MeetingArk | Ron Eagle | Activity https://meetingark.org/members/ronmeetingark/activity/ Activity feed for Ron Eagle. Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:58:38 +0000 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-GB 30 hourly 2 640dae5b7b69626c7814de494c9aeb7a Ron Eagle posted an update: Running a quick Site functionality test https://meetingark.org/activity/p/2034/ Sat, 25 Oct 2025 14:12:12 +0100 Running a quick Site functionality test

]]> 0 2abd83df8ad652e1e8865b8ba0a73141 Ron Eagle wrote a new post https://meetingark.org/?p=16094 Tue, 16 Jan 2024 16:37:45 +0000 The 'Continuity' Meeting Ever been in a meeting where the only outcome was to agree more meetings? This may not have been an accident. In some circumstances, and/or some types […]

]]> c13aa0a41c1adf4764bb5237478f5cba Ron Eagle started the topic Most Unusual Meeting in the forum Meeting Humour https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-humour/forum/topic/most-unusual-meeting/ Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:25:09 +0100 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]

]]> 0 d406bc61a2bf3f813bd2af8f68f3ee60 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Agenda in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/agenda/#post-4849 Sun, 10 Sep 2023 12:51:32 +0100 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]

]]> 0 d7b68f82db180774b24899ae50d568e8 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Ice-breaking in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/ice-breaking/#post-7155 Wed, 06 Sep 2023 22:07:28 +0100 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.

]]> 0 a9944e71204e77351c3cccf04db6732a Ron Eagle replied to the topic Agenda in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/agenda/#post-780 Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:54:06 +0100 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]

]]> 0 fd0d74753f28826b88e972b3c7cb2799 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Agenda in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/agenda/#post-759 Mon, 04 Sep 2023 23:14:38 +0100 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…

[Read more]

]]> 0 0c633f2e82f3c4ad78e633a1ca5e7f07 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Privacy & security in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/privacy-security/#post-750 Sun, 03 Sep 2023 22:32:23 +0100 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.

]]> 0 187d2686c25e10873e7e287749eddd15 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Ice-breaking in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/ice-breaking/#post-751 Sat, 02 Sep 2023 22:43:09 +0100 Gauge how much ice needs breaking first before enacting  a strategy:

  1. 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…

[Read more]

]]> 0 41d9bf40353a1d163327aca3b649b208 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Ice-breaking in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/ice-breaking/#post-758 Sat, 02 Sep 2023 08:02:27 +0100 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

]]> 0 6880764c56ab80d36f6e8ff0a8805787 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Setting expectations in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/setting-expectations/#post-754 Wed, 30 Aug 2023 22:50:05 +0100 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]

]]> 0 6b610c1f8646dae44dda65d9c3651128 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Most Unusual Meeting in the forum Meeting Humour https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-humour/forum/topic/most-unusual-meeting/#post-1078 Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:25:36 +0100 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]

]]> 0 6a7e3640552c2ba29293cb5cb51b38e1 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Purpose and need in the forum Meeting planning and preparation https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-planning-and-preparation/forum/topic/purpose-need/#post-4851 Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:14:16 +0100 Criteria:

did you call it but wont be attending i.e. you’ve asked others to hold it? – why are you not attending? is is a low importance session you can delegate with confidence and whose impact will be small even if it goes wrong? If you cant answer yes then you should attend.

did you call it and you will be attending? – as above

did s…[Read more]

]]> 0 856ba42d6473e2af238aca08c3c12f8a Ron Eagle replied to the topic Meeting in a public space in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/meeting-in-a-public-space/#post-7157 Fri, 07 Jul 2023 22:24:21 +0100 The context of the meeting and make up of the attendees will mak all the difference. An open invitation gathering of people with divergent motivations will be far more challenging to facilitate cogent interactive discussions in a large open space than in a meeting with largely homologous minded attendees. In greatest contrast, imagine the…[Read more]

]]> 0 5b9ed93c3215b8b01cbcc9f4bde13a4d Ron Eagle replied to the topic Meeting in a public space in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/meeting-in-a-public-space/#post-749 Sat, 01 Jul 2023 22:28:08 +0100 Public spaces are not usually ideal for professional meetings as there are issues of logistics ( do you have guaranteed space, seating, accessibility etc) , interruptions ( if its public you cant control who comes and goes around/into your meeting space) and of course security ( eavesdropping, public Wi-Fi networks etc.)

Unless its a social…[Read more]

]]> 0 98d32cc95c42a6a89fc679d514783c01 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Courtesy & Respect in the forum Meeting etiquette https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-etiquette/forum/topic/courtesy-respect/#post-9424 Tue, 31 May 2022 16:04:12 +0100 One subtle point is to be aware of  is that YOUR idea of what constitutes obvious courtesy and respect may NOT be as clear and obvious to your attendee(s). These values are as fluid and contextual and culturally flexible as any other value. So do more research from the other person(s) viewpoint in advance so that ‘obvious’ is not taken as a given.

]]> 0 8c0ddaa0c7b4fc7b207657911bca72be Ron Eagle replied to the topic Taking notes in the forum Participating in a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/participating-in-a-meeting/forum/topic/taking-notes/#post-9422 Tue, 31 May 2022 15:57:47 +0100 One common theme to almost all meetings is the necessity to take some form of recording of the session and of any outcomes.

In some cases this may need to be a laborious and extremely accurate and comprehensive style of recording of every utterance and action during the meeting. This is most common in highly political discussions or those in the…[Read more]

]]> 0 80070d75908a1f79bde337d862a51a16 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Reaching agreement & dealing with disagreement in the forum Running a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/running-a-meeting/forum/topic/reaching-agreement-dealing-with-disagreement/#post-9419 Tue, 31 May 2022 15:55:13 +0100 Need to distinguish between constructive disagreements that can eventually foster innovative solutions if managed creatively and destructive disagreements where no eventual convergence seems likely. The former may sometimes be encouraged in brainstorming  but the latter should be assertively halted as early as possible.

]]> 0 8aa8099309952a6db80eb735570b3bbd Ron Eagle wrote a new post https://meetingark.org/?p=9409 Tue, 31 May 2022 15:39:14 +0100 To Record or Not to Record? One common theme to almost all meetings is the necessity to take some form of recording of the session and of any outcomes. In some cases this may need […]

]]> 85e3f5f6ad59141047210e5d34d15c38 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Joining Instructions in the forum Meeting planning and preparation https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-planning-and-preparation/forum/topic/joining-instructions/#post-7162 Sat, 07 May 2022 22:40:08 +0100 On a slightly more specific note – also be wary of using satnav settings or postcode/zip code details supplied by the venue. This because sometimes those details are part of a generic address for a location and may not be best for identifying nearest actual access. For example a large venue, say a major exhibition hall, might have a  single…[Read more]

]]> 0 9afbc907c7a4995d87c902492df04e51 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Coordinating diaries in the forum Meeting planning and preparation https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-planning-and-preparation/forum/topic/coordinating-diaries/#post-7159 Sat, 07 May 2022 22:28:33 +0100 physical notes was a proven system for centuries so why not?

]]> 0 490e5e1e3ae54d6807214024b4e6b63f Ron Eagle replied to the topic Introductions in the forum Commencing a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/commencing-a-meeting/forum/topic/introductions/#post-7151 Sat, 07 May 2022 21:59:55 +0100 If you do decide to adopt some local empathy into your introductions, make sure you do your homework to get it exactly right as making cultural gaffes may be worse than not adopting them at all.

]]> 0 de763b35b5a65dff30f05e50a8e48693 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Venue in the forum Meeting planning and preparation https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-planning-and-preparation/forum/topic/venue/#post-6023 Tue, 26 Apr 2022 20:34:01 +0100 I agree that venue can be one of the highest potential challenges and let us not forget that one of those ‘venues’ can be video meetings.

]]> 0 8fbc2af8558e43fae1b1f9c5c78f3abd Ron Eagle replied to the topic Briefing Notes / Pre-Reading in the forum Meeting planning and preparation https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-planning-and-preparation/forum/topic/briefing-notes-pre-reading/#post-6022 Tue, 26 Apr 2022 20:30:39 +0100 Yes, much empathy to this type of ethos. Having worked in Central Government I can say it is almost de rigueur to expect this and bud it in almost as a set contingency in any timeline for decisions.

]]> 0 e17c51b62ba829d951c2a037fc23c3b0 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Invitations in the forum Meeting planning and preparation https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-planning-and-preparation/forum/topic/invitations/#post-6021 Tue, 26 Apr 2022 20:25:37 +0100 Perhaps find an ally or two to support and strengthen your request; especially one(s) whose opinions they respect.

]]> 0 576485e8c2dd3be549ee491b44ea7dc0 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Managing personal discomfort / unease in the forum Participating in a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/participating-in-a-meeting/forum/topic/managing-personal-discomfort-unease/#post-4858 Thu, 20 Jan 2022 09:48:11 +0000 Sometimes if this is a common condition, it may be helpful to try some assisted calming x such as ‘rescue remedy’ liquid drops or ‘calms’ tabs. Unlike formal drugs from the doctor, these are both gentle herbal remedies for reducing stress without interference with formal medicines and are freely available from most pharmacies (may be age…[Read more]

]]> 0 132f17ffe41c814f32fe78f81b8bbad8 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Soliciting contributions in the forum Running a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/running-a-meeting/forum/topic/soliciting-contributions/#post-4857 Thu, 20 Jan 2022 09:40:04 +0000 Sometimes if stasis or stagnation of responses creps in to a meeting it can be revitalised by ‘seeding’ a more personal scenario. For instance , “how would it affect your areas if we xxxxxxx?” This focuses minds specifically on their own areas and can give the chairperson a more accurate tag to elicit a response from individuals.

]]> 0 44a73821df3cb1599e17bea5c3f82305 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Attendees and Quorum in the forum Meeting planning and preparation https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-planning-and-preparation/forum/topic/attendees-and-quorum/#post-4850 Wed, 19 Jan 2022 14:02:23 +0000 Unfortunately a most common cause of folk acquiescing to invites even where they feel their contribution my be nugatory is rank being pulled. If a senior figure invites you there may be a reluctance to refuse. If we are cynical there is also the opposite where folk attend many meetings to appear to be busy and part of influential groups simply to…[Read more]

]]> 0 e60e2916fa7b9ffac420df2ce319f423 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Coordinating diaries in the forum Meeting planning and preparation https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-planning-and-preparation/forum/topic/coordinating-diaries/#post-4848 Wed, 19 Jan 2022 13:42:41 +0000 In past lives have needed to appoint  staff co-ordinators to maintain a central diary on a single laptop for meeting appointments (usually  by department with departmental coordinators cooperating between themselves for inter departmental diary alignments) with  mails/texts out to individuals who are expected to maintain their personal ap…[Read more]

]]> 0 a2cb3747c4b0254e317f714f6c504fb5 Ron Eagle wrote a new post https://meetingark.org/?p=4736 Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:41:31 +0000 What is a Meeting?
It seems an easy question to answer…until you try to actually tie down a specific explanation. There will be many variations on a response that may categorise some events that could be […]

]]> 10c9b75fd9576adc5cbde73de5856e98 Ron Eagle wrote a new post https://meetingark.org/?p=4580 Tue, 16 Nov 2021 16:07:37 +0000 A ‘meeting of the minds’ is a cliché often employed to suggest a pair of parties seem to be in a close agreement about something. Informally it is a useful abbreviation of a generally solid consensus. However, […]

]]> e7307d144cf179568b6be52610f27c58 Ron Eagle wrote a new post https://meetingark.org/?p=4403 Mon, 11 Oct 2021 13:04:45 +0100 Attendance: One of the best ways to confirm whether you have been invited to a meeting just to make up numbers is to fail to turn up then see if anyone noticed your absence or complains about it.

Minute Taking: […]

]]> c15e52dfc4a813c25eaf12076c2f5c07 Ron Eagle wrote a new post https://meetingark.org/?p=4381 Tue, 05 Oct 2021 19:10:39 +0100 Two person (business) meetings, duets we will call them, tend to fall into one of four areas: education, security, political or disciplinary. Recognising which is sometimes explicit but not always and can […]

]]> 3de7cfaa057dacf8f23e32527cbcfa82 Ron Eagle wrote a new post https://meetingark.org/?p=4359 Tue, 05 Oct 2021 10:42:55 +0100 Among the many reasons for meetings there is the one you may not realise you are attending until some way through the meeting you thought you were attending! Talking here of course about the so called ‘hidden a […]

]]> b7c5bb0745ad119319de1fd0497c1544 Ron Eagle wrote a new post https://meetingark.org/?p=4237 Sun, 19 Sep 2021 18:43:41 +0100 Let’s be honest, we’ve all at some point been invited (or more usually instructed) to join a meeting about which we know little in advance and have even less knowledge of what our contribution would be. These are […]

]]> 604926d40bb3002b39e21187d5a1fc3f Ron Eagle joined the group Authors and Books https://meetingark.org/activity/p/1948/ Sun, 19 Sep 2021 16:28:11 +0100 0 394d662ed56f93beaee783285c1327b1 Ron Eagle joined the group Meeting Companies https://meetingark.org/activity/p/1947/ Sun, 19 Sep 2021 16:28:10 +0100 0 85c3d6462b3f4d0244047267bdc114c5 Ron Eagle changed their profile picture https://meetingark.org/activity/p/269/ Tue, 25 May 2021 14:59:12 +0100 0 30aee551a53c7901d905400ef6924e60 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Differing levels of seniority in the forum Meeting etiquette https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-etiquette/forum/topic/differing-levels-of-seniority/#post-1080 Sat, 27 Feb 2021 11:37:46 +0000 Always a good idea to acknowledge seniority levels in a meeting especially in very conservative companies. This does not mean however that you should be afraid to speak your views or why else be there.  Its always a judgement call between professional integrity i.e. ‘I believe this needs to be said’ and pragmaitism i.e. ‘i need to keep my…[Read more]

]]> 0 b7c8b7e6674b0cc14ce88401d008a1e2 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Differing Cultures in the forum Meeting etiquette https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-etiquette/forum/topic/differing-cultures/#post-1079 Sat, 27 Feb 2021 11:34:24 +0000 Very important to be aware of potential cultural consideration of the attendees.

There may be need for dietary provisions if providing meal or snacks e.g. kosher, halal, vegan etc.

There may be certain etiquettes to how to introduce people shaking of hands (or not) or how we exchange business cards or how we use titles of people…e.g. American,…[Read more]

]]> 0 53da0c6be41e3c20fa39cfcd46913f20 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Attire in the forum Meeting etiquette https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-etiquette/forum/topic/attire/#post-1076 Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:49:53 +0000 To neck-tie or not to neck-tie? That is the question.

If you are attending any meeting find out well beforehand the dress code for that meeting. Is it forma or casual? Does formal inclde a tie or juts open neck etc..?:

Organisationally there may be a code or ethos e.g. if you enter the Google building with a tie or even a jacket  you may…[Read more]

]]> 0 0952bb7c5350580ef6ec298de2dd5519 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Humour in the forum Meeting etiquette https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-etiquette/forum/topic/humour/#post-1075 Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:35:51 +0000 This is very dependent on the mix of people at the meeting; how well they know each other; the seriousness of the meeting subject(s); the differing levels of seniority attending etc.

A light hearted amusing observation or a friendly slightly cheeky retort to a colleague may be fine to keep a good feel to a meeting and can often be good to loosen…[Read more]

]]> 0 6d7c470cc5ec923ec5058dbfbb2df16a Ron Eagle replied to the topic Timekeeping in the forum Meeting etiquette https://meetingark.org/groups/meeting-etiquette/forum/topic/timekeeping/#post-1074 Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:30:03 +0000 Common courtesy to start on time and juts as important to finish when you  said you would as unscheduled run on can be both annoying and compromises others ongoing diaries. If a subject seems important enough to over run then you can ask for a vote at the attendees if they wish to allocate a defined additional time contract or agree to take it…[Read more]

]]> 0 8712371dbb5abda184b3236b2b3e6f89 Ron Eagle joined the group 5 Meeting etiquette https://meetingark.org/activity/p/222/ Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:26:41 +0000 0 e2979185073c312cfee5d4622583dadf Ron Eagle joined the group Meeting Humour https://meetingark.org/activity/p/220/ Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:11:18 +0000 0 3cda886844badb18a4397404599a1aca Ron Eagle replied to the topic Taking notes in the forum Participating in a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/participating-in-a-meeting/forum/topic/taking-notes/#post-904 Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:28:58 +0000 Taking notes for yourself – style is your personal preference but useful to just make notes of key issues, actions allocated, queries relevant to you etc, rather than copious verbatim tomes; you are not Hansard. One more interesting way to capture notes, particularly in an active workshop style meeting is to use a technique called ‘Mind Mapping’ :…[Read more]

]]> 0 8f3b66baf2cfd2ffe0a74b09c8aa9c43 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Use of hand-outs, white boards, flip charts, etc in the forum Participating in a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/participating-in-a-meeting/forum/topic/use-of-hand-outs-white-boards-flip-charts-etc/#post-902 Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:18:28 +0000 Offering a hard copy of your presentation is useful – but IF you have followed the  rules of presentation clarity (see topic ‘making a presentation’ in this group) you can ask that they DONT look at those during the session but take them away afterwards  as ‘aide memoir’ (maybe better give out at the end). As sure sign either your slides are not…[Read more]

]]> 0 b8bde852890795122634dcaee3c70894 Ron Eagle replied to the topic Making a Presentation in the forum Participating in a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/participating-in-a-meeting/forum/topic/making-a-presentation/#post-901 Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:15:06 +0000 Some good practices for presentations:

Make sure all equipment is working in advance: don’t be plugging in, checking switches, searching for flipchart pens etc in the meeting – all these will start you off with low credibility.

Have something clearly displaying the session purpose and time contract so attendees can be sure they are in the right…[Read more]

]]> 0 9a1df9569e517dd21a4a7220a47788ae Ron Eagle replied to the topic Intervening appropriately in the forum Participating in a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/participating-in-a-meeting/forum/topic/intervening-appropriately/#post-900 Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:02:19 +0000 How easy or challenging an intervention will be will depend on the vibrancy of the meeting and the attendees: in a slow, low key session jumping in with an intervention (notice intervention, not interruption…in most cases just interrupting someone mid sentence will be seen as rude, out of order and poor etiquette…always wait for at least a…[Read more]

]]> 0 976ef24b2a7636bd868cbbafec43fccc Ron Eagle replied to the topic Keeping on Topic in the forum Participating in a meeting https://meetingark.org/groups/participating-in-a-meeting/forum/topic/keeping-on-topic/#post-898 Wed, 17 Feb 2021 11:53:09 +0000 Nothing wastes time in a meeting like swerving off topic. Using the meeting to raise a pet subject or asking questions unrelated to the subject just to take advantage of the fact the right folk are here is not good etiquette and will probably be taking offline by the chair anyway. There may be times when it is appropriate to go off at a tangent…[Read more]

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