#ASDAnet @ASDAnet How to Lead an Effective Meeting (Aka: Its
game day and youre the quarterback) David Halpern, DMD, FAGD, FACD
Private Practice, Columbia, Md 2009-10 AGD President
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Format for session: Meeting Basics
Facilitating agenda management, discussion, sequencing, and gaining
consensus Identifying types of potential issues or obstacles to
effective meetings Additional topics
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Parliamentary procedure (Sturgis is your
friend but dont get hung up on it!)
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Complex is confusing!! I move to amend the
resolution by deletion of the second clause, adding the word and
where or is, and to strike through lines 56 through 125 I have a
point of personal privilege related to a point of order relative to
the substituted resolution needing reconsideration
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Simpler is better! I move that the minutes be
accepted I move that the budget as presented be accepted I move
that we allocate $250 for beer and pizza for our next meeting
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Before you initiate any meeting.you need to
know your objectives
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Possible Objectives Fulfilling an obligation
to the bylaws Status reports Planning programs Responding to issues
Brainstorming ideas/strategic planning Communications updates
Decisions to be made Whine and dine
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Components of any meeting Notice Agenda,
agenda, agenda Quorum Time management Minutes
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Components of any meeting Reports Budget
project/program driven Background information : knowledge- based
decision-making Resolutions versus issues discussions Follow-up
(metrics, timelines, updates)
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Board Norms (aka: ground rules)
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet You, or your designee have a role in any
meeting
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Your Role Know the agenda cold Make sure all
background info has been provided to the attendees Know your
attendees Know your objectives
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Your Role You are the facilitator, you are
the arbitrator, you are the director of traffic, you are the guide,
you have purview over all attendees even other officers, you are
the tie breaker. You are NOT the dictator, NOT the my way or the
highway commandant!!!
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Potential issues or obstacles Waning energy
or unresponsiveness Over-talkers or someone dominating the
discussion Non-participation Insertion of personal agendas or
talking off subject
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Potential issues or obstacles Attacking,
criticizing, or engaging in argumentative behavior Indecisiveness
Side conversations, clowning, or extracurricular activities Out of
control time
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet So now its time to play What would you do????
You notice that there is low participation and/or energy in
discussion, body language of meeting participants staring off in
space or slumping in their seats, what do you do?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet 1.Ask the group what is going on? 2.Increase
your own energy, animation, pace, voice inflection? 3.Take a short
break? 4.Ask the group what it would like to do? 5.Pack your bag
and leave the meeting with everyone just sitting there?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Joe Overbearing has been talking about ways
he thinks the budget deficit should be handled and when others try
to speak, he interrupts them and continues to dominate the
discussion. What would you do?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet 1. Stop Joe Overbearing, thank him, and say
youd like to hear from someone else? 2. Call attention to the
agenda and time frames? 3. Stop giving him the focus of your
attention? 4. Summarize what he has said and move to someone else?
5. Give him a time limit? Or remind him that you had set ground
rules for the group at the beginning of the meeting regarding air
time? 6. Stuff a sock in his mouth or have someone accidentally
spill a cup of water on his head?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet You notice that Mary Overlyquiet has not said
anything or contributed to any discussion during the meeting, what
would you do?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet 1.Talk to her privately during a break or
after the meeting and find out why? 2.Call on her by name Mary I
would like to hear your thoughts on this? 3.Thank her when she does
contribute. 4.Turn to her when you reach part of the agenda that
you know she can contribute to. 5.On key issues, go around the room
and have each person offer brief input to stimulate discussion.
6.Have her drink from Joe Overbearings water glass?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet In the middle of a report of the legislative
liaison for the board on a bill proposed regarding students getting
reduced loan interest rates, Tom Tangent starts ranting about
midlevel providers and how hygienists want to have independent
practices and why isnt ASDA sending letters to the Congress about
this? What would you do?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet 1.Ask him to relate what he is saying to the
current agenda item? 2.Record the point, thank him, and move back
to the issue. 3.Stop him, tell him his points are somewhat
applicable to the current issue, but to bring it up under a
different part of the agenda or record it on a parking lot sheet
for new business discussion. 4.Ask the group what they want to do
with the Toms points? 5.Say to Tom Tangent: Excuse me, but are you
picking up radio signals from some other meeting?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet During the membership chairs report, Harry
Hostile starts saying that our low retention and loss of members is
unacceptable, the organization is going down the tubes, and what
the heck has the membership chair been doing this whole year to get
new members? What would you do?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet 1.Acknowledge his point of view. 2.Stop him,
paraphrase his view, and ask the chair to continue. 3.Point out the
negative pattern and ask if there is any part of the report he
feels good about? 4.Ask him to express his opinion briefly on what
he thinks should be done to improve membership retention and
recruitment? 5.Ask the group to respond to Harry Hostiles comments.
6.Ask him if he has a problem with how were doing things we can
settle it outside.
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet After the treasurer has presented the
proposed budget and asks for discussion, you notice that committee
members You and Tube are looking at their laptops and chuckling,
Teresa Twitter is checking her iPhone 5s, and Sam Sidebar and Will
Whisper are talking to each other and obviously not paying
attention to the treasurer. What would you do?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet 1.Invite Sidebar and Whisper to share what
they are talking about. 2.Stop the treasurer, be quiet and look
directly at You and Tube, point out that whispering or talking is
distracting, and then ask them to please join the group in
listening to the treasurer. 3.Tell Theresa if she needs to check
her phone for messages she should do so at breaks and to inform her
peeps that she is in a meeting and to refrain from texting her
unless absolutely necessary. 4.Stop the meeting, indicate the
importance of the discussion and why you are all giving up time to
be at the meeting instead of studying or doing lab work and confirm
everyones understanding. 5.Have the offenders type a hundred times
on their iPads: I will behave during the meeting, and pay
attention
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet You have designated a two hour maximum time
frame for the meeting and you notice that an hour and a half has
gone by and you are only halfway through the agenda, what would you
do?
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet 1. Talk faster 2. Ask someone to get some
coffee, tell the meeting attendees that it is going to be a long
night. 3. Tell everyone that they only have ten seconds when they
speak on the remaining issues. 4. Fire yourself for being a lousy
meeting facilitator! 5. Explain the situation to the group and
indicate that you will be going out of order in the agenda and
going to those areas definitively needing action, and deferring the
rest to either a conference call or the next meeting. 6. Ask the
group if they would like to cover as much of the remaining agenda
as possible and extend the meeting by a half hour.
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Key Points to remember Agenda, agenda, agenda
with timelines if possible! Be sure to have ground rules/norms for
participation and ask the group to self- monitor. Remind them of
the agreed upon norms when someone is out of line. Facilitate
discussion by asking questions of the group and directing them to
the needed objective
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Key Points to remember Dont do committee
work, dont do committee work, dont do committee work (unless you
are it) Compliment as much as possible, legitimize feelings and
perceptions, but focus on specific desired behaviors Dont meet just
to meet!!! Follow up on assignments and decisions made
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Alternative meetings: GoToMeeting,
GlobalMeet, LiveMeeting Skype Web chat rooms Email Phone conference
calls
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Dont get trapped into a vicious cycle.
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Questions???
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#ASDAnet @ASDAnet Practice Management Tip Hold daily huddles to
address routine issues that can cause rifts, such as placement of
emergency patients both today and tomorrow. Schedule regular
meetings with staff and follow a specific written agenda. During
meetings, require each employee to report on the system(s) they are
accountable for. Discuss what is happening with each specific
system scheduling, accounts receivable, recall, etc. Identify
constructive strategies for addressing any concerns that arise
related to the performance of specific systems. Assign deadlines
and delegate responsibility to individual staff to pursue the
problem solving strategies that have been identified.