Serving the Entrée: Making Meetings Meet Outcomes

Gordon Dymowski - NCADALeadership & Organization

Development03/25/2003

Goals of this Presentation

Basic meeting management

Use meetings as way to move teams forward

Plan meetings that lead to outcomes

What makes a good meeting?

Members know well in advance the time, place, and location

Furniture is arranged so everyone looks at each other

People are generally comfortable Everyone participates; no one dominates Participants encouraged to share hidden

agendas Decision making procedures clear ahead of

time

Good meeting leaders...

Show no bias and is perceived as neutral where appropriate

Involves and encourages everyone to participate

Five Ingredients for a Successful Meeting

There must be a common focus on content There must be a common focus on process Someone must be responsible for

maintaining an open & balanced conversational flow

Someone must be responsible for protecting individuals from personal attacks

For the duration of the meeting, everyone’s role & responsibility is clearly defined & agreed upon

How do you plan meetings for outcomes?

The key is the agenda - when determining topics:

Clarify the desired outcome for each topic (where do you want to go?)

Design a process to reach each outcome (how will you get there?)

Placing the mission statement on the agenda

Good questions to ask yourself:

What is the essence of what I’m trying to achieve

Before a meeting? During a meeting? After a meeting?

See Meeting Mechanics Handouts

How do you avoid overcrowding the agenda?

List all topics & potential goals

Determine what can be handled before/after meeting

Cut down list Specify outcome -

“What does success look like?”

Example - This Training

C2000 Teams Assessed last summer w/ACT MO tool

Identified three key areas - advocacy, leadership development, & resource development

Outlined in Support Center Plan to DADA Met and determined appropriate outcomes for

trainings Planning sessions - identified speakers for

appropriate “match” Continually reassessed & determined outcomes

based on observation of C2000 teams

Getting the Most Out of Meetings: Tips for Leaders Stick to your agenda Start and end on time Build momentum for problem solving Create an atmosphere that encourages

people to express their ideas Encourage and balance participation Eliminate Distractions Take Your Time

Getting the Most Out of Meetings: Tips for Participants

Come prepared Concentrate Check Your Ego At the Door Participate Be Open Minded - Don’t Censor

Ideas Be Flexible

In Your Packet...

Copy of this presentation

How to Create a Pathetic Agenda

Meeting Checklist Group Dynamics

Thanks For Coming This Morning!

Gordon DymowskiNCADA8790 ManchesterSt Louis MO 63144(314) 962-3456 x/320gdymowski@ncada-

stl.org