How to overcome problems at meetings
As a manager, you are often required to chair meetings. To be successful, you will need to minimise your own involvement, foster interaction among the participants, and ensure that everyone makes a contribution. There are times, however, when awkward situations arise; and then you will need to draw on a repertoire of responses to maintain control. Here are some of the most common problems that arise in meetings and the strategies for handling them...
1. When the discussion becomes irrelevant...
Meetings sometimes get bogged down in time-consuming, irrelevant discussions that lead nowhere. To get the meeting back on course, you can:
- refocus the discussion by indicating that the group has strayed from its real objective.
- summarise the discussion to date and link progress to the objective.
- bring the discussion back into line by posing a question relating to the agenda topic.
2. When the participants begin to lose interest...
Often caused by lack of concrete short-term goals or successes, flagging enthusiasm can be revived in a number of ways:
- Propose a success-guaranteed, short-term task.
- List the achievements of the group so far.
- If the current topic lacks interest, introduce a related theme to encourage a more active response.
- If the group suspect that their recommendations will not be adopted, convince them that worthwhile ideas might well gain acceptance.
- Check whether each participant still agrees with the group goals.
- If participants believe that a decision has already been made, assure them that solid arguments from an interested group could alter or reverse the decision.
3. When there is uneven participation...
Reluctant speakers can be brought into the discussion by asking questions that you know they can answer. Compliment them for their views. Or ask everyone, in turn, to express an opinion before anyone else can discuss or evaluate the issue further. Restrain the talkative participants tactfully.
