Training for running effective meetings

3 Responses

1. Hats?
   You could maybe do something with de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats. You’ll need some coloured hats, of course (baseball caps?).See:

   http://www.edwdebono.com/cavendish/pdebsh.htm

   Make sure people are required to swap hats: eg the optimist needs to swap roles with the critic after a time, etc.

2. Web Sites
   Some of these web sites might be useful:

   http://www.effectivemeetings.com

   http://www.meetings.sunet.se/background/meeting.html

   http://www.meetingwizard.org

   http://www.hightechcareers.com/docs/effective.html

   http://www.dia.govt.nz/businesses/cdg/e_1.html

3. Run a Simulated Meeting
   I get the delegates to suggest one agenda item each from their own job situation (you need about 4 or 5 in total). They write it out on a proforma, avoiding jargon, along with the outcome they want to achieve (eg, a decision).

   We then run a meeting of a mythical General Purposes Committee or some such. If it’s for minute takers, I chair the meeting; if it’s about Chairmanship, a different delegate chairs the meeting for each item. Each delegate introduces his/her own topic, as a meeting member; we discuss it and (hopefully) reach a decision or action point. The other delegates take notes as if they were the secretary.

   After the ‘meeting’ they work in pairs or threes to produce minutes of one item, which we then discuss in the group.

   I have a handout if anyone wants a copy – e-mail dskinner@garsdale.freeserve.co.uk