Hi People
I work mainly in the healthcare sector and want to link a group of people who 'never have time' together on a telephone once every couple of weeks for about 45 mins-1 hour. I have a potential company in mind for this but am looking for anything as regards guidelines or relevant articles ....groundrules? for acting as a facilitator or being part of the group using this method of networking. What are the likely banana skins? I consider myself to be a reasonably skilled group faciliator in face to face encounters but not on the telephone. Many thanks
john driscoll
One Response
Telephone networking/supervision
John,
We have used teleconferencing for the same reasons. It is not ideal but it is better than nothing. One great advantage is that it can clarify people’s stance on issues.
There must be one facilitator who
States the purpose of the meeting
Refers and sticks to the stated agenda
Discuss what is appropriate to discuss and be prepared to halt discussions if things turn nasty
Is prepared to ask questions of all participants, not just the loudest
Defers topics that obviously need more information gathered
Start and end the meeting strictly on time and ‘controls the crowd’
Ground Rules
Introduce everyone first with their full name and title
Have a contingency plan if anyone is disconnected.
No one speaks without mentioning his or her name first: E.g. “John from Midlands speaking…I think that…”
Suggest that each person takes the call in a room free of distractions and noises
Send out an Agenda one week in advance and state an exact starting time and finishing time
Allow people reasonable time to prepare for the discussion
If possible send out necessary reading before the conference
Nominate a meeting taker who does not have a vested interest in the discussion (Their notes tend to be unbiased)
Always follow up the conference by sending out minutes from the meeting
Banana Skins
(Some are obvious items but seem to become exaggerated when listening over the phone)
People mute their phone and hold personal ‘sub-discussions’ during the session
Cannot judge facial expressions
Phone disconnections
People who take the call outdoors. Unfortunately, you get to hear everything that is going on in the background as they speak
People read emails and SMSs during the session
People who have an ‘axe to grind’
People who want to humiliate others publicly
Recently we held an hour’s teleconference about an ongoing project. It was the first time that all stakeholders were involved. The facilitator followed the above guidelines and the outcomes where reasonable and positive.
Hope this helps.
Paul