Chairing a meeting
Contents |
Abstract
In project management, an important but often neglected skill, is chairing an effective meeting. Having ineffective meetings is a waste of organizational resources and can also lead to the wrong decisions being made. As a project manager, or the person chairing the meeting, it is important to note that doing a good job starts before the meeting itself. This starts with determining the 5 W's: who (should be a the meeting), what (should be discussed at the meeting), when (should be meeting be), where (is the meeting held) and why (are we having this meeting). During the meeting the focus is on making sure the meeting proceeds as expected. This includes following the agenda, making sure that sufficient discussion is allowed for each item, without also spending too much time either. It is also important that every person at the meeting gets a chance to state their opinion, so no person feels they are left outside the decisions. The work of the project manager is not done when the meeting concludes. After the meeting the project manager has to make sure that the decisions taken in the meeting are actually carried out after the meeting. This also includes following up on tasks given to specific persons in the meeting and ensuring they are done as planned.
Contents of article:
- Short explanation of the relevancy
- What to do before the meeting
- What to do during the meeting
- What to do after the meeting
- Mistakes to avoid
Key references:
https://emj-bmj-com.proxy.findit.dtu.dk/content/14/2/119
https://www-tandfonline-com.proxy.findit.dtu.dk/doi/pdf/10.3109/01421598909146275?needAccess=true
https://www.targettraining.eu/the-why-when-where-who-what-and-how-of-the-meeting-agenda/
The Essential Managers Handbook
https://www.lifesize.com/en/video-conferencing-blog/types-of-business-meetings
No More Muddling Through Mastering Complex Projects in Engineering and Management
Portfolio Management: The standard for portfolio management
Program Management: The standard for program management
PMI Standard for Risk Management
Big Idea
When managing a project, portfolio or program, an essential requirement is communicating with relevant people. As a project manager it is important to make sure the projects become a succes through effective and efficient management. In order to make sure that the project is moving forward according to the planned schedule it is necessary for the people executing the project to know when and what they have to do. To do this many project managers use meetings as a tool to inform multiple members of the team at once, while also getting updates from the same members if things are not going to plan. However, if the meetings are not used properly by the project manager, they can be a waste of time and company resources and ultimately delay the project finish date as well as exceeding the expenses. While a project manager might have a focus on the larger aspects of the project, small things like having timely meetings and also not wasting time on meetings are essential for the big time schedules to go as planned. According to a 2012 survey done by the site salary.com, the number one reason for employees wasting time on work, was ineffective meetings. [1]. The same result was found in the 2013 study. [2]
While it might seem obvious that having good meeting practices will help the project forward, it is not always the case that companies follow that. Most people working have at some point or another complained that they are having too many meetings, that interrupt their work, while also complaining if they don't have enough information through meetings and feeling left in the dark. Good meeting practices is also something that is often not noticed when it works as it is supposed to, but when it does not work it creates a variety of problems.
This article will examine some of the good practices associated with chairing a meeting, but also the tasks to be done ahead of a meeting as well as how to proceed after the meeting has concluded. Most of the focus will though be on the things to do before and during the meeting since it has the most direct effect on the meeting. But without doing the proper work after the meeting, the meeting can become less valuable so that part will also be covered.
For this specific wiki article the perspective of a project manager is used, however many of the things explained here can also be attributed to managing a portfolio or a program.
Application
-- Before meeting -- 5 w's (why, who, when, where, what) Maybe how
- Set the agenda
- Call the meeting
-- During the meeting -- - Pick a secretary to write minutes
- Make sure that proper time is allocated for each item
- Make sure everyone are heard
-- After the meeting --
- Make sure that the responsibilities and duties assigned during the meeting is carried out
- Consider when the next meeting should be
Limitations
- Every organisation is different
- Different fields require different meeting type
- Sometimes meetings doesn't go as planned
