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Welcome to Epicenter Development Group's newsletter EPICentral. The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight fundamental ideas that have helped organizations develop and maintain great manufacturing and service operations. We hope that you find our EPICentral newsletter helpful and would welcome your comments on its content.
Effective Meetings – Going from Waste to Gold (Part 2)
Last month, we reviewed some of the important things that should be considered before a meeting – identifying the meeting objective, creating an agenda, inviting the right people to the meeting, and preparing people for the meeting discussion. In this month’s article, we will highlight some of the critical factors required to make a meeting energized and productive.
#1 Establish Meeting Roles
 Sometime people go to a meeting like they’re going to a movie. They say, “I’ll watch the show and give my feedback if necessary.” Therefore, in order to engage everyone within a meeting, it is important for people to understand their roles and associated responsibilities for the discussion. Some potential meeting “roles” to consider are:
• Facilitator or Chair – Responsible for leading the meeting toward the objectives, encouraging questions or comments, and making assignments.
• Record Keeper – Responsible for taking detailed notes on key discussion points, on decisions made and on assignments; reviewing notes at the end of the meeting; and distributing meeting minutes.
• Time-Keeper – Responsible for monitoring the time and signaling to the group when the meeting is “off track.”
• Participant – Responsible for focusing on the discussion and actively asking questions, presenting information or giving feedback as necessary.
#2 Establish Ground Rules or Code of Conduct
Have you ever been in a meeting that got out-of-control? Productive teams function effectively because they have adopted “agreed upon” rules for working together. Some typical ground rules that teams use include:
• Make decisions by consensus.
• Meetings will start and end on time.
• Everyone will participate.
• Comments will be non-judgmental.
• No one will interrupt anyone else.
• Assigned tasks will be done on time.
• Questions will be asked to clarify.
• Confidentiality will be maintained.
Remember that ground rules are only effective if the group enforces them. This means stopping a meeting, if necessary, and discussing a “violation” immediately after it occurs. This is serious business!
#3 Track Progress During the Meeting
In the previous article, we discussed the need to have primary and secondary meeting objectives. One of the chief responsibilities of the meeting Facilitator or Chair is to make sure that these objectives are being met by the end of the meeting. We find that the following process is useful for achieving this goal:
• First – After the introduction, state the first objective to be completed to the group (decision, present information, create a plan, etc.). Ask for their feedback.
• Second – Work with the group toward achieving the objective. Do not proceed to any other meeting items until the first objective is completed (unless a decision is made to “table” the first objective).
• Third – Signal to the group when you think that the first objective has been met. Ask for their feedback.
• Fourth - “Check off” the objective as COMPLETE.
• Fifth, etc. – Repeat the cycle for the remainder of the objectives.
#4 Assign Tasks
It is often necessary to assign tasks to participants to complete after the meeting. In our experience, the most important part of this activity is to create clear and specific assignments. Some considerations for assigning tasks are as follows:
• A specific person should be responsible for ensuring that a task is complete.
• Each task should have a task deadline that is explicit. Do not use ASAP for completion dates.
• At the end of the meeting, have the Record Keeper review all assigned tasks to ensure that all people understand their commitments. This is reinforced through the meeting minutes.
#5 Use Visual Aids to Clarify Information
In a world of serious “information overload,” it is more important than ever to present information in a clear and concise manner. This is especially important in meetings where participants may have different backgrounds and knowledge. For this reason, we always recommend the use of visual aids such as photos, drawings, graphs, and visual models to present information. In order to make the most of your visual aids consider the following:
• Have a person not familiar with the information critique the visual aid for clarity before the meeting.
• Each visual aid used should be relevant to the discussion.
Less data is always better. Make a visual aid only as complex as necessary to convey the message. KISS (short for the popular acronym “Keep It Simple Stupid”).
NEXT STEPS
If you would like more information on how to make your meetings more effective, please do not hesitate to contact Epicenter Development Group at wproctor@epicentergroup.com or at 216.702.0952. In addition to this newsletter article, we also have a half-day workshop on “Running Effective Meetings” that can be hosted at your facility.
Epicenter is in the process of developing a monthly 30-minute webinar that covers the highlighted newsletter tool. If you feel that you would be interested in participating in such a webinar, please send us an email of your interest at rmilicia@epicentergroup.com.
Mr. Proctor also speaks on a variety of problem-solving and system design topics that can help companies significantly increase the success and profitability of their businesses. If you are interested in having Bill speak at one of your upcoming meetings/events or would like more information on any of the speaking topics, please visit Speaker Services.
ABOUT EPICENTER DEVELOPMENT GROUP
Epicenter Development Group is an independently-owned engineering consulting firm located in the Cleveland, Ohio area.
 Epicenter Development Group is a unique consulting firm that seamlessly integrates the disciplines of Systems Engineering and Organizational Analysis & Development to create practical design solutions to your toughest challenges.
It is on the cutting edge of problem-solving solutions and the creator of a unique process called GreenRoom Engineering. This process adds greater value and cost savings for clients as compared to traditional engineering methods.
William Proctor, Epicenter's founder and president, has provided services around the country to more than 100 companies consisting of a variety of organizations; and Epicenter continues to grow as a resource for firms of all sizes.
To learn more about Epicenter Development Group, visit our homepage at www.epicentergroup.com.
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
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This newsletter is developed and published by:
Epicenter Development Group, LLC
12111 Chippewa Road
Brecksville, OH 44141
216.702.0952
www.epicentergroup.com
wproctor@epicentergroup.com
Copyright 2007, Epicenter Development Group
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