Meetings

Doyle, M., & Straus, D. (1976). How to make meetings work. New York: Jove Publications, Inc.

Five Ingredients of Effective Meetings

There must be a common focus on content.
There must be a common focus on process.
Someone must be responsible for maintaining an open and balanced conversational flow.
Someone must be responsible for protecting individuals from personal attack.
Everyone's role and responsibility must be clearly defined and agreed upon.

Groups Roles for Effective Meetings

Facilitator -- is the neutral servant of the group and does not evaluate or contribute ideas. The responsibility of the facilitator is to help the group focus its energies on a task by suggesting methods and procedures, protecting all members of the group from attack, and making sure that everone has an opportunity to participate. The facilitator serves as a combination of tour guide, traffic officer, and meeting chauffeur. He or she is also responsible for all pre-meeting and post-meeting logistics.
Group members -- the active participants in the meeting. It is the responsibility of the group members to keep the facilitator and recorder in their neutral roles and to make sure that ideas are recorded accurately. As long as the meeting is being run by the Interaction Method, the control of what happens rests in the hands of the group members. They can make procedural suggestions, overrule the suggestions of the facilitator, and generally determine the course of the meeting. Otherwise the group member devotes his or her total energies to the task, knowing that the facilitator is protecting participants from personal attack, keeping individuals from dominating the discussion, and worrying about the best methods and techniques for dealing with the agenda.

Recorder -- The recorder is also a neutral, non-evaluating servant of the group. The responsibility of the recorder is to write down basic ideas on large sheets of paper in front of the participants. The recorder does not edit or paraphrase, but uses the words of each speaker. The objective is not to record everything that is said but to capture enough so that ideas can be preserved and recalled at any time. In this way, the act of recording does not significanly slow down the progress of the meeting. The record itself is called the group memory and serves as an accepted record of what is happening as it is happening. Participants can relax and let go of ideas in the knowledge that their contributions have beeen heard and preserved in full view of the group.
Manager/Chairperson -- The Manager/Chairperson, under the ground rules of the Interaction method, does not run the meeting but becomes an active participant. Otherwise, he or she retains all other powers and responsibilities. The manager makes all final decisions; has the power to set constraints and regain control if not satisfied by the progress of the meeting; sets the agenda; argues actively for his or her points of view; urges group members to accept tasks and deadlines; represents the group in meetings with other groups; and deals with media and the public at large.(pp. 85-87)

Guidelines for Making Quality Group Decisions

Avoid arguing for your own views. Present your position as lucidly and logically as possible, but listen to other reactions and consider them carefully before your press your point.

Do not assume that someone must win and someone must lose when discussion reaches a stalemate. Instead, look for the next most acceptable alternative for all parties.

Do not change your mind simply to avoid conflict and to reach agreement and harmony. 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 objetive and logically sound foundations.

Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority vote, averages, coin-flips, and bargaining. When a dissenting member finally agrees, don't feel that he or she must be rewarded by having his own way on some later point.

Differences of opinion are natural and expected. Seek them out and try to involve everyone 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 more adequate solutions.

Common Problems with Meetings

Multi-Headed Animal Syndrome -- Everybody going off in different directions at the same time.

Confusion between Process and Content -- Are we talking about how to discuss the topic or what topic to discuss?

Personal Attack -- Attacking individuals rather than their ideas.

Traffic Problem -- Difficulty in leaping into the conversational flow and getting a chance to participate.

Unclear Roles and Responsibilities -- Who is supposed to be doing what?

Manipulation by goup leader -- Rubber-stamp meetings and abuse of process power to achieve personal objectives.

Data Overload -- Having to hold on to too many ideas in your head at one time.

Repetition or Wheelspinning -- Going over the same old ideas again and again.

Win/Lose Approaches to Decision Making -- Partial solutions, compromises, polarization, and low commitment.

Problem Avoidance -- Everything is fine, there are no problems here.

General Negativity and Lack of Challenge -- There is nothing we can do about it, so why try.

Personality Control -- Lack of openess and trust, underlying tension, racism, and sexism.

Meet the Problem People

The Latecomer -

The Early Leaver -

The Broken Record -

The Doubting Thomas -

The Headshaker -

The Dropout -

The Whisperer -

The Loudmouth -

The Attacker -

The Interpreter -

The Gossiper -

The Know-It-All -

The Backseat Driver -

The Busybody -

The Interrupter -

The Teacher's Pet -

When Not to Have a Meeting

A meeting is generally not a good idea when -

you have to deal with personnel issues like hiring, firing, and negotiating salaries;

there is inadequate data or poor preparation;

something could be communicated better by telephone, memo, or a one-to-one discussion;

the subject matter is so confidential or secret that it can't be shared with some group members;

your mind is made up and you have already made your decision;

the subject is trivial;

there is too much anger and hostility in the group and people need time to calm down before they begin to work collaboratively.

When to Have a Meeting

Calling a meeting is a good idea when -

you want information or advice from your group;

you want to involve your group in solving a problem or making a decision;

there is an issue that needs to be clarified;

you have concerns you want to share with your group as a whole;

the group itself wants a meeting;

there is a problem that involves people from different groups;

there is a problem and it's not clear what it is or who is responsible for dealing with it.

Types of Meetings

Problem Solving - when you want to change a situation; attack a problem.

Decision Making Meetings - when you want to make a final decision

Planning Meetings - when you need to do future oriented problem solving.

Reporting and Presenting (Feedforward) Meetings - when you need to report or present information.

Reacting and Evaluating (Feedback Meetings) - when you want to have many people make suggestions or give feedback to one or several individuals.

Leaderless Meetings - when you are having cocktail parties, open houses, or rap sessions.

Combination Meetings - when you need to use two or more of these types of meetings during a single meeting session.

Department of Teacher Education Memorandum | Work Culture