A Useful Guide to Managing Meetings
Toolkit
Contents
Meeting Observations
Meeting Checklist – Chairperson
Meeting Checklist – Participant
Time Management Log
Meeting Outcome Planner
Meeting Performance Reviews – Chairperson
Meeting Performance Reviews - Participant
Meeting Observations
Application:to raise awareness about the effectiveness of meetings.
Value:to help you consider how to create more effective meetings if you in the chair or if you are a participant.
Instructions:take a few moments after each meeting you attend to fill in this form by typing in the boxes. Please try and complete all the columns for each meeting. Don’t just put something like “Team Meeting” for the Purpose. Be clear what you thought the meeting was about. If you are not able to be clear about the purpose indicate that as well. Give the meeting a score where 1 = A Complete Waste of Time and 10 = Excellent. It is important to indicate “What Was Good?” i.e. why didn’t you score the meeting 1 and “What Could Have Been Better?” i.e. why didn’t you score the meeting 10 because that’s where some of your learning is.
To create more rows put the cursor in the bottom right hand cell of the table and hit the TAB key.
Date / Meeting Purpose / MeetingLength / Chairperson / Score / What Was Good? / What Could Have
Been Better?
12/1 / Agree budget / 3 hrs / Manager / 7 / Very focused – no side discussions. / Some attendees didn’t participate. He should have encouraged their contribution.
Meeting Checklist - Chairperson
Application:Use this Tool to help you remember the key elements of good meeting preparation in your role as Chairperson. The Checklist approach means you can see instantly what items are still outstanding!
Value:This Tool takes the more mechanical aspects of meeting preparation away from the more important intellectual thinking you should be providing as Chairperson needed to optimise the meeting. It should also save you time. Using this checklist should enhance the reputation of both you and the meetings you chair.
How to Use:You can use this Checklist by entering Yes or No against the relevant Checklist item. If any item is marked as No make sure that this is a conscious, deliberate, decision on your part!
Action / Yes/No1 / Are you clear on what would constitute a successful meeting outcome?
2 / Have you sent out the agenda in advance with lead agenda item owners clearly stated?
3 / Have you clearly indicated on the agenda the decisions that need to be made during the meeting?
4 / Have you built into your introduction the way to manage everyone’s expectations in terms of meeting objectives and start and finish times?
5 / Have you built into the agenda the timeslot to ask for short introductions at the start of the meeting?
6 / Have you listed your key questions to ask during the meeting in advance?
7 / Have you reviewed the outcomes and actions from the last meeting for guidance?
8 / Have you planned in the phone calls to the key influencers before the meeting to confirm their attendance and timings?
9 / Have you thought about how to deal with any potential “saboteurs”? Do you need to approach them before the meeting?
10 / Have you listed the potential responses to obvious questions in advance?
11 / Have you planned into your diary the need for you to arrive 10 minutes before the meeting start?
12 / Have you built into your agenda a Summary item at the end so you can close the meeting successfully?
Domestics
/ Yes/No1 / Have all external visitors been confirmed?
2 / If external visitors need passes, parking spaces, directions and contact numbers in case of transport difficulties – have they got them?
3 / Is the room booked? Do the people laying out the room know what you require?
4 / If refreshments are required are they booked?
5 / Do you need someone to take the minutes? If so does he/she know his/her responsibilities during and after the meeting?
6 / Do you have a copy of the key ground rules to refer to and remind participants?
7 / Will some participants be “Dialling In” to the meeting? If so, do they know the dial in number and timings?
8 / Does someone know how to operate the air conditioning or heating or lights?
9 / Do you need any additional equipment (overhead projector, computer, data projector, flip charts etc.)? If so, have they been requested and will there be someone who can check it is all working before the meeting?
10 / Will you remember to take this check list with you?!
Type of meeting
Preparation time for this meeting
Meeting Checklist - Participant
Application:Use this tool to help you remember the essential preparation time needed to help you optimise your meeting impact. After a while these aspects will become part of your normal business preparation.
Value:This tool provides an easy reference memory jog which avoids you having to think of all these aspects each time. The list can be printed and used as a checklist to prepare yourself before your meeting.
How to Use:Work through the questions and address any gaps! We have added a few spare lines at the bottom for you to add your own additional checklist items.
Tip
/ Yes/No1 / Are you clear on why it is ESSENTIAL that you must attend the meeting?
2 / Do you have details of the meeting start time, location and directions to get there?
3 / Have you created space in your diary to arrive in good time so you can network with other participants?
4 / Have you prepared your presentation and checked that the media facilities available on site are compatible with your presentation media?
5 / Make sure you have sufficient hard copy handouts for all meeting participants.
6 / Have you prepared any questions in advance that you can use to “break the ice” when meeting participants?
7 / Have you planned in the time to read the briefing material and to review the action points in advance of the meeting?
8 / Have you checked through the agenda in advance to establish clearly when your input will be required during the meeting?
9 / Have you decided on who you need to speak to before the meeting to “take people with you” on your suggestions?
10 / Have you spoken to ALL of those people in 8 above?
11 / Does the Chairperson know in advance your intended attendance times and have you asked that this is publicised up front at the meeting?
12 / Have you thought in advance about the body language you need to project at the meeting?
13 / Have you listed the potential questions others will raise on your subject area and listed some answers to respond easily?
14 / Have you set aside some time to update yourself on Company developments before the meeting? They may have an impact on your planned input.
Time Management Log
Application:The Time Management Log allows you to record your planned meeting start and finish times so you can track your time keeping abilities.
Value:The key value will be in comparing your actual performance against your intention and seeing what you can learn! I.e. what worked well and what didn’t work well? This is always a useful way of improving your performance.
How to Use:Before the meeting write in the date and intended start and finish times of the meeting. After the meeting write in the actual start and finish times. In the Comments column put a if you managed the time well and any notes of things you did to help the time management. Put an X if you didn’t manage the time well and any notes about the difficulties. After you have a number of Comments look for any patterns in your behaviour. E.g. do you always start a few minutes late?
To create more rows put the cursor in the bottom right hand cell of the table and hit the TAB key.
Meeting Plan Meeting Actual Comments
Date / Start / Finish / Start / Finish /Issues?
Example / 1400 / 1600 / 1415 / 1615 / X Arrived late because of traffic problems but kept to 2 hours.Example / 09:00 / 11:00 / 09:00 / 10:45 / Finished early because I stopped Fred hogging the discussion. Managed a review too!
Meeting Outcome Planner
Application:allows you to be clear about what the meeting is intended to achieve.
Value:The key value will be in comparing your actual performance against your intention and seeing what you can learn! I.e. what worked well and what didn’t work well? This is always a useful way of improving your performance.
How to Use:Before the meeting type in the meeting’s objectives and success criteria. For every meeting you chair! The intention is for you to develop the habit and automatically write, and share, clear objectives for every meeting you chair.
To create more rows put the cursor in the bottom right hand cell of the table and hit the TAB key.
Date / Objective(s) / Success CriteriaExample / 1. Ensure all participants understand the business case for the new project.
2. Evaluate the business case against our criteria.
3. Determine whether or not to give the Go Ahead. / 1. All participants feel a solid business decision was made.
2. All participants feel we had an effective, well-run meeting.
Meeting Performance Reviews – Participant
Application: Use this list of questions to provide a reflective but objective assessment of your performance as a participant.
Value: Continual review of how well you participated is essential if you are interesting in improving your contribution to the meetings you attend. Use this after every meeting you attend.
How to Use:Reflect on the meeting you attended. Score yourself for Questions 1 to 3, answer Yes or No for Questions 4 to 11 and decide on your future actions required to help you improve. Type them in the boxes. Do them!!
Questions / Score1 / Being objective, how well did you contribute and help the meeting to a successful conclusion? (Give yourself a score out of 10)
2 / How well did you keep to your timekeeping objectives in terms of attendance? (Give yourself a score out of 10)
3 / How well did the meeting outcomes compare to those you were expecting at the outset (Give yourself a score out of 10)
Yes/No
4 / Are you clear what you would do differently if your scores above are less than 10?
(Include your ideas in the Future Actions table below)
5 / Did you check with other participants that you have a clear, joint understanding of your action points?
6 / Are you comfortable that the deadlines set for your action points are achievable?
7 / If the answer to 6 above is no, did you raise this at the meeting?
8 / Have you drawn up a key contact plan as a result of the meeting to help deliver your objectives/actions?
9 / Did you meet your time management objectives?
10 / Did you feel your interjections and input added real value?
11 / On reflection, do you think you prepared adequately to achieve your meeting objectives?
Future Actions
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Meeting Performance Reviews - Chairperson
Application: Use this list of questions to provide a reflective but objective assessment of your performance as a participant.
Value: Continual review of how well you participated is essential if you are interesting in improving your contribution to the meetings you attend. Use this after every meeting you attend.
How to Use: Reflect on the meeting you attended. Score yourself for Questions 1 to 3, answer Yes or No for Questions 4 to 11 and decide on your future actions required to help you improve. Type them in the boxes. Do them!!
Questions / Score orYes/No
1 / Being objective, how well did you chair the meeting? (Give yourself a score out of 10).
2 / How well did you deliver against the success criteria you set at the outset? (Give yourself a score out of 10).
3 / Have all action points got owners and timescales?
4 / Did each action point owner explain the action to the meeting to check understanding?
5 / Did you collect and log feedback at the end from all attendees?
6 / Did you provide the facility for attendees to raise any outstanding issues off line with you?
7 / Did you cover all of the planned agenda items?
8 / Did you meet your time management objectives?
9 / How well did you effectively manage disruption and interruption? (Give yourself a score out of 10).
10 / On reflection, did you prepare adequately to achieve your meeting objectives?
Have you scored 7 “yes” answers above? If not, why not?
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