Guidelines for Conducting a Business Meeting

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          GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING A BUSINESS MEETING

The ability to lead successful meetings is one of the most useful
skills any leader can develop.   These guidelines are designed to
help the leader identify points that need improvement.

> The role of meeting chair
     
     1.   A key to successful business meetings is whole-hearted
          participation by all, or most, of the members.    

     2.   Establishing a meeting agenda will help you meet the
          needs of the group in a timely fashion (see #8).  State
          the purpose of the meeting clearly in an agenda.

     3.   Start on time.  Watch the pacing; keep the meeting moving
          along.

     4.   State ideas positively and show their relation to the
          overall issue or problem.

     5.   Pull out background information ahead of time or invite
          resource people to come to the meeting.

     6.   Draw contributions from everyone.  Pin down points of
          view by questioning or restatement as you go along.  Make
          frequent summaries during discussion.

     7.   Assign tasks, delegate responsibility as the meeting
          proceeds, see that they are recorded in the minutes.

     8.   Guide the meeting from problem to solution.

     9.   Wrap-up!  


To provide closure for the members, you will want to point out
decisions reached, differences not yet resolved, future actions and
steps to be taken.  You should also point out deadlines, review
task assignments and set another meeting date, time, and place.


> Things to keep in mind

     1.   You are in charge of the meeting; you should respond to
          the  needs of the group, but you are responsible for
          administering the agenda.

     2.   If you choose to set operational guidelines, be sure to
          enforce them consistently.

• Lois M. Frey, UVM Extension, RR #4, Box 2298, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 223-2389, email: lfrey@sover.net
• "Group Development: Creating Group Effectiveness" by Duane Dale, DFD Associates, 99 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-3402 (moving to 764 South East Street, Amherst, MA 01022 after 8/1/98);
• Bob Biagi, 142 Cherry Lane, Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 549-1412;

Comments to: crs@uvm.edu
Reviewed as of 4/20/98