Categories: Management Skills ,  Meeting and Negotiation Skills

Effective Meetings

Course Outline
One of the most common frustrations reported in the workplace is the waste of time and energy given to poorly managed meetings. This course will equip participants with the skills and techniques needed to plan, lead and participate in meetings of any kind, including impromptu, on-the-spot discussions between colleagues, to formal presentations and meetings with external suppliers or customers.

Key Aims
• To assist the organisation to achieve maximum performance by improving the quality and effectiveness of meetings
• To focus on key issues and challenges relating to participating in and leading meetings, such as: keeping the meeting on track and clarifying decisions
• To introduce powerful and flexible tools and techniques for effectively participating in and leading meetings, whatever the participants’ previous experience or circumstances
• To facilitate the development of strategies for improving delegates’ ongoing personal development
• To cover essential topics in a relatively short time, whilst ensuring an immediate impactTo accommodate a range of learning styles, by including a variety of practical exercises, opportunities for personal assessment, and presentation of key techniques and strategies.

Key Benefits
Participants will learn how to:
• Consider the value and role of meetings as an operational and strategic tool
• Understand how to use the structure and format of meetings effectively
• Identify the responsibilities of participants
• Identify key leadership actions
• Learn how to make effective contributions
• Learn how to lead and manage discussions
• Consider how to deal with conflicting styles and ideas
• Learn how to keep discussions up-beat and positive

The organisation will:
• Have more productive and effective meetings
• Improve internal communication
• Reduce the time taken to clarify information
• Save time and money by minimising misunderstandings

Outline Programme
• The importance of meetings - Valuing the role of meetings as an important operational and strategic tool
• The mechanics of meetings – How meetings are structured and the roles participants play
• Uses and abuses of agendas – How to use the agenda as important preparation tool
• Participants’ responsibilities – How the leader can get the co-operation of the participants by helping them to understand and fulfil their responsibilities
• Meeting Dynamics – How to respond to the most common dynamics issues within meetings, including dealing with conflict when it arises
• Encouraging and controlling discussions - How to keep the meeting moving and the discussions flowing in the right direction
• Methods of note taking – including speedwriting – Improving speedwriting techniques can alleviate the pressure in fast moving meetings. Participants will be taught the basics and have the opportunity to try it out. Personal development planning – extending learning back into the workplace