an
interview by Patricia Fripp with Paula Taylor
I recently enjoyed a conversation with Management Consultant
Paula Taylor about effective meetings. You will find her thoughts
most helpful in your meetings.
You did all the right things to prepare for this meeting.
You invited the right people, sent an advance agenda, started
the meeting on time, but it went downhill from there. Preparing
for a meeting is step one. Knowing your role and responsibilities
and those of the other attendees is step two. A well run meeting
has a facilitator, a leader, members and a recorder. Each
role has specific responsibilities. If every role is not filled
or its responsibilities not met, the likelihood of a successful
meeting is greatly diminished.
1.
Leader
The leader is the person who calls the meeting. It is his
or her responsibility to:
- Set the agenda
- Select the participants
- Handle the preparations
The leader can provide information and express opinions
throughout the meeting.
2.
Facilitator
The facilitator is the person who actually conducts the meeting.
It is the responsibility of the facilitator to:
- Keep the group focused
- Encourage everyone to participate
- Protect people from personal attack
- Suggest alternative approaches
The facilitator is neutral and neither contributes nor evaluates
ideas.
3.
Recorder
The responsibilities of the recorder may include:
- Taking notes
- Creating minutes
- Writing on the flip chart
- Accurately compiling the business of the meeting
Like the facilitator, the recorder is neutral and does not
evaluate or contribute ideas.
4. Meeting Member
Every person in the room has the responsibility to actively
participate. This is the role of meeting members. They are
expected to:
- Contribute ideas
- Express opinions
Keep the recorder and facilitator neutral. It is possible
to play multiple roles during a meeting.
However, you can only be in one role at a time. If you switch
roles, you must announce to the group that you are doing so.
Remember, in the role of recorder or facilitator you are neutral
and cannot contribute ideas. It is the facilitator who manages
the meeting. A skilled facilitator is essential to a successful
meeting. Part 3 of this series will focus on the tools and
techniques of the skilled facilitator.
Copyright © 2001 Paula Taylor. All rights reserved.
These guidelines and additional information on meeting management
are taught in the seminar The Effective Facilitator. http://www.taylorgp.com
Paula Taylor is the President of Taylor Group a consulting
and training firm dedicated to improving business effectiveness
by focusing on the strategy, skills and service of companies
and their people.
(432 words) |
