In this context I don’t mean the thing you’re sitting on but the person leading the meeting! Chairing is a skill that we’re expected to learn by osmosis and the thought of leading a meeting can strike fear into the
A-Z of successful meetings– C is for Conflict
When I run facilitation training courses , the most common fear for the newly qualified is usually “What will I do if people fall out and it turns nasty?” In reality this rarely happens but it does cause anxiety for
A-Z of Successful Meetings–C is for Control
When you start chairing meetings one of the main worries is how to keep control of the meeting. Often some of the delegates will be more senior and/or more experienced and it’s easy to feel alone and vulnerable. Here are
A-Z of Successful Meetings B is for Behaviours
As people, we are all complex creatures and approach situations in many different ways. This is often seen in meetings. There are the people who like a meeting to be fast paced and decisive but also people who like to
A-Z of successful meetings–A is for Action
There are many different types and styles of meeting but one of their common characteristics is that to be efficient, decisions have to be made and actions given out. It’s not about the talking but what that leads to
A-Z of Successful Meetings–A is for Attendees
Who you have at your meeting is crucial to it’s success. There is no point trying to solve a problem with a key department not represented or trying to agree expenditure without the budget holder there. Think about what you
The A-Z of Successful Meetings – A is for Agenda
The agenda is a key tool to ensuring a successful meeting. It makes the leader think about the best use of the time in the meeting and outlines to the attendees what will be happening during the meeting. Timings on
The A-Z of Successful Meetings
During my life in the corporate world, like most people, I spent alot of time in meetings. Often these achieved little and seemed to be devices to fill up the days of managers who wanted to feel important. Once I
Cultural differences in teams
We recently hosted two US students visiting the UK on the “People to People” programme. Our children’s school plays host to the “Homestay” section of the programme. The US students stay with a UK family with kids of around the
Are you playing on the pitch?
There have been pages of newspaper coverage and hours of debate devoted recently to England’s poor performance at the World Cup in South Africa. This has prompted a timely post from guest blogger Rhys Jones of Teamfactor which is also relevant