How to Run Meetings

Meetings to Inform

○Tell all meetings○Lots of Reports○Very little interaction○People are bored○No consent agenda○ Attendance goes down

Meetings to Persuade

○Selling already formed opinions.

○Defending a position.

○Listening to refute.○Unfavorable reaction to disagreement.

Meetings to Problem Solve

• Solve real problems. • Search out new ideas.• Listen for understanding• No speeches.• Stimulate differences of opinions.

Five Step Meetings:Step 1: Start the Process

Open and welcome.

State a clear purpose for the meeting.

Explain the process of the five steps.

Step 2: Generate Ideas Generate ideas

without talking to each other.

Write each idea on an index card / Post-it note.

Facilitator does the same.

Step 2 (cont.): Record Ideas

Suggest one idea at a time, rotate, get all ideas.

Summarize ideas, list on board or chart.

No criticism of ideas. Questions of clarification

only. Rotate to get all ideas. New ideas may be generated

as well.

Step 3: Discuss Ideas

Open discussion. Proceed item by item. Clarify, explain and

discuss items. Explore advantages and

disadvantages. Discuss grouping of

certain items: Careful not to group

too much. No need for a group

decision yet.

Step 4: Reach a Decision

Create a clear ballot on chart or board.

Invite everyone to vote.Number of votes

should cut the list of ideas to number of options you need.

Weighted ballot might work: Give each person 5-4-3-2-1 or 3-2-1 weighted votes.

Step 5:Plan Next Steps

Publicly announce the voting results.

Reach consensus on that decision.

May need to hold interim votes to narrow the choices.

May have a few rounds of voting.

Figure out who is going to do what by when to move the decisions forward.

www.danebener.com

www.QCLCI.comEbenerDanR@sau.edu

Dr. Dan R. Ebener

Five Step Meeting Process