Course Aims

To help those organising or participating in meetings to make them productive by ensuring the necessary elements are in place, the purpose is clear, and results are achieved.  Meetings no longer need to be considered fruitless; with the correct planning and participation they can be a vital and beneficial development tool to drive the organisation forward.

The skills participants will develop will be to

Plan, organise and hold a successful meeting

Ensure the correct personnel are present

Enable decisions to be taken

Follow up the action required to plan for the next stage successfully

Produce the correct documentation at the correct time

The course is for

Anyone who chairs, organises and runs meetings, on a large or small scale or in organisations where meetings have become less effective.

Topics covered 

Defining the focus and objectives of a meeting

Deciding the personnel, venue and date of meeting

Setting the agenda - what to include, what should be left out & use of  time scales

Checking the environment, breaks and refreshments

The role of the chairman

Handling wafflers, those with a hidden agenda, keeping the discussion relevant and ensuring everyone contributes

The role of attendees; preparation, participation and enjoyment

How to reach decisions and specify action

Closing the meeting and ensuring follow up action takes place

Minutes of meetings

Mistakes to avoid

This course involves practical examples of meeting organisation including documentation and opportunities to observe good and bad meeting practice. 

The benefits

Meetings are extremely costly for an organisation in terms of the number of personnel involved and the time taken.  It is essential that meetings are productive and valued by everyone involved and that they are used to lead the organisation by bringing together the main people, setting the objectives and making the right decisions to move forward.

Course duration 1 day