Chairing a meeting

Randy Merced, MPA, MS

I have to chair an Emergency Response meeting tomorrow. Its not just about writing an agenda and letting things go on their own. The team is made up of a number of stakeholders' who have their own opinion of the best course of action. Your job if you choose to accept it is to keep the meeting interesting and on the rails.

Chairing a meeting is a valuable opportunity to gain visibility and demonstrate leadership skills within an organization. It’s not necessary to be an expert on the subject matter of the meeting, but it is essential to develop and hone a variety of procedural skills that ensure the meeting is productive and efficient.

One key procedural skill is the ability to produce an agenda. A well-prepared agenda sets the tone for the meeting, outlines the topics to be discussed, and helps participants understand the objectives. It also provides a roadmap for the meeting, ensuring that all necessary points are covered within the allocated time. This involves coordinating with stakeholders to determine what items need to be addressed, prioritizing these topics, and estimating the time required for each discussion.

In addition to technical skills like agenda creation, diplomatic skills are crucial for effective chairing. These include the ability to keep the discussion moving by ensuring that all relevant points are covered without lingering too long on any one topic. This requires a delicate balance of assertiveness and tact to steer conversations in a constructive direction while allowing participants to express their views.

Another important diplomatic skill is managing participant engagement. This involves knowing how to encourage quieter members to contribute and tactfully prevent dominant participants from monopolizing the conversation. A good chair can recognize when a discussion is becoming unproductive or when someone is speaking for too long, and can intervene to refocus the group’s attention or move on to the next agenda item.

Finally, the chair must also ensure that decisions are clearly articulated and understood by all participants, summarizing key points and assigning follow-up actions as needed. This helps to maintain clarity and accountability, ensuring that the meeting’s objectives are met and that everyone leaves with a clear understanding of the next steps.

By mastering these technical and diplomatic skills, a chair can lead meetings that are not only efficient and effective but also provide them with increased visibility and credibility within the organization. Now let's herd them cats for a productive hour.