Management Communications
4 October 2008
Effectively preparing and facilitating a meeting
Have you ever been told you need to conduct a meeting? As fear washes through you and your palms become sweaty, you realize you have no idea what to do or even what to expect. We are going to discuss each step needed to effectively conduct and facilitate a productive meeting, without getting off topic or having a disruptive meeting.
Consider this, “Meetings are a great trap. Soon you find yourself trying to get agreement and then the people who disagree come to think they have a right to be persuaded…However they are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything” (Galbraith 2). Ambassador Galbraith has a point in that we try to persuade at every meeting where we may not need to, in order to come to a consensus.
How to prepare and set up for the meeting – First, lets clarify the meeting’s goals. It is critical that the organizer and key leaders have clear meeting goals in mind. Without them, it is difficult to figure out an agenda and hard to know who should attend. Every meeting should have concrete, realistic, and measurable goals of things you want to accomplish. Because most of your meetings, especially internal ones, should be used to plan action, make decisions, and build the organization, your goals should centered on these things. Once the goal is decided, set the time and place for the meeting. The choice of meeting site will affect who comes to a meeting. Is it a place with which people are familiar and comfortable? Is the meeting site accessible for those you are trying to reach? Make sure that the room is accessible for disabled and elderly people. Central location is import and accessibility by public transportation may also be impor ...