Effective Staff Meetings
Your
Guide to Effective Staff Meetings
Bad
staff meetings are not
just a complete waste of time, they are the actual agony of any
manager's
reality. However, for a company, a project or a team to operate
successfully,
it’s vital for people to meet, pool their expertise, exchange ideas,
create new
strategies etc.
The
main reason staff
meetings go bad is the lack of a good process. Traditionally meetings
had a fixed,
static framework with one person chairing the meeting and the rest of
the
participants sitting passively, hiding behind big tables and piles of
paperwork. No
wonder people dragged
attending. Shifting
the meeting
framework from “chaired” to “facilitative” is the first step towards
effective
staff meetings. The way a meeting is facilitated makes the difference
in its
quality and creates the foundation for an active process of discussions
during
which participants actively contribute, exchange expertise, feel valued
and are
part of the decisions made at meetings.
Tips and
techniques on how to
make meetings participatory! Don’t just Brainstorm -
Brainstorm Effectively The
true meaning of brainstorming
is about a number of people getting stimulated to come up with ideas or
recommendations, no matter how trivial or unrealistic they may be.
Ideas and recommendations
are not judged, criticised or analyzed at all, allowing people the
space for creativeness
and innovations. A comfortable,
flexible, easy-going environment will encourage people to ‘bounce
suggestions around’. Keep
notes of every single idea,
alternative, decision etc. that the group comes up with - even if it
seems farfetched
or not practical. These
ideas may help
inspire new solutions. List them all in a flipchart and at the end of
the
brainstorming session revisit them and see if people have more feasible
ideas. Maintain
an organic flow of
the session without imposing ideas or limiting their amount. Maintain
a non-threating, healthy
environment at all times. Visualise Visualisation
makes conveying
information simpler and also more unforgettable. It cannot substitute
verbal or
written however it enhances it. 83% of our information absorption
occurs
through our eyes. Meetings supported by visualisation and facilitation
usually
do not need tables; people are expected to be ready to stand up and
move around
comfortably, focusing on the common visualisation centre and on
relating to
each other. If they note their own contributions to the common subject
on cards
and pin them to the wall, they even actively do something on their own.
Here
people move and meet. The meeting is a literal meeting: an encounter. Quick tips for effective staff meetings! Lose
the chairperson - become
a facilitator Lose the tables - let people
sit in a circle
without physical barriers Loose the speech - and allow
everyone to voice
their opinions Prepare well-ahead; identify
a facilitation
style and the tools and techniques to facilitate each topic. Always maintain your calm.
Keep in mind -
manage through showing courtesy. Be ready for the worst case
scenario! Don’t get issues
personally. Don’t let conversations get
personal. Don’t
be over-organised - be flexible Related Articles - Effective Staff Meetings:
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Outstanding Leaders
consider themselves a work in progress Dr Franklin C. Ashby
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