The 4 Ps – 4 awesome tips to get the most out of your meetings

Jenny sat in the meeting watching and listening to what was going on around her. She tried to mask her thoughts with a polite smile at those who made eye contact:

‘Ugh why am I here?!’

‘I have another commitment after this, I wish we could just start on time for once!’

‘Why is he asking for our input when he never lets us even finish a sentence?’

Jenny's manager had arrived late. Inevitably the meeting started late. By the time the minutes had been read, corrected and confirmed, only 20 minutes were remaining to get through the agenda items. Then to top it all off, one of her colleagues brought up a contentious issue under Any Other Business (AOB) that derailed the meeting! The meeting went over by an hour and half. Jenny left the meeting room feeling frustrated and rushed to attend to her commitment.

If you have ever attended a meeting like this, you know how critical the role of the chair is in keeping a meeting structured, timely and productive. And now that’s you! Congratulations and all the best!

No just kidding! Check out the 4 Ps that will help you chair productive meetings:

Be PUNCTUAL

Think of meetings you have attended where the chair kept everybody waiting, how did it make you feel? Like your time isn’t valuable right? And I bet others started sneaking in late too! So lead by example, aim to be in the meeting room 10 to 15 minutes before the meeting starts so you can settle and mentally prepare.

What about unexpected calls or requests? What if your supervisor asks to see you a few minutes before the meeting starts? Delegate a team member to start the meeting for you and inform those present that you are stepping out – that way there will be no debate about your whereabouts and the meeting will start on time!

For virtual meetings it’s a good idea to request everyone to be logged in 10 minutes before the meeting starts to avoid the logistical challenges of connectivity, logging in et cetera.

Be PREPARED

Read minutes of the previous meetings the day before and note down any follow up questions and observations on key issues. Also check in with your team to ensure you’re up to date on any developments or challenges that may have arisen since the last meeting – this way you’ll have a heads up and are less likely to get any surprises during the meeting!

Be PRESENT

Being present will help you listen better and be able to notice if there’s need to change the structure or direction of the meeting. In order to do this you’ve got to minimize distractions. One way to do this is to check on loved ones before, let them know you're going into a meeting and that they should only call if it's an emergency. Also have a customised text message that you can quickly use to decline calls. Then put your phone(s) on silent!

Listen actively, with your heart and mind. This means listening to what it is being said, how it’s being said and also to what is not being said. When a member is on the floor, let them speak without interruption unless they are digressing, so you get a full understanding.

Look out for things like body language, too much silence or one person dominating discussions – this will help you determine if there’s need to lighten the atmosphere with some humour or ask the silent members what their thoughts are, for example.

Be PURPOSEFUL

Stick to the agenda. Avoid AOB or ban it altogether if you can! This is where a lot of time is spent on matters that are irrelevant to the agenda and where members are most likely to disconnect and start thinking about what they are supposed to be doing, or have to do next. Encourage members to send agenda items in advance instead.

Keep the discussion focused on moving forward. Keep guiding members to focus on solutions and explanations of challenges rather than finger pointing, storytelling and excuses.

The more you practice and apply these tips, the more productive and valuable your meetings will be!

And remember, if it gets overwhelming – I’m here to help!