Strategies That Ensure Meetings Are Effective in Communicating as Desired - Assignment Example

Meetings Institution Date Introduction Meetings are vital instruments used for corporate communication and management. When meetings are run effectively they increase productivity, save time, solve problems and increase motivation. The effectiveness of face-t-face communication is the subject of research by Dr. Albert Mehrabian (Roebuck, Brock and Moodie, 2004). Roebuck, Brock and Moodie (2004) assert that meetings are vital as they create new initiatives and ideas, obtain participants buy-in. Meeting are crucial in preventing claims where a group of people complain they weren’t involved in decision making. Meetings achieve better outcomes that other forms of communication as they provide meaning and feelings to the items being communicated. According to Tropman (2013) meetings relay more meaning in the way things are said. In meetings people can be able to gain the meaning and feelings attached to nonverbal signals and facial expressions. This report discusses the strategies that ensure meetings are effective in communicating as desired. Importance of Meetings Meetings have received much praise in literature due to their effectiveness when they are planned properly. However, some people claim that meetings are too costly in terms of time taken (Beebe and Masterson, 2014). However, Kirkman, Rosen, Tesluk and Gibson (2004) assert that properly run and followed-up meetings repay this cost several times over. He further claims that there is no substitute to physical face-to-face meetings. Tropman (2013) points out that meetings are very effective in helping organizational leaders achieve their objective in an easier, quicker and less costly way. In addition, meetings have been found to be effective motivators that leave participant happier and more productive. Do meetings take too much time? One of the most commonly raised objections against holding meetings is the claim that they waste time and money. However, if meetings are run well, the time and money wastage can be minimized or eliminated. Streibel and Formasano (2003) claim that meetings that waste money, resources and time are worse are more counterproductive than having no meetings at all. In contemporary situations people have more pressure to manage their time properly. In many cases, meetings that take too much time lead to frustration among the participants. It is therefore important that meeting planners be very effective at managing time (Jennings, 2007). In fact, some modern technologies provide alternatives where people can meet without face-to-face contact. These technological alternatives include video and tele-conferencing that help organization save the time needed to hold physical meetings (Fransisco, 2007). However, these virtual meetings cannot substitute for physical meetings as they cannot convey body language. Teleconferencing is particularly weak as it does not covey body language and facial expressions alongside the message. Virtual vs Face-to face Meetings According to Kirkman et al (2004), both physical and virtual meetings should be run on the same principles. However, virtual meetings should not be used in situations where meetings are likely to affect the wellbeing and future of participants. Often meanings and feelings are lost because the people are not sitting in the same physical space (World Health Organization; WHO, 2014). It is important for meeting facilitators to be aware that meetings provide an opportunity to achieve the organizational objectives and to include participants in decision making. Therefore, meetings should be approached in way that supports these two mutually supportive goals. According to WHO (2014), a well run meeting is known by its ability to make feel people feel their needs were met and the ability to meet the agenda items. Important skills for Meeting facilitators Effective meeting planners and executer needs to be competent in suite of skills. It is important for the persons controlling meetings to understand and have presentation and delegation skill as well as understand the powers of personality and motivation (Geimer, Leach, DeSimone, Rogelberg and Warr, 2015). Project and goal planning are also important skills in ensuring that meetings are effective. The meeting facilitator should also be competent in decision-making and problem solving as this will enable him/her in assigning these responsibilities to the group. Typical where the group has more experience and the issues to be resolved is less serious, the facilitator can give more decision making responsibility to the team. However, Gray (2015) asserts that meetings where the participants are encouraged to contribute and take more responsibility are more productive. In contrast, meetings where the leaders are authoritative and instruct people are less productive. Factors Affecting Effectiveness of Meetings According to Gray (2015), a number of factors affect the effectiveness of a meeting these factors include: The situation including mood, background, atmosphere, circumstance, the organizational context (organizational implication of meeting), the needs of participants, the characteristics of the meeting leaders (personal aims, experience, confidence, and own role), the relationship of the leaders and position in the team, and the aims of the meeting. Meeting leaders have a responsibility to ensure that the meeting achieves its aims. Often, meetings have more than one aim as they also have to cater and develop the people involved in the meeting (Bleich, 2014). Meeting leaders are authorized to make demands on participant to participate in meetings. It is important for the leaders to use this authority wisely to make sure meetings succeed. In some cases, the meeting leader is in charge of people who do not directly report to him in the normal organizational setting (Gray, 2015). It is thus important that the leaders be competent in several areas of management including goal planning, delegation, project management and facilitative decision making. In addition it is important to understand and apply the Tuckman model of team development and maturirty and the Tannenbaun and Schmidt model of team development (Certo, 2015). Characteristics of effective Meetings According to Harolds (2012), holding effective meetings is dependent on following a structure for all meetings. However, before resulting to the structure, the decision maker must decide whether meetings are necessary. In addition, participants should have agreed beforehand the kind of meeting they need to hold. The following steps are important in holding an effective meeting (Harolds, 2012): 1. Plan using the agenda as the main planning tool. 2. Disseminate the agenda items in advance of the meeting. 3. Run the meeting- controlling contribution; agree of outcomes, responsibilities and actions while taking notes of all that is discussed. 4. Circulate the meeting notes especially accountabilities and actions. 5. Follow up on responsibilities and agreed actions. Harolds (2012) proposes the acronym POSTADTV to help meeting facilitators in planning effective meetings. The acronym stands for Priorities, Outcomes, Sequence, Timings, Agenda, Date, Time, and Venue. Meeting Priorities Any meeting should have a clearly stated purpose which justifies the need to hold the meeting. The meeting leader should decide the most important and urgent items to be include in the agenda (Cohen, Rogelberg, Allen and Luong, 2011). It is important to note, that some important matter might not need immediate solutions. On the other hand, urgent matters do not need much time for discussion. Meeting leaders should be aware that both urgent and important issues need careful planning and management at meetings. According to Cohen et al (2011), meeting leaders should avoid situations where there is a free for all sessions where member propose “Any other business” . Instead, the leaders should distribute a draft agenda where members can propose agenda items before the day of the meeting. Meeting Outcomes It is important to have expected outcomes for each agenda item. This expectation should be noted alongside each agenda item as this will make the meeting more productive if a clear aim is set from the outset (Coerto, 2015). According to Beebe and Masterson (2014), typical outcomes for agenda items include planning, discussion, information, getting feedback, finding solutions, information, getting feedback, policy building, motivation and generating ideas. Meeting Sequence It is important that the meeting have a sequence for discussing each of the agenda items. According to Cohen et al (2011), the least important issues should be placed at the top of the agenda. This avoids a situation where less important items are not discussed as important items tend to take most of the meetings time. In addition, the most urgent items should be placed at the top of the agenda. It is important to avoid placing heavily controversial items at together in the agenda. By varying the agenda items, the meeting leaders are able to control the pace and intensity of the meeting. Controversial items should be discussed after people have settled down and are a bit more relaxed. According to Gray (2015), participants are at their most sensitive when meeting are beginning. Meetings may get heated up at the beginning especially if there are participants who are keen assert their presence in the proceedings. Meeting Timings Meeting leaders should avoid setting the time for meeting arbitrarily or by habit, Meeting timing should be based on a realistic time slot for each agenda item (Gray, 2015). For long meetings, allot time for pre-meeting refreshments, lunch break, and have frequent breaks if the meetings are going to take place the whole day. It is essential that the meeting leader think about and plan the amount of time each agenda item should take. Timing meetings is on the biggest responsibilities of the person in charge of meetings (Coerto, 2015). Often time management is poorly done leading to frustration of participants. Meeting date Meeting should be set on dates when they will cause the least disruption in the organization. The meeting leaders should take into consideration the fact that it is extremely difficult to gather people for meetings (Beebe and Masterson, 2014). For repeat and regular meetings it is important to agree on the dates beforehand. According to Geimer et al (2015), pre-planning meeting dates is essential in ensuring that they are successful. Meeting Time Meeting should always start as early as possible and take the least time possible to avoid frustrating the participants (Gray, 2015). However, it is important to consult the participants on the meeting time that they are most comfortable with. In many cases, mature teams prefer to be consulted while making time arrangements for meetings. Meeting Venue Most meeting do not require extensive planning of the meeting venue as they are informal and held in meeting rooms on-site. In contrast, meeting held off-site require a higher level of venue planning (WHO, 2014). Every aspect of the off-site venue should be well planned to ensure the meeting is effective when it finally takes off. The meeting leaders should not trust the organization providing the facilities as they cannot be aware of every need of the people who are meeting.   Running the meeting The Meeting leaders should control the meeting and steer is towards the meeting purpose. The leaders should remind the participants of the expected outcomes of every item under discussion (Gray, 2015). To avoid diversion from the purpose, the meeting leaders should encourage the nervous while politely suppressing the over-zealous. The leaders should ensure the meeting focuses on the outcome instead of generating unnecessary debate on issues. Any new issues that come up during meetings should be deferred to the next meeting to avoid wasting time (Gray, 2015). Leaders should politely tell members who raise new issues they will be discussed at another meeting. Delegation is important in achieving outcomes as the participants help in achieving what is stated. Meeting Notes Meeting notes are the important as they determine the person who keeps command of meetings. The meeting leader should take the motes unless the dictates that a formal secretary should take the notes (Fransisco, 2007). The responsibility for taking notes should not be given to a person who cannot carry out this responsibility effectively. Meeting notes are important as they allow participant to see that agreed action and outcomes are being recorded (Jennings, 2007). Meeting notes should include actions, facts, figures, accountabilities, and timescales. However, it is not enough to just record notes; they should be also be distributed to members immediately after the meeting. Follow-up agreed action The final thing to follow-up on the actions agreed in the meeting. The success of meeting is ultimately determined by the implementation of the actions recommended in the meeting (Tropman, 2013). The credibility of the meeting leader is dependent on ensuring that recommended actions are seen through. Failure to follow through will discourage participants from contributing when similar recommendations for action are needed. Part II Evaluation of Outcomes Evaluating whether you have achieved the learning outcomes in a learning contract is an essential part of learning. In task 1 of the learning contract I set out the learning objectives for my skill area as: 1. Understanding of the importance of meetings 2. Identification of characteristics of effective meetings. 3. Identification of issues linked with meeting and why they take place. 4. Development of strategies to run effective meetings. 5. Development of strategies to work with diverse people in the course of the meeting. 6. Identification of the diverse purposes of meetings and type of meeting processes. 7. Identifying poor behavior by meeting participant and how to overcome them. 8. Develop and promote listening behavior. Achieving the outcome Importance of Meetings My first objective in this learning was to understand the importance of meeting in the organizational context. To achieve this outcome I closely studied my course material and lecture notes in week 2. I was able to achieve my Pre-test measure of being able to explain the importance of meetings. I found out that meetings are important as they are vital instruments for corporate communication and management. In addition, meetings increase productivity, save time, solve problems and increase motivation (Streibel and Formisano, 2003). Moreover, meetings help in creating new initiatives and ideas, and obtaining participant’s buy-in. I am also aware that meetings achieve better outcomes than other forms of communication as they provide meaning and feelings to the items being communicated (Roebuck, Brock and Moodie, 2004). Meeting people can be able to gain the meaning and feelings attached to nonverbal signals and facial expressions. In the same week I also sought to identify the qualities of an effective meeting. The characteristics of effective meetings I discovered are as follows (Gray, 2015): 1. They are well planned using the agenda as the main planning tool. 2. They disseminate the agenda items in advance of the meeting. 3. The meeting leader runs the meeting effectively- controlling contribution; agreeing on outcomes, responsibilities and actions while taking notes of all that is discussed. 4. Meetings notes are circulated after the meeting. 5. The leader Follows-up on responsibilities and agreed actions. Issues in Meetings My second objective was identifying some of the issues that arise in meetings. To achieve this objective I undertook a study of course materials, watched videos and clips of meetings in organizational settings. We also held a small meeting with fellow students to find out if the issues would arise. I found out that some of the issues that face meeting leaders include prioritization of agenda items, time management, overbearing and dominating meeting participants, meeting participants who are withdrawn, controlling contribution and arising issues in meetings (Streibel and Formisano, 2003). Diversity in Meetings My third expected learning outcome was to develop strategies that would help me run meeting effectively and be able to work with people from diverse background in the course of meeting. To achieve this learning outcome I undertook research in academic journals, books and the course materials. My pre-test measure included the ability to develop strategies that would help me establish relationship with participants and create conducive environments for participants from diverse backgrounds. I found that some of the strategies I learnt that can help me in running meeting effectively include: polite suppression of over-zealous participants and encouragement of nervous participants; using the POSTADTV (Priorities, Outcomes, Sequence, Timings, Agenda, Date, Time, Venue) in planning effective meetings; deferring any arising issues to the next meeting; making sure discussions remains focused on the expected outcomes of the meeting; stating and reminding the participants of the expected outcomes of the meeting (Gray, 2015). Some of the strategies to create conducive environment for participants from diverse backgrounds include: keeping interruptions to a minimum; ensuing participants adjust their communication style to cater for diverse audiences; and creatively ensuring everybody participates in the meeting through fines, games and contests (Tropman, 2013). Good listening should be encouraged by making participants aware that every participant’s contribution is important and they should listen keenly without interruption. Purpose and Characteristics of Meetings My fourth objective for this learning contract was to identify the diverse purposes and types of meetings. In addition, I would also learn about the advantages and disadvantages of different team decision making methods. To achieve this learning outcome I undertook research in academic journals, books and the course materials. My pre-test measures were the ability to identify different types and purposes of meeting as well the importance of team decision-making methods (Dwyer, 2012). I found that meeting that some types of meetings include team-building, problem solving, creativity, and decision-making meetings. Meetings purposes include planning, discussion, information, getting feedback, finding solutions, information, getting feedback, policy building, and motivation and generating ideas (Gray, 2015). I also understood how to apply the Tuckman model of team development and maturity, and the Tannenbaun and Schmidt model of team development. Poor Behavior in Meetings My final learning objective was to understand and overcome poor behavior in meetings and promote and develop listening behavior. To achieve this outcome I read about poor meeting behavior in books on meeting and held a face-to-face group discussion with my group members to discover negative meeting behaviors and how to overcome them. My pre-test measures were the identification of poor meeting behaviors and practices to overcome them. In addition, I would seek to learn about good listening and how to promote good listening. Some of the negative behaviors that affect meetings include heckling by individuals who are provocative, argumentative and aggressive (Bleich, 2014). Meeting facilitators should deal with hecklers by remaining calm and finding some agreeable points in the heckler’s argument and then moving on from the debate. Another negative behavior in meeting is overly talkative individuals who can be dealt with by asking for somebody opinion when they break their monologue (Chen et al, 2011). Side conversation also affect meetings and people who engage in side conversation should be dealt with reminding them the purpose of the meeting and drawing back them into the discussion. References Meiring, A. (2015). Just another meeting? Eight steps to an effective meeting. Professional Nursing Today, 19(4), 17-19. Roebuck, D. B., Brock, S. J., &Moodie, D. R. (2004). Using a simulation to explore the challenges of communicating in a virtual team. Business Communication Quarterly, 67, 359-367. Kirkman, B. L., Rosen, B., Tesluk, P. E., & Gibson, C. B. (2004). The impact of team empowerment on virtual team performance: The moderating role of face-to-face interaction. Academy of Management Journal, 47(2), 175-192. Tropman, J. E. (2013). Effective meetings: Improving group decision making (Vol. 17). Sage Publications. Streibel, B. J., &Formisano, R. A. (2003). The manager's guide to effective meetings.mcGrawHill Jennings, M. (2007). Leading effective meetings, teams, and work groups in districts and schools. ASCD. Francisco, J. M. (2007). How to create and facilitate meetings that matter. Information Management, 41(6), 54. World Health Organization. (2014). WHO handbook for guideline development. World Health Organization. Geimer, J. L., Leach, D. J., DeSimone, J. A., Rogelberg, S. G., &Warr, P. B. (2015). Meetings at work: Perceived effectiveness and recommended improvements. Journal of Business Research, 68(9). Gray, J. (2015). Be an effective chair: Tips for managing meetings. Australian Midwifery News, 15(3), 15. Bleich, M. R. (2014). Leading Through Meetings. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(2), 56-57. Harolds, J. A. (2012). Planning and conducting meetings effectively, part II: some component aspects of a meeting. Clinical nuclear medicine, 37(1), 71-73. Certo, S. (2015). Supervision: Concepts and skill-building. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Cohen, M. A., Rogelberg, S. G., Allen, J. A., & Luong, A. (2011). Meeting design characteristics and attendee perceptions of staff/team meeting quality. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 15(1), 90. Beebe, S. A., & Masterson, J. T. (2014). Communicating in small groups: Principles and practices. Pearson Higher Ed. Read More