Being a meeting moderator can be easy if you know what you are doing and you stick to some basic principles. If you are one of those people that thinks that you should just go with the flow during a business meeting, you may end up frustrating the attendees and not achieving your goals.
The first and most important rule for any important meeting is to create a script and stick to it during the meeting. Some people like to call this an agenda, but script is more appropriate because it's not just what you talk about but how you talk about it. Consider who should talk during the meeting and document this. Create rough time estimates for each of the meeting topics and communicate that when you e-mail out the agenda. I frequently attend meetings that I'm not the moderator for that don't have a script and they almost always end without any productive outcomes.
The second way to ensure the meeting stays on track is to monitor and control the discussions. I'm not talking about telling people what they should talk about, but instead make sure that what is being discussed is relevant to the agenda. If you notice that one or more people are getting off track, just politely restate what the agenda topic is and then let everyone know that some discussions may be appropriate outside the meeting. Make sure that you are polite and watch the words that you use. Use suggestive language rather than confrontational language.
Last but not least, let the attendees know ahead of time that there will be action items after the meeting. This way nobody will surprised when you document the actions that are required as a follow up to the meeting. Nobody likes surprises, especially when their name is attached to an action item.
Don't be afraid to monitor your meetings and take an honest look at what is working and what is not. Document potential improvements for future meetings so that you can keep getting better ad better at moderating. You can also solicit feedback from attendees and trust me that you will always get at least one new idea.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manny_Packio
The first and most important rule for any important meeting is to create a script and stick to it during the meeting. Some people like to call this an agenda, but script is more appropriate because it's not just what you talk about but how you talk about it. Consider who should talk during the meeting and document this. Create rough time estimates for each of the meeting topics and communicate that when you e-mail out the agenda. I frequently attend meetings that I'm not the moderator for that don't have a script and they almost always end without any productive outcomes.
The second way to ensure the meeting stays on track is to monitor and control the discussions. I'm not talking about telling people what they should talk about, but instead make sure that what is being discussed is relevant to the agenda. If you notice that one or more people are getting off track, just politely restate what the agenda topic is and then let everyone know that some discussions may be appropriate outside the meeting. Make sure that you are polite and watch the words that you use. Use suggestive language rather than confrontational language.
Last but not least, let the attendees know ahead of time that there will be action items after the meeting. This way nobody will surprised when you document the actions that are required as a follow up to the meeting. Nobody likes surprises, especially when their name is attached to an action item.
Don't be afraid to monitor your meetings and take an honest look at what is working and what is not. Document potential improvements for future meetings so that you can keep getting better ad better at moderating. You can also solicit feedback from attendees and trust me that you will always get at least one new idea.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Manny_Packio
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