manager's job

   What happens in a meeting can be a symptom or reflection of an organization's

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culture. Meetings are an opportunity to observe and model many aspects of culture.

 

Improve the function of a meeting and it will probably improve its function outside of it.

 

The principles apply to individual and group meetings. What happens in a regular

 

meeting within an organization is the most obvious reflection of its culture and the best

 

way to influence it. There are many factors other than the format of a meeting that will

 

contribute to a productive meeting. However, a good format certainly helps and a poor

 

one will not.

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   An appropriate format can enable challenging issues to be worked on more

 

effectively and reduce the likelihood of conflict. It provides a model of working together

 

that will have many benefits outside of the meeting, such as providing an opportunity

 

to provide a model for how meetings and relationships are managed. The absence of

 

playfulness in any institution is almost always a clue to the degree of its emotional

 

regression. This is true whether we are talking about the discoveries of an infant who

 

explores from the safety of a mother's secure base or those of the great explorers in

 

'the age of discovery'.

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   The same can be said about the world of work and what happens in meetings. If a

 

meeting is not a place for potential learning, where something new might emerge,

 

information can just be sent by email, for example. To maximize the time and effort

 

invested in a meeting process this article outlines the basic requirements. It is

 

surprising how often the purpose of a meeting gets lost over time or was never clear,

 

to begin with. A meeting may become a refuge and escape from the work, rather than

 

a place where difficult matters can be thought about. Many organizations are prone to

 

developing new meetings after another but not giving up existing ones.

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   Meetings should mainly be for discussing significant matters that need to be done in

 

person. Periodically the meeting should review whether the purpose continues to be

 

relevant. Also, as we have learned, many meetings can work well online - saving time

 

and expense of travel. It is important to be clear about what a meeting's chair is and

 

what its role is. This is vital to help ensure an effective planned meeting. In some

 

meetings, the chair may be permanent, such as a board meeting; in others, the role

 

may be time-limited, like a board meeting.

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   An unclear definition of meeting task with unclear authority is a recipe for disaster.

 

The chair needs to be clear of his/her responsibilities and authority - related to the

 

meeting itself and each attendee. Requests for absence or partial attendance should

 

be discussed with the chair in advance. How frequent is the meeting and what time

 

does it start and finish? Sometimes these boundaries are established by organization

 

policy and the chair's role is to manage expectations. The chair may allocate someone

 

the role of timekeeper to help keep an agenda item on-time or in advance. It needs to

 

be clear what the expectation is if an attendee is late for a meeting. Avoid cancellations

 

and time changes as far as possible. Regular unplanned changes undermine

 

confidence, safety, and trust.

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   If a meeting must be changed or cancelled give attendees as much advance notice as

 

you can. Establishing the meeting ground rules – what can be discussed in and out of

 

the meeting? Ensuring that any rules of engagement are clear, such as being respectful.

 

Details such as whether mobile phones are switched off are important to ensure a

 

positive working environment. Friedman states that what counts is the leader's

 

presence and being, not technique and know-how. A self-differentiated person can be

 

separate from others while remaining connected. The chair must actively relate well to

 

others but remain calm and non-reactive to be affective.

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Work Cited

Tomlinson, Patrick. “A Simple and Practical Format for Effective Meetings.” Patrick Tomlinson Associates: Developing People and Organizations. June 2020. pp 1-9. www.patricktomlinson.com