by PMHut Team | Oct 25, 2007 | Communications Management
Conducting Effective Meetings – Part 4 – Post Meeting Activities (#4 in the series Conducting Effective Meetings)
By Tom Carlos (PMP)
Review the meeting minutes: Follow these steps:
- Make sure the minutes are transcribed onto an official template
- Have your note taker clean up the minutes
- You must then review the minutes and change as needed
- Take your time and make sure the minutes are accurate.
- Ask trusted team members to review the minutes and offer input
- Be careful of sensitive information or injecting personal feelings into the minutes
- Do not distribute the minutes without proper vetting and review
- The meeting minutes are considered and must be filed with the “official” project documents
Distribute the minutes: Send a copy of your minutes to the meeting participants. Ask them to review the minutes and provide feedback if they see inaccuracies. Let the participants know that you are “open” to making changes. Read the Complete Article
by PMHut Team | Oct 24, 2007 | Communications Management, Project Management Best Practices
Conducting Effective Meetings – Part 3 – Facilitate The Meeting (#3 in the series Conducting Effective Meetings)
By Tom Carlos (PMP)
Leave space for late arrivals: Late arrivals are inevitable. It’s always a good idea to leave available seating near the door so that late arrivals do not walk in and disrupt the meeting.
Start on time: This is the first step in maintaining control over the meeting. For every minute you start late, that is one less minute available to discuss agenda items. Do not assume that you can go beyond the designated “end time.” Chances are that participants will have other meetings obligations that require their attendance.
Stay in control and maintain order during the meeting. It’s your job to keep the meeting moving and make sure you cover agenda items during the allotted time. Therefore, you must learn how to do the following:
- Cut off disruptions, outbursts, or other disturbances
- Do not allow for multiple conversations – only one person has the floor at any given time
- Do not allow for incoming calls
- Cover agenda items only once
- Watch the clock and allotted time for each item.
Read the Complete Article
by PMHut Team | Oct 22, 2007 | Communications Management, Communications Planning
Conducting Effective Meetings – Part 2 – Planning and Preparation (#2 in the series Conducting Effective Meetings)
By Tom Carlos (PMP)
Planning and Preparation
Planning
Define your goals and objectives for the meeting: A meeting without a “purpose” is a recipe for disaster. This is the most common reason for unproductive meetings. Make sure you define the purpose of the meeting and select agenda items that will help you achieve the desired results. You should also include the goals and objectives on the agenda (in the top section that contains meeting information).
Solicit agenda items: In addition to the agenda items you wish to cover, solicit input from team members and other stakeholders. Others will have valuable input to be shared and incorporate into your project.
- Make sure the agenda items chosen for discussion are relevant
- Coach the presenter and know what they will say (avoid surprises, that can be embarrassing)
- Make sure the agenda item can be discussed within the given time frame (and this includes open discussion and questions for the other attendees)
- Anticipate the results from the discussion (anticipate were the conversation will lead)
Select an appropriate room: Select a location that will accommodate your group comfortably. Read the Complete Article
by PMHut Team | Oct 20, 2007 | Communications Management
Conducting Effective Meetings – Part 1 – Develop your style and rules (#1 in the series Conducting Effective Meetings)
By Tom Carlos (PMP)
As a Project Manager, your experience tells you that “communications” (in various forms) consume a large portion of your time. “Meetings” are a common form of communication activity and in many instances, unavoidable. I have worked with many individuals who appear to be “tied up in meetings” for most of their day. Many of these same people echo the sentiment of “that meeting was a waste of time.” This is an indication that the meetings were ill-planned, poorly run, and had no distinct purpose.
Given the fact that most people can view meetings as a negative event, you should be aware of the various activities required to conduct an effective meeting.
Part 1 – Develop your style and rules
Develop your style
Establish your personality: Even though you need to “take care of business” (and thus maintain order throughout this entire process), make sure you counterbalance this with the right blend of humor. Read the Complete Article
