Tips to Maximize Meeting Effectiveness Part III  

How to successfully make collective decisions in meetings

Over the past few days we have discussed how to properly prepare for a meeting, how to handle challenging participants, and now we would like to help you wrap up those meetings.

What is the purpose of a meeting, anyway? Meetings are held to make decisions about the actions that will be taken. There are several ways we make decisions at meetings. One is we call people together to inform them of a decision that management has already made. Another is we get people involved in discussions that give them the facts they need to make a decision. Then, we vote.

Our experience as management consultants has shown us, however, that the best way reach a collective decision is by leading the group to consensus. If management dictates the decision without employee input, people feel “talked at” rather than “talked to,” and may even feel manipulated. If we involve our people, but ultimately vote to determine our course of action, we’ll end up with winners and losers. It will be difficult for the losers to get excited about an action that they did not vote for. Consensus, however, allows us to ultimately end up with a decision that can be supported by the entire group. The following six tips will help you effectively lead a diverse group of participants to consensus.

  1. Allow enough time: Reaching decisions by consensus is initially a time consuming process. However, when enough time is taken so that all participants have had an opportunity to question and express their concerns, the group’s decision will typically be more final than a management mandated decision, or a decision made by vote. While initially more time consuming, we may actually be saving time ultimately by not having to revisit the decision again and again to make changes.

  2. Don’t Interrupt: Simply put, interrupting is rude. As a meeting facilitator, ensure that participants do not interrupt one another. Participants that are interrupted tend to shut down and may become a non-participant. If someone is rambling, you can help by waiting for a pause and then quickly summarizing the speaker’s main ideas. For example, “So Marianne, it sounds like you are particularly interested in making two specific changes to our work flow process…They are:”

  3. Encourage Listening: Most of us are poorly trained listeners and rather than focus on listening to others, begin to organize our own thoughts on the topic and wait for the right moment to express them. As a facilitator, it is helpful to summarize participants’ key ideas. You may even be direct by saying, “I think what Martin has to say may have some real merit. Martin, would you mind quickly summarizing your three major points?” Or, if people are talking on top of one another, you might consider saying, “Wow! I sense some excitement here. Let’s make sure that we each have the opportunity to express our thoughts without interruption by making sure that we listen to what other participants are saying.”

  4. Look for Alternatives: When the group gets stuck, look for viable alternatives. Stimulate the discussion by asking questions such as, “Is it possible that we might consider…..?” Or, “What if we tabled this point for the moment and moved on to another topic for a few minutes? We’ll revisit this topic before we conclude the meeting. We may have more information or ideas by then.”

  5. Accept Differences: If you are leading a group to consensus, we can promise you that there will be differences of opinion before reaching a decision everyone can accept. Opposition, or differing opinions, are good. If we always do what we’ve always done, we’ll always get what we’ve always had. Learn to accept challenging viewpoints and see them as part of a productive process that will ultimately lead the group to a good decision that will be well supported.

  6. Check for Support: We know from experience that most decisions are made within the last twenty percent of the planned meeting time. Whether you have planned to meet for days, or only hours, decisions will typically be reached in the final hour of the meeting. Before adjourning the meeting, make time to check for support. Ask questions like, “Is there any part of this decision that you cannot support?” “Is there anything else the group feels that needs further consideration?” Make sure that while not all participants may be excited about the decision, that they can live with and support the decision.

No one likes meetings, but they are a reality of organizational life! Use the tips listed above to confidently lead efficient, productive meetings; meetings that people leave saying, “We really accomplished a lot today! That was a good use of my time.”


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Filed Under: Leadership, Peter's Blog on October 12th, 2009

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