It is certainly not necessary to write at length about chairing meetings. You have no doubt led several already. It might have happened to you that the meeting suddenly got out of control and looked like chaos. Dealing as a manager with such a situation was the subject of a discussion on The Daily Muse website.
Getting chaos under control is easier said than done. Nevertheless, with some smart planning and strategy it is possible. Here are a few tips:
1. Familiarize participants with the agenda
Clear as day. First, plainly determine the goal that you should achieve together during the meeting. Next, prepare a specific programme with the most important points for a discussion. Ideally, send it to all participants in advance and repeat once more at the beginning of the meeting (projected onto a slide or hand-out materials).
2. Plan a time
Think about who will be present at the meeting. How many people will come? Do they know each other? What usually distracts their attention? For example, if you sense that participants will want to engage in personal conversation before the meeting, plan the meeting for about fifteen minutes earlier.
3. Customize the venue for maximum concentration
Try to facilitate maximally the participants’ concentration on your presentation. Find a place free from external noise and without visual distractions (e.g. screen with cyclic video recording, materials on the table). Before starting, ask participants to silence their phones and turn off laptops and familiarize them with the expected duration of the programme. Thus, you tactfully request their maximum concentration during a given time.
4. Materials before or during the meeting?
If you have any additional materials, it is worth handing them out separately for each discussed topic. This step may seem a disturbing element, but it is better than being bombarded with materials at the beginning of the meeting, which the participant goes through and thereby loses focus on the actual topic.
Help, I still do not have the situation under control!
It is clear that, although you have perfectly planned the agenda and even the physical environment, the programme can still get out of control. So, learn to divert the conversation effectively to where you want it.
If someone via your question takes the conversation to a different topic, appreciate the input, but make it clear that you will return to this topic at the end. However, if this or any other issue deserves more attention and time, make a supplementary list of topics that will become the subject for the next meeting.
When faced with time constraints and the topic of discussion is still far from its conclusion, mention that you have the last X minutes before the end, which should be given to resolving the remaining issues.
In conclusion
At the end of each meeting, of course, do not forget to summarize solutions and conclusions which you have reached, the next steps to be taken and who will be responsible for the tasks. You do not need more than 1-2 minutes for such summaries. Thank all for their contributions and then you can record another successful meeting. Congratulations!
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