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Ron Eagle started the topic Most Unusual Meeting in the forum Meeting Humour 2 months ago
Two fellow associate directors were told the need to be ‘extremely creative’ in order to get attention of a very bored and usually sarcastically disinterested set of executive directors they were due to present to in a monthly update session. So…they hired a pantomime horse outfit and planned to enter in that to ‘break the ice’ . Unfortunately,…[Read more]
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Agenda in the forum
Commencing a meeting 2 months, 2 weeks ago
I agree – a 30 point agenda is not a recipe for an effective meeting. Meetings tend to fall into 2 broad categories: update advice with consequent negotiations/ actions set or developmental where one or more concepts of situations are posed and creative discussions happen with actions agreed to progress those outcomes. In either case, unless y…[Read more]
kieranfoley replied to the topic Agenda in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Interesting points, Ron
I was wondering if people have any thoughts on the subject of setting an Agenda?
My impression is that successful meetings seem to follow an agenda which is ‘chunked’ in a specific way. There are not more than 3-4 broad areas to be covered, and each area never has more than 3-4 subsections, if any. Personally I find…[Read more]
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Ice-breaking in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Also, be careful of ‘forced’ ice breaking. For example where the group leader points to someone and makes them stand up and talk about something or themselves etc. This could be embarrassing and unless it is an addiction group ‘sharing session’ may be inappropriate.
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Agenda in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
I agree with most of your points except the one about having a new ’round robin’ on the expected outcomes. Outcomes for the session should have nee explicit beforehand and set for a specific purpose. Attendees should be aware of this beforehand too. Asking for ratification at the meeting of its purpose is a recipe for anarchy , time wasting and…[Read more]
AiYa – MeetingArkAdmin replied to the topic Agenda in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Thank you, Ron
My personal experience is that there seems to be a balance point for each meeting in terms of how specific the agenda points and outcome are. If the points are too detailed (twenty items for discussion in a 60 minute meeting) I have seen just the first five actually getting discussed…
I think you point about clarity of…[Read more]
AiYa – MeetingArkAdmin replied to the topic Ice-breaking in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Cheer, Ron!
Creating a welcoming space in the meeting room can have a surprising effect on enabling people to relax. One seminar I led had an interesting piece of feedback –
“I knew it was going to be fun because there was a beautiful display of flowers on the trainer’s table”
It is often the tiny details that make the most impact in…[Read more]
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Agenda in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
If you are leading a business meeting, you are responsible for managing a large number of people and actions and outputs. An effective meeting agenda will make sure you discuss all the necessary information, keep the meeting on topic and ensure time efficiency. The key essentials to creating then MANAGING a good agenda are:
- Identify the m…
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Privacy & security in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Ensure you have a venue that si exclusively booked out and no interruptions form non attendees will happen.
Ensure you are only using secure networks during the session.
Ask for smartphones to be turned off.
(unless agreed in advance) Leave all papers behind, Meeting facilitator collect them to make sure and take all out of the room when leaving.
AiYa – MeetingArkAdmin started the topic Agenda in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Are they needed? What happens if it is missing? How does one craft an Agenda that helps get meetings done?
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Ice-breaking in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Gauge how much ice needs breaking first before enacting a strategy:
- Very stuffy staid serious ethos and attendees will probably be best thawed by traditional round robin of introductions around the table (not just names and titles…ask each to give a few minutes explaining what they do what their thought contribution is on the project a…
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Ice-breaking in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
Try to have something welcoming at arrival: if a morning offer hot drinks and maybe bacon rolls (include vegan too ); if lunch then offer maybe a buffet. This not only attracts attendees but allows some for some pre meeting mingling, ice breaking etc. Regardless have at least one person responsible for welcoming the people arriving
AiYa – MeetingArkAdmin started the topic Privacy & security in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
What are the best practices and issues around meeting privacy and security?
AiYa – MeetingArkAdmin started the topic Ice-breaking in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 3 weeks ago
What are good approaches for breaking the ice in a respectful way?
Michael Servant started the topic Companies with few meetings in the forum Meeting Companies 2 months, 4 weeks ago
Sometimes companies with few meetings are juts unco-ordinated or unfriendly or worst just all too busy to communicate with each other … BUT sometimes it is deliberate: Reducing meetings that are not fully governed; keeping them short and action oriented; replacing small meetings with immediate actions etc. Discuss.
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Setting expectations in the forum Commencing a meeting 2 months, 4 weeks ago
Make it clear and concise at the commencement of the session what you want the outcome to be and say that this will be reviewed and tested at the end. For example…don’t say ‘this meeting is to discuss the situation with delays in the finance project’ or you will get hours of just that: discussion and be no further forward. In stead say, ‘the…[Read more]
AiYa – MeetingArkAdmin started the topic Setting expectations in the forum Commencing a meeting 3 months ago
It is quite remarkable how often the people who have called the meeting do not set the appropriate expectations for what they want from the meeting. How can we avoid these issues?
AiYa – MeetingArkAdmin started the topic Worst Zoom Meeting of all time? in the forum Meeting Humour 3 months, 3 weeks ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgGmYeAm0jk
The best bits of the extraordinary meeting of the Handforth Parish Council Planning and Environment Committee held on Thursday 10th December 2020 at 7:00pm, the meeting was held using Zoom video technology.
Ron Eagle replied to the topic Most Unusual Meeting in the forum Meeting Humour 4 months ago
Once was in an arranged training session for senior UK Government Department managers: a very conservative group of individuals (I was attending as an interim director) where the HR department had arranged a session with a very wacky creative style set of management development consultants (no names to protect the ‘innocent’ …and us!! ha ha).…[Read more]
AiYa – MeetingArkAdmin replied to the topic Purpose and need in the forum Meeting planning and preparation 4 months ago
Thanks Ron, that’s really clear.
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