How to Chair a Meeting

You don't have to be on a stage to be a public speaker. Your platform may be a meeting room. How you present yourself when chairing a meeting determines whether or not you are perceived as a leader. Here are some tips to keep in mind when it's your turn to take charge.

Know why you are holding the meeting. What outcomes are you trying to achieve? This will keep you focused and purposeful.

Clarify your role as chair. How do the participants perceive you? Did you call the meeting? Do participants report to you? If you're the boss, people may be scared to speak their minds .If you're not the boss, what do people expect from you as the chair?

Set a positive tone early in the meeting. Greet people before you sit down. Break the ice with some light humor to relax the group. People are often tentative and guarded during the first few minutes. Provide coffee if appropriate. People bond around food and drink.

Provide a written agenda on a handout or flip chart. The agenda keeps the meeting on track. Let the group know the time frame and guidelines for working together. "We have only forty minutes today. I will update you on the customer service situation, and then I'd like us to brainstorm some solutions to the challenges we face."

Start on time. Don't wait for stragglers. If you begin and end on time, you'll condition people to be prompt.

Create interest with an enticing title. Instead of a management topic about "Business Etiquette" title it "What's Rudeness Costing You?"

Appoint a person to take minutes so that you can later review discussions that took place and the decisions that were made.

Manage the group dynamics. Don't let one person dominate. Ask for other opinions. If some people are silent, draw them out by asking for their thoughts.

Handle conflicts impartially. Encourage cooperation by clarifying what people have said and then asking the participants to propose solutions. Heated arguments may require a timeout in which group members take a short break and return when they've cooled off.

Assign a timekeeper if time is a major constraint.

Give a short summary or recap before going on to the next area. Be sure people understand what the group has agreed to.

End with an action step...Meetings fail because people aren't held accountable. Summarize the action steps the group members are to take and attach a time frame to each action. The only way to get commitment is to assign a deadline.

By following these tips you'll run more effective meetings and gain respect as a confident leader.

Copyright Diane DiResta 2005. All rights reserved.

Diane DiResta, President of DiResta Communications, Inc. is an International speaker, training coach, and author of Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz. To subscribe to Impact Player, a free online newsletter visit http://www.diresta.com

---

Top Ten Tips For Better Business Presentations To Asian Audiences

Audiences around the world are all different. Cultural, social and... Read More

Tips to Energize Your Presentations

"There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be... Read More

Top Ten Rules for Effective Presentations

I am of the belief that the majority of people... Read More

How to Give a Great Speech

As a former owner of a National Speakers Bureau, I... Read More

Move Key Audiences to Actions You Want

How?Try a blueprint like this: people act on their own... Read More

Keeping Meetings Productive

KEEPING MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE: Whether participants approve or disapprove of an... Read More

7 Myths That Make Meetings Miserable

Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings.Although the demands of business... Read More

Writing The Query Letter

The query letter is simply a business letter that serves... Read More

Media Training 101: Mastering the Television Interview

As I travel around the world I always enjoy sampling... Read More

Group Meetings: Being Prepared Makes a Difference

MANAGING MEETINGS--BEING PREPARED MAKES A DIFFERENCE: You can schedule all... Read More

Dump that Overhead Projector!

What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to... Read More

The Missing Link in Presentation Skills Training

Imagine you are the most amazing figure skater who ever... Read More

Audience Respect

One of the biggest mistakes most presenters make is in... Read More

27 Tips For An Effective Presentation

So you're not a professional speaker. That's no excuse for... Read More

Story Telling As A Tool For Trainers

Once upon a time????."Yeah right, don't tell us a story,... Read More

Choosing the Right Work Shirts for Your Small Business

Company attire says a lot about your business philosophy to... Read More

Projector Hire - Choosing the Right One for Your Presentation

Calling a projector hire company will often get you confused... Read More

Watch Out For Power Thieves

"I'm not an expert on this topic, but . .... Read More

Six Marketing Tips for Trade Show Success

A trade show is an ideal way of showcasing your... Read More

Tough Talk: Bad News Delivered the Right Way

Communicating Bad News The Right WayIt's the rare executive who... Read More

Create A Better Impresion With Your Emails

How do you come across in your emails?As I receive... Read More

Just Say No to PowerPoint: Enough is Enough!

Have you ever been slideswiped? You walk into a meeting... Read More

Media Training Tips: Maximising Your Media Moment

Media training is a 'must do' professional development program for... Read More

Trade Show Victory!

So you're going to have a booth at a trade... Read More

How to Prevent Presentation and Speaking Disasters

I just got back from my whirlwind speaking engagements and... Read More

Practice Makes Perfect ? 7 Tips for Making the Most of Your Presentation Practice

Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of... Read More

Don?t Give Presentations Or Speeches - Give Leadership Talks Instead

The CEO of a worldwide business asked me to help... Read More

If You Want Business - Throw a Seminar!

Why is throwing a seminar good for business?If you want... Read More

Why You Need a Lesson Plan

LESSON PLAN DEVELOPMENT: Lesson plans, believe it or not, are... Read More

Cell Phone Dos And Dont During A Meeting

What would we do without our cell phones? Wow, there's... Read More

Too Many Choices - Dont Confuse Your Customers

Conventional wisdom is that the more choices customers have, the... Read More

Give Your Audience Something to Talk About

There is an old saying: "The first thing to do... Read More

Can Stage Presence be Learned?

What is stage presence? Can it be learned?There are, undoubtedly,... Read More