A: Depending on the group’s culture (and any formal protocols), the other participants could agree to appoint someone else to chair the meeting in the meantime.

A: You need to explain this right at the outset. It will help if you can explain why the subject is private / sensitive and, if you can, let people know when it can be discussed publicly (for example, after an official announcement has been made).

A: First check you have the right access credentials and try again ensuring you’ve entered the details correctly. You also need to check you have a good internet / phone connection and there isn’t a technical problem with your set-up. If you still can’t get in, contact the meeting organiser by another means to enquire […]

A: Check that you have booked the room and, assuming you have, you are entitled to interrupt and politely explain that you have booked a meeting there. You may need to negotiate with the occupants about how quickly they can vacate the room.

A: Much the same as you would at any time during a meeting. It would help if you set expectations or ground rules about being concise and staying on topic at the start of the meeting. If someone starts going on for too long, it’s usually best to be fairly direct and say something like […]

A: This is the sort of thing you shouldn’t be too prescriptive about. It depends very much on the context: what sort of news, what sort of meeting, and who is attending? Also, your personal style and preferences need to be taken into account. The advantages of giving bad news at the start of the […]

A: The style of the meeting is probably not the most important factor. Rather the culture of the group and/or the personal style of the chair (or sometimes the organiser) should be the deciding factor in how to commence the meeting. However, if it’s a new group, you should pay more attention to introductions, objectives […]

A: The most obvious point is not to decide (and preferably not even discuss) the topic this person is required for. So some re-jigging of the agenda may be required.

A: The main way to deal with an ‘elephant in the room’ (a problem or issue that people don’t want to acknowledge or discuss) is for the chair to ensure that the problem is acknowledged and given due consideration. If the chair seems unwilling to do this, any attendee who is particularly concerned about the […]

A: Body language is important at all stages of a meeting, which is a key reason why in-person meetings are often superior to virtual meetings.

A: The first thing to mention is to ensure you have prepared properly, including inviting the right attendees, choosing a good venue and/or suitable technology, and issuing joining instructions and an agenda. Other things to get the meeting off to a good start could include: Clearly setting out the objectives for the meeting Introducing all […]

A: Ice-breakers should be fun, quick to run, and work best when they’re new to the people involved. So try not to use any ice-breaker more than once.