This training programme encompasses all aspects of meetings – from planning and chairing them to producing professionally-presented minutes and even evaluating the effectiveness and cost efficiency of meetings in your organisation. If required, this programme can be broken down into a half day on Managing Meetings and a half day on Minute Taking.

Gain clarity on whether a meeting is or isn’t appropriate

Understand how to chair a meeting effectively

Develop ability to produce professional, accurate minutes

One day

Half a day if the topic is either Managing Meetings or Minute Taking

Do we really need a meeting?  Exploring alternative options to ensure that a meeting is the best use of everyone’s time

Why meetings fail – the top 8 reasons

Planning for the meeting – setting the 3 levels of outcome, ensuring the right people are invited, creating an effective agenda

Chairman’s preparation checklist

Meeting room layout and seating plan – where to place your allies and your trouble makers

The meeting in process – understanding group behaviour and dynamics

Key behaviour skills of the successful Chairperson

Rules of Order – to be followed in formal meetings

Dealing with difficult participants and situations

The Chairperson as a facilitator

Avoiding or resolving conflict

Participation, presentation and influencing skills for attendees

The importance of listening

Power struggles and hidden agendas – their effects on meetings

11 sure fire ways to wreck a meeting

Steering the meeting towards a conclusion

Minutes – what to include, what to leave out

Sections, styles and layouts of minutes

Who is doing what and when

Headings and numbering

Useful words for minutes

Writing in the active rather than passive tense

Writing concisely, professionally and clearly

Review and follow-up – how cost effective and efficient are your meetings?  A checklist to measure their effectiveness in your organisation.