Chairing the meeting by Jolito Ortizo Padilla.. an excerpts from my book "How to Manage Effective Meetings": Middle East Edition

Cover of my book: How To Manage Effective Meetings: Middle East Edition
Soon in Jarir Bookstores and Virgin Megastores

Chairing a meeting is a leadership task. The Chair's task is to release the talents of the group. You should provide:
 - vision: what the meeting is aiming for;
 - direction: indicating where to go;
 - security: developing the group's well being and sense of purpose

How you do this will depend very much on the style of chairing that you find congenial. The best Chairs wear their authority lightly. Lao-tsu, the writer of the Tao Te Ching recognized this over 2,000 years ago.
    The best soldier is not soldiery
    The best fighter is not ferocious
    The best conqueror does not take part in the war
    The best employer of men keeps himself below them
    This is called the virtue of not contending
    This is called the ability of using people

" The best conqueror does not take part in the war" This sums up good chairing. Direct the process of the meeting; delegate task leadership to participants. Lead the operation; but don't take part.

Leadership in meetings

What sort of leader do you intend to be? Try to be clear how you will conduct the meeting before you begin. What type of meeting is it? Does it have regulations or legal requirements governing the way it is run? How do you expect participants to contribute? How will you control procedure? Will everybody address their remarks formally through the Chair? Perhaps you will opt for a strategy of minimal control: announcing each item, summarizing discussion, calling for a formal decision-and keeping to time.

One of the most common criticism of Chairs is that they fail to control the meeting. Another is that they are autocratic! Strict control must be exercised at the start of the meeting, when a group is newly formed, or when the meeting is large and a high degree of procedural discipline must be invoked. "Strong" control is useful in a crisis, or to get through the routine items quickly. Otherwise a democratic style is preferable. Groups work best when they feel ownership of the tasks to be undertaken, and empowered to act. They will also work more efficiently if they feel secure: that somebody is in overall control.

Opening the  meeting

A meeting that starts badly will take time to recover. It is a good idea to work out an opening in some detail: it will steady the nerves and put everybody at ease. You should:
  - Start on time. If you do not, you will have late arrivals for the next meeting. Lateness will become chronic problem if not dealt with immediately. Anybody who arrives late at a meeting that started promptly should soon get the message.
  - State the purpose or objective of the meeting. Refer to the agenda, and indicate the common ground that exists within the group to reach this goal.
 - Make all suitable introductions. Check that everybody knows each other. Attend in particular to new members.
 - Announce procedures and the timetable of the meeting. Tell people how long the meeting will last, and time of breaks. Indicate how you expect them to contribute and how discussion will be controlled.
- If you are chairing a new group:
   - identify and agree the group's purpose;
   - give information on everybody's attending: their expertise and relevance to the task;
   - invite everybody to introduce themselves.
- If the group is well established:
   - identify the purpose of this meeting;
   - note any changes in circumstances since the last meeting;
   - remind the group of its identity;
   - introduce new members or guests;
   - praise achievements of the group or individuals since the last meeting;
   - acknowledge new difficulties;
   - reaffirm the determination of the meeting to meet the challenge.

Managing agenda items

Lead by example. Keep the ground focused on your vision of the meeting: not only what we want to achieve , but how we want to behave. Manage the conversation by asking questions, listening, energizing, praising, accepting and, occasionally disciplining. Check that the task leader is satisfied with the outcome: that decisions and actions , and the responsibilities and deadlines associated with them , are clear.

Take each item separately, and in order. Clarify which item the meeting is addressing, and redirect participants when they stray into other items:
    - Refer to the agenda.
    - Do not start an item before concluding the previous one.
    - Clarify the purpose of the item.
    - Start the discussion positively.
    - Remind the group how much time is allocated.
    - Give any relevant background information
    - Try to change your approach from item to item.
Ensure that the meeting does not waste time. Be ready to check whether the discussion is useful to the task leader, or even necessary. Challenge gossip, in particular. Remind participants of their responsibilities to use time well. You might record the time taken for each item against the task leader's name: this can work wonders for group discipline.

Encouraging contributions

Most of us sometimes need to be encourage to speak  out. An important idea may never emerge because somebody is too reticent or overawed to volunteer it. Meetings can easily become" tennis matches" dominated by a few personalities while everybody else looks on helplessly. The Chair can encourage democracy in two ways- by task behavior: initiating discussion, building on it, making suggestions; and by process behavior:gate-keeping to allow everyone to contribute; time-keeping to concentrate people's minds; and summarizing the group's feelings.

Everybody should feel relaxed about contributing , and that their contribution is valued. Distinguish contributions from people making them. Praise useful ideas and remarks rather than according gushing adoration; be critical , if you must , of a comment without condemning the speaker. Be open, honest and specific:
- Always ask for different points of view.
- Note which people are not talking and make space for them to contribute.
- Discipline more dominant group members.
- Separate different stages of the conversation-and keep the distinction clear.
- Separate creative contributions from critical ones.

Using questions and statements

At the next meeting you attend, count the number of questions. Compare it to the number of assertions made. What conclusion can you draw?

Managers are often dismayed at the lack of questions in meetings they chair. Perhaps they have forgotten how politically charges questions-or being seen to question can be. In many organizations, to question is simply " not done". " Questioning," wrote Samuel Johnson with typically heavy irony , " is not the mode of conversation among gentlemen." As a result, many managers become much more skilled in advocating their own ideas that in inquiring into those of others- or into their own.

We ask question to:

  - find out;
  - check our understanding;
  - help others improve their understanding;
  - invite others to question our thinking;
  - make requests for action or information.

Of course, we also use questions for many other reasons , such as to:

  - accentuate the difference between our ideas and those of others;
  - ridicule or make somebody look foolish;
  - criticize;
  - find fault or flaws;
  - make us look clever;
  - express our position "politically": in relation to an alliance, to subgroup or to the group as a whole;
  - trip somebody up;
  - force the speaker into a corner;
  - disguise a statement of opinion;
  - create an adversarial situation.
If we are not getting the answers we want, we have not asked the right questions.

Become aware of the repertoire of questions available to you. Use them to help you pilot the conversation: to open it, keep it alive , take it in new directions, steer it away from dangerous waters or shallows where it might get stuck, and bring it to a close.

Ask genuine questions, truly seeking information , encouraging people to speak from their experience and expertise, rather than "putting answers into their mouth".

Statements are useful at the beginning of a meeting, to define the purpose, objectives and scope of conversation. Be sure to make any opening statement positive. Statements during items of a meeting can be used to:
    - introduce it: " We're all aware of the problems in this area. They include....."
    - give information: " This is a new venture for the company. Briefly it works like this... ",
    - temper conflict or confusion with fact: " Perhaps I can make a few points clear at this stage..... ".
    - gauge the mood of the group: I can see that there's a good deal of frustration about this....", " I think we're
      all satisfied with that decision.... " , It seems to me that we're getting confused .....",
    - provoke, to energize or stimulate discussion: "Our jobs all depends on this!"

Types of Question

Closed (can only be answered "yes" or "no")              Gets a " yes" or "no"
"Can you.."?" Will you...."? "Is it....."? "Do you..."?      Establishes matters of fact
                                                                                   Focuses the discussion
                                                                                   Stops rambling
                                                                                   Checks understanding

 Open (cannot be answered "yes" or " no"                  Avoid "yes"or "no"
"why/What/who/where/when/how?                            Opens up discussion
                                                                                  Encourages up discussion
                                                               Gains information in a non-directive way
                                                                                 Gets ideas

Specific                                                   
"at what point....?"                                    Directs the discussion
" Where exactly....?"                                     Prevents rambling
                                                                    Engages expertise
                                                                    Brings people into the conversation
                                                                    Speeds up and focuses attention

Overhead                                          Addresses the group
"What do we all think?"                      Help to avoid embarrassment
                                                          Stimulates answers from newcomers
                                                 Can help to make a point without sacrificing
                                                            impartiality

Relay

" Thanks Abdulrahman.
Anas , what do you think?"               From one speaker to another
                                                        Comparing ideas
                                                        Keeping the conversation moving

  Reverse

Well: What do you think?"                Reflects a question back to questioner
                                                       Encourage a speaker to expand or qualify

Summarizing

All meetings go through periods of relative calm, between or within items. The group is uncertain of the next move : the conversation dries up , begins to go circles pr degenerates into chat. At times like this, the Chair should intervene with a summary.

Good timing is essential. Don't try to summarize when the discussion is in full swing: take notes to prepare yourself for the moment  when the group stop generating ideas. There are three main points in any meeting when summarizing becomes useful tool to guide the conversation:
1. Summarizing within items. Control contributions by summarizing them: when they ramble, repeat themselves or become anecdotal. Mark the end of one phase of the conversation with a summary before inviting further comments . Summarize to bring together the strands of a discussion, or when it goes slack. Sometimes a summary can be used to check how much agreement you have achieved and to reopen the discussion.
2. Summarizing at the end of items. This will seal an agreement or clarify exactly what has been agreed. This is a task that can carefully be given to the administrator, to help clarify what put in the minutes.
3. Summarizing at the end of the meeting. A brief summary will remind the group of its achievement and point the way forward to the actions that will be taken.

Problem People

Every meeting has them. A group member becomes a problem if his or her individual interests come into conflict with those of the group. A basic rule is to treat problem people as members of the group, and not as troublesome individuals. This may be easier than done.

Problem People and how to deal with them

The Bulldog
Aggressive, inflexible,
Looking for a fight                           Give him a bone to chew.
Out to score points,
Liable to attack without               Separate his words from his manner
warning                                                    Keep cool

The Horse
 Keen bit boring,
Goes by the book                       Lead them to water; give them a job to do
Intelligent
Could plod on forever                Harness their remarks by summarizing and                                                        restating

The Fox                                           Force them to make their views public
Crafty,                                               Look for the hidden agenda
Undermines the meeting                      Set the bulldog on them
A potential hijacker

The Monkey
Know-it -all                                         Keep control of procedure
Point-of -order expert                          Ask closed questions
Chatters incessantly                              Give them something to do
Swings them "tree to tree"
Volunteers a lot

The Hedgedog
Prickly                                                    Tickle their bellies
Whines and Whinges                               Respect their expertise
Despises everybody else:
May have been                                        Ask them to help
squashed once or twice                           Give them status
Skeptical, unhelpful,
defensive (curls into a ball)

The Gazelle
Timid and retiring                                     Ask direct questions
May be young                                          Encourage
Liable to run away                                    Praise
A silent worrier                                        Seduce into conversation
Unwilling to stand their ground                 Protect from Bulldogs


The Frog
Blabbermouth                                       Keep to the point                      
Leaps in unthinkingly                             Appeal to the clock
"Read it, Read it"                                   Ignore their gaffes
Ill-informed                                           Ask them to do the minutes
Puts his foot
in- potential victim of the fox

The Hippo
Wallows                                    Try to heave them out of the mud
Half asleep                                        Pick on them suddenly
Likes mud, and not much else              Challenge them
Will agree to anything
Likely to say:" Why me?"


The Giraffe
Easily distracted                              Bring them down to earth
Dreams in the treetops                     Show respect
Rather sensitive                                Don't trip them up
Will do anything not to fall over       Seduce into the conversation
A silent water                                  Protect from Bulldogs
Unwilling to stand their ground