I think you are right here. Eighteen seems like a lot. I think, however, it depends on the creativity of the minds present. If you have, say, six highly creative people, you might get more done that with 18 who are less so. It's important that everyone gets to give input and share their ideas. The more present, the higher probability that someone will ridicule or criticize someone's idea. Once this happens, participants tend to shut down, fearing more ridicule. A good moderator, or leader, can help to overcome this by drawing out the reticent and toning down the dominant, but it can be difficult.
The best meetings I ever attended were held by a CEO in a company that was struggling. He had an agenda, and each department was to report progress on their action plans. If someone was not prepared, he moved on and the member was embarrassed. If someone mentioned an issue that was causing a roadblock, he addressed it then and there. Of course, these meetings were effective because he was the CEO (and a forceful one at that). He was clear in publishing the agenda and laying out the ground rules. Believe me, no one wanted to be embarrassed at those meetings.
The worst meetings were ones I tried to hold when someone would come to the meeting with their own agenda, interrupting the flow by bringing up issues not related to the objectives of the meeting. When I refused to acknowledge their issues, they would become emotional, walk out, have something to say about my ancestry, and slam the door. Needless to say, we failed to accomplish all objectives when key people refuse to participate.
Joseph,
We all need to model appropriate behaviour and expect the same from all involved. As a leader there would be zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviour of any participants. Great brainstorming sessions can be destroyed by a sabatour.
Joseph,
People often have their own agenda but can communicate it in a professional manner. The real problem employees are the one's with an agenda and are obnoxious about their personal opinions. This is not allowed or tolerated. Again, this needs to be addressed before the meeting begins with the rules of the communication in the meeting.
I find that larger meetings may be better for brain storming ideas but doesnt work as well if you are looking for actual solutions.
Carlos,
During my experience with doing teacher negotiations we had large groups but there were very well defined rules of engagement during the process. It sllowed for all concerned to express themselves So much on what we do and how successful it can be depends on the purpose and expected outcomes to well spelled out.
I have had the same experience when I was not fully prepared, Daniel. I find that I actually look forward to the meeting and offer a much higher level of enthusiasm when I am well prepared. When I am not, or I am unsure of how the meeting will go, not so much. Preparation is key to a successful meeting I think, regardless of whether you are a member or a participant.
Joseph,
You are definitely on the right path. Organization and being prepared is the formula for success. The ideal situation is to make it a babit by regular practice
I found that along with a well planned agenda and ground rules, with a brain storming session, the flip chart is KING. I stand up and have to kick up my energy into high gear. Sometimes I have to enlist others in capturing all the ideas and to keep us on track. You have to keep side bars from happening and keep people from talking over each other. When it gets quiet, I start throwing out ideas myself. I also try to communicate to the group to think of any idea that pops into their heads.. Sometimes the ideas are off the wall, but with a lot of options and different ideas, we are bound to find diamonds!
Holly,
Brain storming sessions can be very helpful in getting ownership from your group with the goals and mission of the task at hand. There are many forms of brain storming methods but the most important part is to get everyone to take part in the session. No ideas are forbidden.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Our meetings are pretty right on with the time frames given. Our meeting facilitators are good at keeping us on track as we normally get off track because we get antsy as a group. There are always a couple of people who don't like to let a topic go or who don't listen and we have to listen to the information several times.
Lisa,
Knowing your audience is important. When setting a meeting agenda it is important everyone understands the expectations. Keep to the topic and allow for only discussion germane to the topic.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I think the hardest part is keeping the meeting informative and positive. Often meetings start out great but some of that positive energy is lost by the end. Especially if it is a long meeting. It is hard to maintaint the right energy throughout an entire meeting.
Tyson,
A good leader of a meeting knows when a topic has been discussed long enough The point of an agenda is to guide the participants to conclusions. Each agenda item has alternatives and expectations. We should work towards these goals.
Dr. Gary Carlson
I ve been in meetings where they ask about our opinions and do what they originally wanted. It really hurt morale. Ive also been in meetings where our voice was heard which created a vibe of empowerment.
benny,
Knowing the expectations of the company and allowing input gives each employee ownership in the expectation. Your observations are correct and a leader will create an environment that is conducive to ownership.
Dr. Gary Carlson
When dealing with education within a restaurant setting, there are varied situations that need to be addressed continuously. Regular biweekly meetings are a necessity in our field. There are too many individuals who need to colaborate to produce a final project. We are looking at 17 who need to be on the same page at all times. The key is to ask for topics to be addressed in advance. These topics are then set within an agenda and distributed to the all invitees for their review prior to the meeting. This facilitates the meetings and we are usually able to complete the meeting within 1- 1 1/2 hours. When meetings go awry, it is usually due to a difference in opinion between two opposing groups that seems irreconcilable. At this time we take a break and unofficially discuss their differences over a beverage. This usually allows a realization of both groups and an agreement is reached. At that time the meeting resumes.
I enjoyed this course and find that many of my practices over the years were addressed here.
Bill,
Providing for your participants and opportunity to discuss issues outside of the official meeting is used as ad hoc committee. It is best to put opposing parties on the same ad hoc group. It is important that the committee understands their expectations. When they return to the official meeting a spokes person will report to the full meeting group. Most of the time for ad hoc committees you would give them some time to meet and come back to the next scheduled full meeting to report. This gives them more time to come up with the solution that is well thought out.
Dr. Gary Carlson
It helps to have an appropriate number of items on an agenda to ensure the meeting goes as planned. With too many items, discussions can get cut off short, people can feel rushed to make decisions, and topics may not get fully explored, and the meeting objectives may not get met. Also, meeting preparation and organization is huge to ensure a meeting progresses as scheduled, setting up the room before hand, making necessary copies of handouts for meeting attendees, testing technology beforehand and having a backup for when it fails. I also like discussing light items first to get everyone into the groove of the meeting. This is also beneficial if there are any latecomers.
Meetings can go off track for many reasons and fortunately I haven't been a part of too many of these types of meetings. However, one meeting that I can think of that didn't go as planned is one when there were too many items on the agenda. Discussions were rushed and not all items were covered, therefore not all meeting objectives were met. To avoid this in the future, we have decided that those particular meetings will either need to be longer (to accommodate for the numerous discussions that need to take place) or less items will make it on the agenda.
Fiona,
Just a word to the wise is items then go longer than expected may require another meeting finishing up and focusing on their item alone.
Dr. Gary Carlson
