How to Effectively Participate Meeting at Work

Chen Weixiang @ May 13, 2017 | TAG: Methodology

This article introduce that how to effectively participate meeting at work.

Modern Meeting Standards

The Modern Meeting Standard that establishes ground rules for where and when to call a meeting:

  • Leaders make decisions, not meetings. If a decision needs to be made and isn’t a big deal, then the leader needs to make the decision and move on. If a decision is needed that will have some consequence, then the leader can seek input from others, but there is no reason to call a meeting. A lot of people have anxiety when it comes to making a decision, and they use meetings as a hiding place. They think that if they call a meeting, then their problem now becomes the decision of everyone and they take comfort in mitigating the risk. They think that way they won’t get blamed if it goes wrong.

  • Meetings should be to resolve conflict or coordinate action. Before a meeting about a low consequence issue, leaders should let others know of their decision and the reasoning behind it. Then, a meeting can be called for participants to voice their concerns, ask questions or request modifications. On the other hand, when the stakes are high and the decision is of great consequence, then the meeting will be about resolving conflict. In this case, leaders shouldn’t reveal their decision beforehand in order to avoid groupthink. They should instead encourage debate and work toward getting a consensus. Remember to let the best decision prevail, even if it’s not yours.

  • Meetings move fast and end on time. Meetings need to be as brief as possible to avoid arguments that go around in circles and add nothing to the decision. Remember that time is money.

  • The number of attendees is limited. If you have no strong opinion, have no interest in the outcome, and are not instrumental for any coordination that needs to take place, the meeting doesn’t need you. From now on, if you’re invited to a meeting where you don’t belong, please don’t attend.

  • Anyone who is unprepared gets rejected. Any meeting must require attendees to prepare beforehand. If someone comes unprepared, cancel the meeting or hold it without him. If someone comes and doesn’t participate, don’t invite her to the next meeting.

  • There are no minutes, just an action plan. Leaders will follow up with participants to ensure they are doing what they agreed to do in the meeting.

  • Memos will be read. The only way to do away with so many meetings is for everyone to commit to reading the memos they get. If not, it’s back to the information meetings.

  • A brainstorming culture is necessary. Brainstorming sessions let the imagination of participants run free, and break away from the fear and anxiety that can stifle them. Companies like IDEO demonstrate that brainstorming is a very different activity than what usually takes place inside conference rooms. It’s an anti-meeting where the regular rules don’t apply.

Traditional Meeting Alternatives

With so many business professionals spread out in multiple locations, consider the following tips and tools that will help you become a more efficient and effective communicator while sharing important information:

  • Stop conducting meetings just to have a meeting. Go back and ask the question: Why are we holding this meeting in the first place, and is there another way to accomplish our goals? Many meetings don’t need to be held and, in turn, many of the precious hours spent in transit getting to and from these meetings could be avoided. Could the information be shared in a conference call or video conference or even via e-mail if the purpose is to transfer information? What is the ultimate value of having everyone sitting around the same table and incurring all the costs associated with this effort? These are just some of the tough and very basic questions that must be asked.

  • Do you have the right technology in place to replace face-to-face meetings? Skype is a terrific tool to communicate and interact one-on-one, but it’s not the right technology for a group of six to ten professionals. The key here is to use Skype for more intimate communication while investing in video-conferencing equipment that is consistent with the needs of your organization. If you say you can’t afford it, the question is, can you really afford to have so many of your top people traveling from place to place (often in traffic) just to get to a meeting? How to you calculate all of that lost productivity?

  • Do you really need to SEE each other in order to communicate? Sometimes, there is no need to Skype or video conference. I have been involved in teleconferences that have been extremely productive as long as the meeting facilitator is focused on an agenda, gets participants engaged and moves toward concrete meeting goals. Teleconferencing is particularly effective with business professionals who have history together.

  • Set specific time limits. The more participants know exactly how long a meeting will take (as opposed to being open-ended) the greater the chance that they will invest the energy and commitment necessary to be engaged in a meaningful way. Further, whatever time limit you set, make sure you keep to it.

  • One of the biggest reasons business professionals complain about meetings is that they are unproductive. They often ask themselves: Why do I have to be at this meeting? So, before you decide to hold a meeting, ask yourself who needs to be in this meeting and who doesn’t? Don’t invite certain people who would be more productive doing other things, but make sure they receive a summary of what was discussed and agreed to in the meeting so they can stay in the loop.

  • Finally, regardless of the meeting format you establish, ensure that every meeting ends with specific action items that include who will be responsible for what, and when those action items are expected to be completed. Deadlines are essential. Accountability is crucial. Without these important pieces of information, future meetings will suffer and everyone involved will become frustrated.

How to Participate Online Meeting

With so many companies now choosing to conduct crucial meetings online, being an active and valuable online meeting participant has become an important ​workplace skill. Online meetings create a great opportunity for the exchange of ideas between dispersed employees who might not get to interact in person on a regular basis, establishing them as valuable team members and creating camaraderie amongst employees.

  • Be on Time

    If something is preventing you from attending an online meeting on time, let the organizer know. Keep in mind that online meeting software lets the participants know who is logging in, and when.

    Have some water or go to the restroom before the meeting due to online meetings usually do not go on for hours, so there is no natural break for you to excuse yourself.

    Also, don’t sneak out of the meeting without letting anyone know - you never know when someone might ask you a question. If you have an emergency, let the meeting organizer know that you must step out for a few minutes, and you will let them know when you are back. The best way to do this is through your online meeting software’s chat facility, so you don’t disrupt the presenter.

  • Keep a Professional Demeanor

    While you might be attending your online meeting from the comfort of your desk or even your home, your tone should be no less formal than if you were in a boardroom, surrounded by your peers and superiors.

  • Don’t Plan on Just Listening In

    Just because the meeting is online, it is no excuse for you to work on something else while only listening in. If you have been invited to the meeting, it’s because the presenter values your input. Even if there isn’t much of a chance for participation, you should still be actively taking notes. The online meeting that you happened to work on something else through, might just have something that will prove important to you. If you need to finish any work the same day as the meeting, either state that you are not available to attend the meeting on that day, or organize yourself well enough so that you won’t have to work through it.

  • Make it a Point to Participate

    Whether it’s asking a question during the Q&A session, sharing your team’s achievements or any other appropriate story or idea, plan to have a say in the meeting.

    Any good host will ask for input during the meeting, and will not spend the whole time just talking at the team. Take this as an opportunity to show that you are not only in attendance, but also paying attention. Say your name before you speak, so attendees will know who is addressing them. Keep in mind that you should speak confidently and clearly, as you would during a face-to-face meeting. If your business isn’t into informal language, then refrain from using it even though an online setting might feel more informal than a face-to-face one.

  • Practice Before the Meeting

    If you have been asked to share a slide, or to make a presentation during the meeting, you should ensure that not only is it done to the standards required by the organizer, but that you have also practiced the delivery of your materials.

    If this is your first online meeting using a certain software, ask the meeting organizer if they could do a dry run with you, to make sure that you’re comfortable using the software. If you are already familiar with the software, then just practice the presentation. Know what you are going to say, and avoid reading from a cue during your presentation. Reading certain facts and figures is fine, but you don’t want to sound like those telemarketing operators who cold-call you. Make sure that your presentation flows and is delivered smoothly.

  • Do Not Speak Out of Turn

    If it is someone else’s turn to present, let them finish without interruptions. Wait until they are done and then comment or ask questions. Unless the presenter has specified that it is OK for participants to interrupt the presentation, refrain from speaking when it’s someone else’s turn. Otherwise not only will the meeting be delayed, but it can also go off-topic. Keep in mind that those participating in online meetings don’t have the opportunity to give visual cues that they would like to speak, letting the presenter neatly wrap up a point they want to make before taking the comment or question. So any interruption will be vocal, disrupting the natural flow of the meeting.

Online Meeting Tools

  • Skype for Busines

    Skype for Business (formerly Microsoft Office Communicator and Microsoft Lync) is an instant-messaging client used with Skype for Business Server or with Skype for Business Online (available with Microsoft Office 365). They replace Windows Messenger, which ran with Microsoft Exchange Server.

    Skype for Business is enterprise software; compared to Skype, it has different features that target businesses.

    On 11 November 2014, Microsoft announced that in 2015, Skype for Business would replace Lync. In April 2015, Microsoft officially launched Skype for Business. The latest version of the communication software combines features of Lync and of the consumer software Skype. There are two user interfaces - organizations can switch their users from the default Skype for Business interface to the Skype for Business (Lync) interface.

  • Adobe Connect Pro

    Adobe is the well-known company that has brought us Flash, a widely used online video format. Connect Pro is one of Adobe’s lesser known products, however, it is still a solid choice when it comes to online meetings.

    It is not for the beginner user because even though it has a beautiful interface, it can be difficult to use due to its large number of features and the fact that it takes a while to really get to know them. Users can create polls, access meetings from an iPhone or iPod Touch, video conference and easily share a variety of media. In addition, this is great software for a larger meeting, since it can accommodate up to 200 people.

  • Dimdim

    This is a relatively new online meeting tool. Compared to competitors, it is a great value for the money as it is loaded with useful features like VoIP and screen sharing. As it is based on your web browser, there are no compatibility issues with your operating system, so it doesn’t matter whether you are on a PC, Mac or Linux.

    The software has a free version for meetings of up to 20 participants. However, if you need to host more people, there is the option to go Pro. On this version, meetings may have up to 50 people and can be branded.

    Dimdim also offers larger meeting options, which accommodate up to 1,000 people. It is the most user-friendly online meeting tool, with an easy to navigate interface that is highly intuitive. What’s more, hosts can customize the entire meeting room, so it is useful and interesting for attendees.

  • GoToMeeting

    Made by Citrix Online, GoToMeeting is an online meeting program specifically useful for small companies.

    It supports meetings of up to 15 people and allows for meeting recording, screen sharing and chatting between participants. In its Corporate version, meetings can have up to 25 people. While the user interface isn’t very attractive, GoToMeeting is great at being very intuitive and extremely easy to use, so it takes very little time to get to know the program’s capabilities and features. One downside is that before a meeting can start, attendees need to download a client so they can access all of the software’s features.

  • Microsoft Office Live Meeting

    Along with WebEx, this is perhaps one of the best-known online meeting tools. Its functionality spans from basic meetings all the way to web conferences and even online learning sessions. Unlike GoToMeeting, for example, meeting attendees do not have to download a client in order to gain the software’s basic functionality, so joining a meeting is quick and easy.

    The software includes an Outlook add-on that lets users schedule online meetings the same way as face-to-face ones, so if you are familiar with Outlook, setting up meetings with LiveMeeting will be second nature.

    While the software does cater to small companies, it shines as a corporate tool, since its more advanced features require a dedicated server (and the expensive licensing that comes with it). One feature that stands out from competitors is search. Live Meeting users can search current and past meeting documents (but not audio or video) for specific content.

  • WebEx Meeting Center

    WebEx is the umbrella name given to Cisco Systems’ large array of online meeting tools which serve from small meetings to large conferences. Meeting Center is a popular part of this range of products, and holds collaborative working at its core. What sets this tool aside from its competitors is the ability for hosts and participants to keep a number of meeting-related content on their screen simultaneously and resize or move them around as they like.

    The tool is also integrated with Outlook, so it is easy to start a meeting or send invitations directly from the program. It is a relatively easy to use tool, although it does require some training so users can make the most of its functionality.

Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes is important to capture the essence of the meeting, including details such as:

  • decisions made (motions made, votes, etc.)
  • next steps planned
  • identification and tracking of action items

Meeting minutes are a tangible record of the meeting for its participants and a source of information for members who were unable to attend. In some cases, meeting minutes can act as a reference point, for example:

  • when a meeting’s outcomes impact other collaborative activities or projects within the organization
  • minutes can serve to notify (or remind) individuals of tasks assigned to them and/or timelines

There are essentially five steps involved with meeting minutes:

Pre-planning

A well-planned meeting helps ensure effective meeting minutes. If the Chair and the Secretary or minutes-taker work together to ensure the agenda and meeting are well thought out, it makes minute taking much easier. For example, depending on the meeting structure and the tools you use, the minutes-taker could work with the Chair to create a document format that works as an agenda and minutes outline as well.

At the very least, it’s important to get a copy of the meeting agenda and use it as a guide or outline for taking notes and preparing the minutes - with the order and numbering of items on the minutes matching those of the agenda. In addition, the agenda and/or meeting notice also provides information that will need to be included in the minutes, such as:

  • the names of all the meeting attendees, including guests or speakers
  • documents that are sent out with the agenda or handed out in the meeting - copies (digital or hard copy) of handouts should be stored with the meeting minutes for future reference and for sharing with those who were unable to attend the meeting (and others as determined by the meeting’s Chair).

Record taking at the meeting

Before you start taking notes, it’s important to understand the type of information you need to record at the meeting. As noted earlier, your organization may have required content and a specific format that you’ll need to follow, but generally, meeting minutes usually include the following:

  • Date and time of the meeting
  • Names of the meeting participants and those unable to attend
  • Acceptance or corrections/amendments to previous meeting minutes

  • Decisions made about each agenda item, for example:

    • Actions taken or agreed to be taken
    • Next steps
    • Voting outcomes (if necessary, details regarding who made motions; who seconded and approved or via show of hands, etc.)
    • Motions taken or rejected
    • Items to be held over
    • New business
    • Next meeting date and time

Tips that might help your note taking:

  • Create an outline: having an outline (or template) based on the agenda makes it easy for you to simply jot down notes, decisions, etc. under each item as you go along. If you are taking notes by hand, consider including space below each item on your outline for your hand-written notes, then print these out and use this to capture minutes.

  • Check-off attendees as they enter the room: if you know the meeting attendees, you can check them off as they arrive, if not have folks introduce themselves at the start of the meeting or circulate an attendance list they can check-off themselves.

  • Record decisions or notes on action items in your outline as soon as they occur to be sure they are recorded accurately.

  • Ask for clarification if necessary: for example, if the group moves on without making a decision or an obvious conclusion, ask for clarification of the decision and/or next steps involved.

  • Don’t try to capture it all: you can’t keep up if you try to write down the conversation verbatim, so be sure to simply (and clearly) write (or type) just the decisions, assignments, action steps, etc.

  • Record it: literally, if you are concerned about being able to keep up with note taking, consider recording the meeting (e.g., on your smart phone, iPad, recording device, etc.) but be sure to let participants know they are being recording. While you don’t want to use the recording to create a word-for-word transcript of the meeting, the recording can come in handy if you need clarification.

Minutes writing or transcribing

Once the meeting is over, it’s time to pull together your notes and write the minutes. Here are some tips that might help:

  • Try to write the minutes as soon after the meeting as possible while everything is fresh in your mind.
  • Review your outline and if necessary, add additional notes or clarify points raised. Also check to ensure all decisions, actions and motions are clearly noted.
  • Check for sufficient detail.
  • Edit to ensure brevity and clarity, so the minutes are easy to read.

  • What NOT TO INCLUDE: EffectiveMeetings.com offers some these tips from the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP):

    • Be objective.
    • Write in the same tense throughout
    • Avoid using people’s names except for motions or seconds. This is a business document, not about who said what.
    • Avoid inflammatory or personal observations. The fewer adjectives or adverbs you use, the better.
    • If you need to refer to other documents, attach them in an appendix or indicate where they may be found. Don’t rewrite their intent or try to summarize them.

Distributing or sharing of meeting minutes

As the official minutes-taker or Secretary, your role may include dissemination of the minutes. However, before you share these, be sure that the Chair has reviewed and either revised and/or approved the minutes for circulation.

Online sharing

The method of sharing or distribution will depend on the tools that you and your organization use. Since minutes and other documentation can create a pile of paper, it’s great if you can use a paperless sharing process. For example, if you are using a word processing tool (e.g., Microsoft Word) that doesn’t offer online sharing, you might want to create a PDF of the document and send this and the other attachments or meeting documentation via email. Alternately, if you are all using Google docs - for meeting invitations, agenda and additional document sharing - you can simply share the document with that group once it has been finalized. Committee or Board members can simply read the documents online and save a few trees.

Sharing in the Cloud

If your organization is using a cloud-based membership management system (like Wild Apricot), you can publish the minutes as a web page and give access only to the committee or Board members, depending on your organization’s needs. Through members-only webpages, you can create a secure online Intranet for your Board and committees.

Tools Specifically For Meeting Minutes

If you are wondering about the types of tools you might use specifically for meeting minutes, here are some tools that we found outlined on Quora:

  • Google Docs: Also supports collaborative note taking. Here are some meeting minute sample templates in Google docs. If you send out a meeting request using Google Calendar, you can attach a Google doc agenda outline. Once minutes are crafted (using the outline), you can simply share the document with the group (using their email addresses).
  • OneNote: Very fast allows for organization of notes. Also support audio recording with corresponding note time-stamping.
  • Evernote: Great note taking tool
  • Meeting Mix: Pretty good all in one tool, also support agenda sharing
  • Textpad / TextMate: Fast, light weight, non-intrusive, requires that you manage your notes in txt files or export to another collaborative environment.
  • Agreedo: supports creation of meeting minutes and tracking the results.

In addition, here is a post from Lifehacker that outlines Five Best Meeting Minutes Services.

Filing or storage of minutes for future reference

Most committees and Boards review and either approve or amend the minutes at the beginning of the subsequent meeting. Once you’ve made any required revisions, the minutes will then need to be stored for future reference. Some organizations may store these online (e.g., in Google docs or SkyDrive) and also back these up on an external hard drive. You may also need to print and store hard copies as well or provide these to a staff member or Chair for filing.

Tips

如何开一场高效且有用的会议？

我们工作都离不开会议，经常会有职场人抱怨，上午一个会下午一个会，一天过去了什么活儿也没干。那么如何开一场高效且有用的会议呢？在组织开会前，你首先要搞清楚三个问题：

  • 会议的目的是什么？
  • 如果不开会是否有更好的解决方式？
  • 会议预期结果是什么？

当你有了大致的想法，决定好要开会后，需要再确认三件事：

  • 参会人员都有哪些？
  • 事情的来龙去脉与会者是否了解？
  • 以及会议的具体议程

做好了会前准备后，下一步就要看在会议中的把控。为了保证会议的高效，建议你在汇报中结论先行。这样可以使听者第一时间清楚你想表达什么。对于项目会议，建议你使用AAR开场，即“行动后反思”，以“目标+现状+现状与目标的差距+下一步行动方案”的结构去组织会议。

References