attending a meeting
DESCRIPTION
Brief introduction to being an effective meeting participant.TRANSCRIPT
1Attending A Meeting
By Peter Lindsay
Meeting BasicsAttending A Meeting
2Attending A Meeting
Be on-time
Turn up early enough that you are sat down and ready to begin the meeting at the published start time.
A good meeting will start on-time and you risk looking unprofessional if you walk in late.
3Attending A Meeting
No mobile phones
No calls. No SMS. No blackberries. If your job requires (does it really? really?) you to be contactable then put your phone / blackberry on vibrate and leave the room to take calls / send messages that you absolutely have to.
4Attending A Meeting
No mobile phones
The meeting should have 100% of your attention both in order to make sure that the meeting is effective and as a courtesy to the other meeting attendees.
5Attending A Meeting
Come prepared
Bring a pen and paper or a notebook to make notes with.
Bring any other documentation you are likely to need.
6Attending A Meeting
Come prepared
Understand the meeting’s purpose, whether it is to present information, gather feedback on a range of topics or to make decisions on next actions.
7Attending A Meeting
Come prepared
Understand also how you are expected to contribute to the meeting:• present an agenda item,• brainstorm ideas,• make notes & pass information on.
8Attending A Meeting
Listen
Actively listen to what everyone has to say, that means that you are listening to what is being said, not thinking about what you are going to say next.
9Attending A Meeting
Listen
Do not interrupt others. If you want to disagree (constructively) do so with courtesy, avoid emotional responses, these are ineffective, stick to the facts.
10Attending A Meeting
Discuss
If something has been tabled at a meeting, it’s because the person who brought it to the table expects it to be discussed. So discuss, question, challenge constructively the idea that’s being presented.
11Attending A Meeting
Discuss
You have been invited to this meeting because the meeting organiser thinks that you have something to contribute, prove them right.
12Attending A Meeting
Take effective notes
Take notes using pen and paper, no laptops or palm-tops. Do not try to record everything that is said, stick to Who is going to do What by When, at the very least for your own actions.
13Attending A Meeting
Take effective notes
Make sure you also record any information that you will need to pass on to other people e.g. your team. You may wish to develop your own system for taking notes to speed this process up.
14Attending A Meeting
Make it effective
Stay on topic and ensure that the other attendees of the meeting do so, contribute to discussion where it is relevant to the purpose of your meeting.
15Attending A Meeting
Make it effective
Help the facilitator by being aware of the time limits for each agenda item. Follow these simple meeting rules and make sure everyone else does to.
16Attending A Meeting
Make it effective
Remember that you are meeting for a purpose and that your actions in the meeting should be working towards that purpose.
17Attending A Meeting
Attending a meeting
Be on-time
No mobile phones
Come prepared
Listen
Discuss
Take effective notes
Make it effective