MODULE ONE: EFFECTIVE MEETING MINUTES

Audio Script:


HOW TO RUN A MEETING

Hello and welcome to the Video Jug!

Meeting can be incredibly productive way of making decisions, planning for the future or communicating to a group of people at once. We took this advice from Sean McFeast on m-t-d.com.uk to show you how to run an effective meeting.

STEP 1: PREPARATION

First, establish why you need to hold a meeting? what is your aim? what you need the meeting to achieve?

Make a list of targets for the meeting and write an agenda of items you need to tackle during your time together. It's good

idea to send this out to your colleagues before hand so that they know what to expect.

STEP 2: A FACILITATOR

An effective meeting needs someone to act as referee. They are there to keep the meeting on track and to make sure everyone

sticking to the agenda. Ideally, they should be impartial. If they can't be used broking colleagues, they could be anyone.

STEP 3: ROOM LAYOUT

Make sure everyone can see everyone else and choose a layout that doesn't reinforce hierarchy. Everyone should feel being able to speak freely. A U-shape arrangement is perfect with a facilitator as a gap in the U.

STEP 4: TIMING


If you schedule your meeting to begin on-the-hours, the chances are people will drift in, grab a coffee, have a chat, eat biscuits, campare plans for the weekend and generally, bunk off for at least 10 minutes before you're able to begin.

Instead, schedule it for off-hour times, set 10 past instead of 2 o'clock. This simple psychological treat will encourage punctuality and means you can start on time. You should also have enforced cut-of-points to close the meeting. This will reduce dithering and keeping you on track.

STEP 5: ICEBREAKER

If some members of the group haven't met, run through simple group introduction, go around the group and get people to introduce themselves with who they are, what they do, and something silly to help break the ice. Embarassing stories are always good for this; get everyone to say the first record that they've bought or their favorit pleasures.

STEP 6: THE HANGER

You have a definite purpose for your meeting but...thinking individual as they are. Your employees want to talk about things that aren't on your agenda.

Have a separate piece of paper available when you can write down and store off-topic ideas for discussion later. This will help people feel they are being listened to, while keeping the meeting on tasks.

STEP 7: THE 5-MINUTE BELL


There's always one who's attempted to talk and talk and talk at great length about their pet subjects while you want to give everyone a chance to speak. Give permission for anyone to call time on anyone else who speaks more than 5 minutes.

Bring a bell into a meeting. Position it in front of the room and encourage people to ring it if the old mourner or anyone goes on for too long.

STEP 8: MINUTES

During the meeting, you should have someone to take notes on what have been discussed and agreed. Once the meeting is over, have someone write this up. They should be emailed them to everyone so people know what they said has been recorded. Also, keep people informed of the outcomes of the meeting and what actions have been taken on decisions you made.

Congratulations! You're now a meeting master. No more biscuit eating, coffee swingling, time-wasting for you. Ah, well,...