Meeting Management
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The agenda should be provided to attendees in advance to allow them relevant preparation that possibly would result in a shorter time and more effective meeting. In that step, time and meeting location should be taken into consideration. In that specific case, the material preparation should be started in advance, f.ex. for option 4. All portfolio scenarios need to be prepared and the meeting only should focus on reviewing them and selecting the best possible option. | The agenda should be provided to attendees in advance to allow them relevant preparation that possibly would result in a shorter time and more effective meeting. In that step, time and meeting location should be taken into consideration. In that specific case, the material preparation should be started in advance, f.ex. for option 4. All portfolio scenarios need to be prepared and the meeting only should focus on reviewing them and selecting the best possible option. | ||
==Starting Meeting== | ==Starting Meeting== | ||
| − | + | The meeting should be started on time. However, for a large group, the official start time can include 10-15 minutes time in advance for latecomers. Before the meeting, the most practical roles should be assigned: scribe, timekeeper, and note-taker should be chosen. It is better to make an arrange those roles before starting the meeting to improve their preparation and avoid wasting time. Another step is to present the agenda and basically assure that all in all is understandable and clear. What is more, the ground rule of the meeting should be established. It includes promoting respect, collaboration, and efficiency of all the participants. The facilitator is responsible for initiating the start of the discussion. | |
| + | ==Conducting the Meeting== | ||
| + | When it comes to the main point of problem-solving, decision making, the facilitator is also responsible for guiding attendees through a planned agenda and prevent form delays. In case of delays, it might be recommended to omit some points of agenda and focus on the most important to avoid decreasing engagement that is aligned with the time. Moreover, the most relevant and demanding part - the discussion, should follow with an opening, managing participation, keeping the discussion focused and closing the discussion. Obviously, in real life, not everything goes with the plan. The discussion might generate more issues, but the facilitator is own the final decision if the discussion should be concerned or not. | ||
| + | ==Closing the Meeting== | ||
| + | When the time arrives is almost up, or when the meeting objectives are obtained, the meeting should be closed. In case if the decision is not made and the problem is not solved, another meeting can be planned. In this special case, to make the final decision exists three possibilities: | ||
| + | *Voting by majority or plurality | ||
| + | *Consensus-cooperative development of decision which is approved by all groups members | ||
| + | *Delegation, where the selected attendees make the final decision. | ||
=Steps for conducting meetings= | =Steps for conducting meetings= | ||
Revision as of 19:29, 22 February 2019
Contents |
Abstract
Meetings play a significant role in existing and upcoming projects. They are one of the main keys for group decision making, communications and problem-solving.
Multitudinous variables answerable exist for creating profitable and productive meetings where the decisive key is positive collaboration towards action.
The first part is mainly directed for management portfolio review meetings which are considered as overwhelming, time-consuming and unproductive[1].
In conjunction with the need for the portfolio review meetings, the four types of meetings are mentioned to determine the format and urgency of the assemble.
The second part briefly describes all steps that assure constructing well-organized meeting, from preparing, starting through conducting, closing the meeting until following up after. The conducting part is extended with the several tools and techniques (displayed thinking, affinity diagram, PMI etc.) which enable engagement of employees and lead to effective problem-solving. The explanation of the usage of the tools and techniques, as well as when it is appropriate to use them, is mentioned.
Finally, the financial investment in meetings is considered and the three-stage model is presented to approach for maximizing the potential of meetings.[2].
Portfolio Review Meetings
The management of meetings is an effortful and challenging process, especially for portfolio reviews What is more it is undeniable that portfolio review meetings are overwhelming, overdue and oftentimes unproductive.
Therefore, selecting appropriate existing options aligned with meeting procedure and presented techniques allows performing this sort of assembly more efficiently and effectively.
Firstly, it is worth to mention that different kinds of organizations have a different point of view for what purpose the meeting is organized. For some, the main plan is to review the project status of all existing projects in the portfolio, whereas for some the objective is to evaluate each project to update the priorities and procedures. Keeping in mind this information, the four different options for conducting the meeting are proposed[1].
Option 1 is intended to review all in-flight projects, their priorities, key values, and status. The options are mostly recommended inside the organization where the balance between all the projects has remained and no action is required.
Option 2 is meant to review only projects in the portfolio with high-risk value. It allows detecting possible emergency and uncertainty, therefore enables the change of priorities in certain projects before the failure comes.
Option 3 is based on reviewing all projects in the portfolio with high-level quality to update all the project priorities.
Option 4 is found on reviewing portfolio scenarios that are accurate to the current business needs to be followed, and therefore the selection of the most recommended and valuable portfolio scenario for the organization[1].
The final decision of the selected options belongs to the main owner of the portfolio. However, it is asserted that option 4 seems to be the most convenient approach for conducting portfolio meetings. Instead of misusing the focus on individual projects, the governance team reviewing the portfolio scenarios previously compiled by the portfolio team. Different scenarios support different goals that play a crucial role in the current business.
With the following scenarios, the meeting can be performed more efficiently and making the decision is predicted to be less time consuming and profitable.
The range of portfolio scenarios presented in the meeting should include[[3]:
- Growth Scenario,
- Customer Growth Scenario,
- Market Growth Scenario,
- Reduced R&D Spend Scenario,
- Balanced Portfolio Scenario.
Steps for conducting the meeting
Meetings are not the one stage activity. The well-organized effective meeting includes the four other steps that should be performed, from preparing, starting through conducting, closing the meeting and follow up after. However, the rest of the steps is often neglected or treated as less important, while they play the main key for the effectiveness.
Meeting Preparation
Preparing is the decisive element of effective meeting performance. More time reserved for preparation decreases both: the time spent and the time wasted during the meeting. However, before organizing the meeting, the simple question has to be asked: is the meeting needed? In that specific case, it is obviously clear that all projects need to be updated. (By canceling the unnecessary assemblies, the employees should be informed that their time is valuable. Therefore, the meeting should be considered only if the group interaction is required to solve the problem or make the decision.) To summarize, the final goal or purpose of the meeting need to be defined. After the decision of making the meeting is made proper attendees should be invited. Then the preparation of agenda should be developed. The main objective of the agenda should direct the point of the whole assembly. If the agenda is not clearly constructed, or the organizer is not totally certain, virtual brainstorming is recommended in order to cover all the possible considerations. The agenda should be provided to attendees in advance to allow them relevant preparation that possibly would result in a shorter time and more effective meeting. In that step, time and meeting location should be taken into consideration. In that specific case, the material preparation should be started in advance, f.ex. for option 4. All portfolio scenarios need to be prepared and the meeting only should focus on reviewing them and selecting the best possible option.
Starting Meeting
The meeting should be started on time. However, for a large group, the official start time can include 10-15 minutes time in advance for latecomers. Before the meeting, the most practical roles should be assigned: scribe, timekeeper, and note-taker should be chosen. It is better to make an arrange those roles before starting the meeting to improve their preparation and avoid wasting time. Another step is to present the agenda and basically assure that all in all is understandable and clear. What is more, the ground rule of the meeting should be established. It includes promoting respect, collaboration, and efficiency of all the participants. The facilitator is responsible for initiating the start of the discussion.
Conducting the Meeting
When it comes to the main point of problem-solving, decision making, the facilitator is also responsible for guiding attendees through a planned agenda and prevent form delays. In case of delays, it might be recommended to omit some points of agenda and focus on the most important to avoid decreasing engagement that is aligned with the time. Moreover, the most relevant and demanding part - the discussion, should follow with an opening, managing participation, keeping the discussion focused and closing the discussion. Obviously, in real life, not everything goes with the plan. The discussion might generate more issues, but the facilitator is own the final decision if the discussion should be concerned or not.
Closing the Meeting
When the time arrives is almost up, or when the meeting objectives are obtained, the meeting should be closed. In case if the decision is not made and the problem is not solved, another meeting can be planned. In this special case, to make the final decision exists three possibilities:
- Voting by majority or plurality
- Consensus-cooperative development of decision which is approved by all groups members
- Delegation, where the selected attendees make the final decision.
Steps for conducting meetings
Techniques and tools
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 T.Washington, Portfolio Review Meetings, d. 19. February 2019 from http://ppmexecution.com/portfolio-review-meetings/
- ↑ Steven G. Rogelberg, Linda Rhoades Shanock, and Cliff W. Scott, Wasted Time and Money in Meetings: Increasing Return on Investment, Small Group Research, 2012.
- ↑ J.Goorden, Stop those executive three-day full portfolio review meetings, d. 18. February 2019 from https://flightmap.wordpress.com/
