Managing Meetings

How to make meetings work for you and members of your team

Course benefits:

Meetings are a crucial element of business yet many meetings fail to meet the objectives of the attendee or to serve a useful purpose. Meetings are often treated as social gatherings without any structure or format. Attendees arrive, talk about a subject and leave. Soon after the meeting everyone has forgotten why the meeting was held.

This workshop encourages learners to take a structured approach to meetings and to consider the true cost of arranging and attending these events. Learners will find that the proven techniques taught on this workshop help them to use their meeting time both more effectively and more efficiently.

This workshop also considers the impact on meetings of technology and the globalisation of business. As well as conventional meetings, formats such as netmeetings, videoconferencing, teleconferencing and workshops are also considered.

Who should attend:

The workshop is suitable for anyone who spends, or expects to spend, some part of their working time in meetings

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

What you will learn:

On successful completion of the course, attendees will be able to:

Take a structured approach to arranging and attending meetings
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of meetings that they arrange
Choose the right type of meeting for different occasions
Understand how to handle difficult and obstructive attendees

What you will cover:

Making meetings work - Do you need to meet, what are the objectives, choosing the right type of meeting, meeting logistics, formal vs. informal meetings, choosing the right attendees, keeping on track, after the meeting
Getting ready to meet - Planning the meeting, types of agenda, meeting practicalities, what could go wrong?
Attending a meeting - Your role, being seen and heard, listening skills, handling problems, taking minutes
Running a meeting - Your role, researching the participants, keeping control, setting the pace, keeping order, meeting your objective, closing a meeting, solving problems
Meetings in the New Economy - Using net-meetings, using videoconferencing, using email, using teleconferencing

How you will learn:

This workshop makes extensive using of role playing. Delegates find themselves immersed in meetings from the first session and are given the opportunity to experience different meeting formats and to employ strategies for ensuring that meetings are efficient and effective.

Duration and availability:

One day non-residential. In-house only.