for interruptions .Occasionally , an on-site room will not be the right size for a
particular meeting. Be willing to look else where for a proper meeting place.

The need for participants to be physically comfortable should not be overlooked. If a meeting is
to last over an hour, chairs should have cushions. Also, heating/cooling, lighting, and ventilation
should be adequate for the size of the group and activities planned.

A table is required only when it has a use, (i.e. to write on, spread out maps, charts, computer
print outs, etc.). While tables are standard in most meeting rooms, consider your need. Perhaps
a better room arrangement would be available without one .be guided by the communications
needs for the type of meeting you plan to hold. As a rule of thumb, you want those talking with
each other to maintain eye contact .There fore, information meetings should have participants
facing the front of the room, while decision-making meetings should have participants facing
each other. Examples of different room arrangements are shown on the following pages.
As you consider the selection of your meeting place, the checklist on the next page should
prove helpful. The meeting arrangements checklist on page 25 will also help you handle
necessary arrangements.

1. Is the room large enough to comfortably accommodate the participants and nay planned
audiovisual aids?
2. Is there adequate lighting and ventilation? Can they be controlled within the meeting
room?
3. Is the room free from distractions and interruptions such as telephones, loud noises, or
other activities?
4. Is the room appropriately furnished? Are the chairs comfortable enough for the length of
the meeting?
5. Is the room conveniently located for participants?
6. Is the cost of the room within budget?
7. Is the room available at the time you need it?
10. CONDUCTING MEETING

The meeting leader must focus the energy and attention of participants and keep them
moving toward the meeting's objectives. This is a multifaceted task which can be better
understood by breaking a meeting into three major components.
The major Components Of A Meeting

 Content-The information, knowledge, experience, opinions, ideas, myths, attitudes ,

and expectations that participants bring to the meeting.

 Interaction-The way participants work together while processing the meeting's

content . Includes feelings, attitudes, and expectations that bear on cooperation,
listening, participation, trust, and openness.

 Structure-The way in which both information and participants are organized to

achieve the meeting's purpose.

An effective leader is attentive to each of the above meeting components. The meeting
leader's role is to monitor progress and provide direction. In some meetings participants
help provide direction. This makes the leader's job easier. In other meetings the leader
is required to provide most of the direction.

To be an effective leader you must be able to analyze each situation, determine what is
needed to move forward, and take the necessary action to achieve the objectives. On
the following page is an outline of activities in each of the component areas that may be
appropriate during a meeting. In the sections that follow you will receive specific
instructions on techniques for structuring decision-making meetings and for handling
effective interaction

11. ACTIVITIES INVOLVED IN CONDUCTING MEETING

The leader's role is to monitor the activity in each key component area and provide the
missing elements required to move the group toward the meeting's objectives.

STRUCTURING DECISION - MAKING MEETING

Decision-making meetings need structure in order to keep attention focused on the

problem .Structure will help maintain the discipline of problem solving. For example,
some participants may come to the meeting with solutions to propose. When this
happens, work will be required to concentrate on the process of problem solving. The
best way to do this is to follow the Rational decision Process.

RATIONAL DECISION PROCESS

 Study/discuss/analyze the situation

 Define the problem
 Set an objective
 State imperative and desirables
 Generate alternatives
 Establish evaluation criteria
 Evaluate alternatives
 Choose among alternatives

When using the Rational Decision Process you first need to spend time discussing the
situation and defining the problem. This ensures you are dealing with the right problem.
Then, state an objective,(i.e. the end result you want to accomplish). If imperatives
exist, list them along with the desirable features of your eventual outcome. If there are
mutually exclusive imperatives, each must be reconcile or you can not solve the
problem. Obviously, you want as few imperatives as possible .Next, generate
alternatives, through whatever method you choose. Then, set up some evaluation
criteria, evaluate the alternatives against those criteria, and make a decision. A
straight-forward , orderly eight step process.

12. GENERATING ALTERNATIVES

Alternatives can be generated in several different ways. The most common is by

open discussion. Two procedures will likely produce more alternatives and reflect
greater creativity . These procedures are Brainstorming and Nominal Group
Technique.

 Brainstorming: This is a free form process that taps into the creative potential of a
group through association. Power of association is a two-way current. When a
group member voices an idea, this Invites other Ideas by stimulating the
associative power of all other members.

 Nominal Group Technique: This structured process has group members write
individual ideas, then report them to the group, it minimizes conformity while
maximizing participation.

When choosing between these techniques, consider whether or not participants have
enough experience to deal with the information you seek. If they know the information,
Nominal Group Technique gives you an oderly method for getting it reported to the
group. If they do not know the information , Brainstorming will create potential
alternatives. The procedures for each are given on the next page.

. BRAINSTORMING PROCEDURE

 List all ideas offered by group members

 Do not evaluate or judge ideas at this time
 Do not discuss ideas except perhaps briefly to clarify understanding
 Welcome "blue sky" ideas. It Is always easier to eliminate than to
accumulate.
 Repetition is okay. Don't waste time sorting out duplication
 Encourage quantity. The more ideas, the greater the likelihood of a useful
one.
 Don't be too anxious to close out this phase. When a plateau is reached,
let things rest and then start again.

14. NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE PROCEDURES

 Each member writes out ideas in response to the question presented to

the group.
 Invite the group to report what they have written, one idea at a time. List
the ideas in front of the group.
 Members should add new ideas to the list after the group has finished
reporting.
Continue the process until all ideas are reported

CHOOSING AMONG ALTERNATIVES

There are several decision-making procedures available to groups during
meetings. These tend to be either individual or group centered. Individual
centered procedures are consolidations of individual choices, while group
centered procedures rely on discussion and agreement. There is also a nominal
group technique that falls between these two options. Following are decision-
making methods most commonly used in meetings.

 Voting. This form of decision-making is appropriate in larger groups, it

should be used in small groups only as a backup style, or when the
decision being made is inconsequential. A minimum number of positive
votes can be set higher than simple majority to reduce the level of
resistance toward the decision made.

 Consensus: this form of decision-making maximizes the support of the

decision by participants. By nature, it is a highly interactive process and
tends to produce quality decisions with a high level of commitment.
Nominal Group Technique. This form of decision-making is a reiterative process tat
minimizes conformity and moves participants to decisions which they can support. The
steps involved are:

 After discussion of the alternatives, members rate each on a numerical scale

against an agreed upon criterion. 'Ratings are reported for each alternative and
added together.

 Alternatives with low total ratings are dropped from the list

 The alternatives remaining are again discussed, rated and summarized. Those
receiving the lowest ratings are dropped from the list.

 This process is repeated as required until a clear group choice remains

Criteria Based Rating: After agreeing upon appropriate criteria such as feasibility,
availability, and affordability , each alternative is rated on either a numerical scale or a
low, moderate, high scale. Ratings can be accomplished either by discussion or by
consolidating individual ratings.

Criteria Based Ranking: Rather than rate each alternative on a scale, they can be
ranked from high to low on each criterion. The rankings can be done either by
discussion or by consolidating individual rankings. The least desirable method is to vote
on rank orders).

Criterion Based Paired Comparison. If often facilities decision-making to limit the

process to a series of decisions between two alternatives. This can be done by pairing
all available alternatives, then consolidating the results of each decision. The sample
paired comparison matrix that follows simplifies the process. Each decision can then be
made either by discussion to agreement or voting.

16.DECISION BY CONSENSUS

Consensus is a decision process that makes full use of available resources and
resolves conflicts creatively . Consensus is sometimes difficult to reach, so not every
group decision can be made in this way. Complete unanimity is not the goal - it is rarely
achieved. But each individual should be able to accept the group's decision on the basis
of logic and feasibility. When all group members feel this way a consensus has been
reached and the judgment may be entered as the group's decision . Following are some
guidelines to achieve consensus:

1. Avoid arguing for your position. Present your position as lucidly and logically
as possible ,but listen to the other members' reactions and consider them
carefully.
2. Do not assume that someone must win and someone must lose when
discussions reach a stalemate. Instead, look for the next-most acceptable
alternative for all parties.

3. Do not change your mind simply to avoid conflict. When agreement seems to
come too quickly and easily, be suspicious. Explore the reasons and be sure
everyone accepts the solution for basically similar or complementary reasons.
Yield only to positions that have objective and logically sound foundations.

4. Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as voting, averaging, and bargaining.

When a dissenting member finally agrees, don't feel that he or she must be
rewarded by being allowed to "win" on some later point.

Differences of opinion are natural and expected. Seek them out and try to involve every
one in the decision process. Disagreements can help the group's decision because with
a wide range of information and opinions, there is a greater chance that the group will
hit upon a more adequate solution.