Meetings that Mean Business

Duration: A one day course

Suitable for:

Meetings can be enormously resourceful events or they can be a drain on time, energy and motivation. This course is designed for people at any level who are called upon to attend, organise or run meetings and who want to achieve the best possible outcome. Ideal if you are new to this vital function or in need of a refresher to get you back on track again.

The following modules are included:

1. Notice / Agenda / Organising
2. Chairing / Managing
3. Effectiveness - getting the most
4. Minutes - why do we need them and how do we take them?
5. Listening Skills
6. Teleconferencing Skills

Objectives:

By the end of the course you will:

• Identify the types of meetings you attend and those factors which contribute to their success
• Prepare effectively for all meetings you attend, including Notices and Agendas
• Apply techniques to ensure a meeting stays on course
• Understand why it is necessary to record who is to action a point with clear deadlines agreed
• Establish the contribution of each member, both during and after a meeting to ensure the minutes taken represent a true and accurate record of events
• Listen more effectively to make sure you don't miss key points
• Understand more about using video conferencing in meetings.

Locations: Guildford, Surrey & London

Course Description

Setting the Scene

• What will we cover today?
• What are my priorities and what do I want from the day?
• Establishing objectives of a meeting
• Identifying your role within the meeting

Effective Meetings:

• Establishing objectives of a meeting
• Why meetings fail
• What makes an effective meeting

Meeting Preparation

• Establishing the questions to ask to ensure meetings are effective
• Creating a checklist to help in the preparation
• The need to produce a realistic agenda
• Identifying your role within the meeting

Keeping the Meeting on Course

• Key responsibilities of the chairperson
• Ground rules for effective meetings
• Ensuring the meeting results in action

Listening Skills

• What is active listening?
• Overcoming barriers to listening
• What tactics can be employed to help stay focused?

Writing the Minutes

• Using correct business language and grammar
• Identifying a suitable structure and format
• Producing Action Points

Video conferencing

• What it is
• Tips for successful videoconferencing

Meeting Follow up