How to Hold Better Meetings

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How many meetings have you attended that are boring, unproductive and a waste of time? With managers spending more time than ever in meetings, the need to improve them has never been more urgent. The key to a successful meeting lies, of course, in the hands of the Chair. If you are being thrust into the hot seat for the first time, or feel you could chair meetings better, this books shows you how to: Focus on the objective of the meeting; Control the meeting’s progress; Use time more effectively; Understand how people behave in groups; Improve the results of the meeting. Chairing meetings is a key managerial skill. How to Hold Better Meetings offers practical advice and handy checklists in an accessible style.

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Alan Barker is a consultant specialising in communication skills and creativity. He is also the author of How to Be a Better Decision Maker and 30 Minutes Before a Meeting (both Kogan Page). Table of Contents What are meetings for? Why have meetings Auditing meetings Why meetings fail The golden rules o f effective meetings Preparing for the meeting Clarifying your purpose Who is in the chair? Who is participating? Liaising with meeting administrator When and where? Constructing the agenda Preparing briefing papers Equipment and technology How groups Group development Group structure Group authority Group behaviors Chairing themeeting Establishing your style Task leader or process director? Opening the meeting Managing each item Closing the meeting Helping people to contribute Problem people Difficult situations Conversations: The heart of the meeting The dynamics of conversation Improving the group’s thinking Four types of conversation Problem solving in meetings What is problem solving? Preparing to solve the problem Stage one: identify the problem Stage two: think about the problem Stage three: develop the solution Different types of meeting Team meetings Consultancy and client meetings Negotiations Appendix A: Administering meetings Preparing for the meeting Taking minutes Appendix B: Writing minutes Constructing a minute