Many people believe that they conduct effective meetings, when all they really do is host a party. Or worse, they deliver a monologue. In either case, their meetings produce little.
Monsters in Meetings – How to Manage Unproductive Behavior
It happens easily. You’re conducting a meeting and suddenly a small side meeting starts. Then someone introduces an unrelated issue. Someone else ridicules the new issue. Everyone laughs, except the person who mentioned the idea. Then someone insults the person who told the joke. Two people stand up and walk out. Others complain that the meeting is a waste of time.
Monsters in Meetings – Deadlocked Discussions
You thought you had an effective meeting until one participant disagreed with everyone else. Then others took sides. Now the meeting is deadlocked. Here’s what to do.
Monsters in Meetings – Personal Attacks
Personal attacks hurt people, mar communication, and end creativity. If they become part of a meeting’s culture, they drive the participants into making safe and perhaps useless contributions.
Ten Tips for Effective Meetings
Here are ten things that you can do to hold more effective meetings.
Monsters in Meetings – Dominant Participants
While dominant participants contribute significantly to the success of a meeting, they can also overwhelm, intimidate, and exclude others. Thus, you want to control their energy without losing their support.
Monsters in Meetings – Drifting From the Topic
Although new ideas lead to creative solutions, they can be a challenge when they interrupt or distract the work on an issue.
Monsters in Meetings – Quiet Participants
There are many reasons why someone would decline to participate during a meeting. For example, the person may feel reluctant to speak out, may disagree with the approach endorsed by others in the meeting, or may just be tired.
Effective Meetings Begin With a Real Agenda
Everyone knows that an agenda is the key to an effective meeting. But an agenda that consists of a list of nouns, such as budget, software, and picnic, is useless. Here’s how to prepare a real agenda that puts you in control of the meeting.
7 Myths That Make Meetings Miserable
You can hold effective meetings and become a more successful leader if you avoid these seven monsters. Here’s how.