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How to run a meeting (1976)

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Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#31

Post by teekert »

lh7 wrote: post #20
hkon wrote: post #17

How meetings are run: 1) Wait 5 to 10 minutes for everyone to join 2) Spend additional 5 minutes getting your computer hooked into the projector and shared with remote participants 3) Read through your powerpoint 4) Ask for feedback. Receive comments about your choice of font for the powerpoint. 5) Thank everyone for the meeting and head to the next one.

> Receive comments about your choice of font for the powerpoint. That would be 2.5, they will be unsolicited, and yes, your font really is too small. 2.6 is where you spend another five minutes faffing about with the font size until everyone is happy. (which is why I rarely use slides and even more rarely put any text in them) (but if you're demoing anything on a computer screen, the same applies)

You also forgot to label your axes and you have to discuss the points that were decided on last time, but not everyone agreed with!

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#32

Post by slgeorge »

cgio wrote: post #19

My take: 0) invite the right people 1) send all relevant reading material 2 days before meeting 2) have an agenda for the meeting - in the invitation 3) agree who runs the meeting 4) follow the agenda, keep a log of issues that hijack the discussion but leave it at that and keep on with the subject 5) document decisions 6) send email with decisions/actions Not that complex. I run meetings quite often, and they always…

Yeah, I think "send all the relevant reading materials before hand" is great, and I'd add "and make sure everyone reads them" which is a cultural thing.

Another great one is to differentiate between items which are 'for decision' and those that are 'for discussion' - it sets expectations. If something is 'for decision' then the max-4-sides reading materials should cover all aspects (pros/cons) and it should be possible to make a decision from the materials.

If something is 'for discussion' then the meeting is going to contribute to the reading materials so there will be missing parts, or perhaps controversies that need to be hammered out in the meeting.

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#33

Post by ThomPete »

zeveb wrote: post #27
ThomPete wrote: post #22

I avoid meetings like the plague. Even when I was running a company with 80 people I would ask if I was necessary or my input was necessary. If not I wouldn't accept. Meetings are like teamwork trips. They are the illusion of progress. There are situations where they are necessary but nothing beat ongoing discussions around actual work.

Did you read the full article? Meetings are where a group comes together and adds to its knowledge as a group. Nowadays we have things like IRC, which lets us do a lot remotely, but there's nothing like sitting in a room with other people to examine an issue. Poorly-run meetings give the illusion of progress, but I posit that well-run meetings are actually a good thing. They shouldn't be gab-fests; they should be int…

Yes i did and i dont agree with that description of meetings in reality. Nothing beats working side by side, but meetings is not working side by side its mostly talking about things which could be communicated in a mail.

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#34

Post by jermaustin1 »

carlisle_ wrote: post #14
irontoby wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Time Boxed" needs to mean boxed on both ends . If a meeting is scheduled to start at 2:00, it starts at 2:00. Not 2:05, not when the last person wanders in, and not when the organizer figures out how to run the projector. The implied task there is that any setup should be done prior to the start time. Nothing is more frustrating than company cultures which allow the "meetings never start on time, so I'll show up lat…

This is a much more difficult problem at large companies where meeting rooms can be a scarce resource, and other meetings that run long can negatively impact yours. Having a plan for the meeting and having everybody trying to keep the meeting short helps a lot. I think if you're in a place where you need to write ground rules for meeting there's a larger cultural problem that needs to be addressed.

I couldn't agree more. At my company, we have a few thousand employees spread across 2 main locations in the same city and 25 smaller offices. BUT we only have 12 full sized conference rooms and 4 that only seat 5. So we end up scheduling meetings more around conference room availability than person availability, and then we have people having to walk/bike/cab/uber a mile (or more) from another location to get to this meeting on time.

Scheduling meetings around employees (especially management), vendors and conference rooms is one of the biggest challenges we face for meeting times.

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#35

Post by JoeAltmaier »

jermaustin1 wrote: post #34
carlisle_ wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a much more difficult problem at large companies where meeting rooms can be a scarce resource, and other meetings that run long can negatively impact yours. Having a plan for the meeting and having everybody trying to keep the meeting short helps a lot. I think if you're in a place where you need to write ground rules for meeting there's a larger cultural problem that needs to be addressed.

I couldn't agree more. At my company, we have a few thousand employees spread across 2 main locations in the same city and 25 smaller offices. BUT we only have 12 full sized conference rooms and 4 that only seat 5. So we end up scheduling meetings more around conference room availability than person availability, and then we have people having to walk/bike/cab/uber a mile (or more) from another location to get to thi…

Try Sococo - virtual conference rooms. I swear, its better than everybody sitting in a physical room. You can see, hear, share docs, chat, form subgroups and regroup fluidly.

Caveat: I own stock (used to work there)

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#36

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

ThomPete wrote: post #22

I avoid meetings like the plague. Even when I was running a company with 80 people I would ask if I was necessary or my input was necessary. If not I wouldn't accept. Meetings are like teamwork trips. They are the illusion of progress. There are situations where they are necessary but nothing beat ongoing discussions around actual work.

I've always thought that the most valuable thing I taught my reports was to not accept meeting invitations by default.

Ask: 1) What's the agenda?

2) I don't see why I need to be there. Do you really need me?

3) If there isn't a solid YES to (2), then answer "I'll keep that time open. Call me if something comes up that needs my input."

It's amazing how many unnecessary people are invited to meetings under the guise of "he may be interested/have input."

Respect people's time and don't waste it!

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#37

Post by drdeadringer »

slgeorge wrote: post #32
cgio wrote: post #19

My take: 0) invite the right people 1) send all relevant reading material 2 days before meeting 2) have an agenda for the meeting - in the invitation 3) agree who runs the meeting 4) follow the agenda, keep a log of issues that hijack the discussion but leave it at that and keep on with the subject 5) document decisions 6) send email with decisions/actions Not that complex. I run meetings quite often, and they always…

Yeah, I think "send all the relevant reading materials before hand" is great, and I'd add "and make sure everyone reads them" which is a cultural thing. Another great one is to differentiate between items which are 'for decision' and those that are 'for discussion' - it sets expectations. If something is 'for decision' then the max-4-sides reading materials should cover all aspects (pros/cons) and it should be possib…

How does one "make sure everyone reads" the material? Issuing a pop quiz is popular amongst only school teachers.

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#38

Post by walshemj »

pjscott wrote: post #21
jgamman wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i don't think it's old as in not referenced anymore - i seem to recall the US Senate uses it as their rule book? or Heinlein sent me wrong...

Old as in "published in 1876". It's still widely used. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_authority

And in the UK there is Citrines ABC of Chairmanship which plays a similar role.

Unfortunetly both the UK and the USA executives "get up to naughty shit" as a MP (EX Whip and a candidate for the speaker ) said to me once in the bar at conference :-)

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#39

Post by walshemj »

zeveb wrote: post #28
ap22213 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It'd be hilarious if one of my co-workers tried to break out the ole Roberts Rules at a typical meeting.... Meetings are bad enough.

That's the thing — the rules of order are intended to make meetings function smoothly, even when the attendees hate one another. And the rules themselves anticipate that not every meeting needs to use every rule. The basic ideas are good ones (e.g. record minutes of the meeting or the chairman should run the meeting but not take sides).

Maybe he should you need a chair who will to take a stand and enforce the rules.

Re: How to run a meeting (1976)

#40

Post by jermaustin1 »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #35
jermaustin1 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I couldn't agree more. At my company, we have a few thousand employees spread across 2 main locations in the same city and 25 smaller offices. BUT we only have 12 full sized conference rooms and 4 that only seat 5. So we end up scheduling meetings more around conference room availability than person availability, and then we have people having to walk/bike/cab/uber a mile (or more) from another location to get to thi…

Try Sococo - virtual conference rooms. I swear, its better than everybody sitting in a physical room. You can see, hear, share docs, chat, form subgroups and regroup fluidly. Caveat: I own stock (used to work there)

We have this through various other tools, but it will never kill off the need for face to face communications. Drawing on the white board, throwing markers at each other, two people presenting ideas at the same time.

This is especially difficult during technical integration meetings, where you are tossing around ideas left and right.

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