Meetings, meetings ... and more meetings!
From the Support to Develop Blog
by Luis Branco
This blog addresses management-related topics and has three areas of focus: 1. Technical skills; 2. Competencies in the field of interpersonal relations and communication (including personal organization and delegation, leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, conducting meetings, and negotiation); and 3. Strategy (including diagnosis, strategic guidelines, and implementation).4.Technology
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Introduction
The PMBOK Guide 6th edition has an appendix dedicated to the techniques and tools that are grouped together for their objectives.
In a total of 132 techniques and tools, 72 of which are grouped into 6 groups according to the intention of what should be done and the different methods to achieve that intention.
The remaining 60 tools and techniques are not grouped
This grouping is performed in a table that crosses the process and area of knowledge with the techniques and tools
Groups of tools and techniques
The groups integrate a set of tools and techniques and have the following designations
- Data collection techniques - 9 tools and techniques
- Data analysis techniques - 27 tools and techniques
- Data representation techniques - 15 tools and techniques
- Decision making techniques - 2 tools and techniques
- Communication skills - 2 tools and techniques
- Interpersonal and team skills - 17 tools and techniques
As mentioned, there are 60 techniques and tools not grouped
One of the techniques and tools not grouped, but used in all processes and areas of knowledge is meetings.
"Chronic reunit": a disease that affects many organizations
There are companies and, therefore, project managers who suffer from “chronic reunit”.
Some symptoms of “chronic reunit”:
- Meetings scheduled at the last minute
- Meetings on everything and nothing
- Meetings without a previously defined and distributed agenda
- Meetings without support information
- Meetings where no decisions are made
- Meetings that last for hours
It is important to combat this "disease" as it affects proficiency in project management and, consequently, the results
Aspects to consider about the meetings
Before scheduling and / or organizing a meeting, check if it is essential to hold it.
If you think it is essential, organize it taking into account the following activities
- Before the meeting
- During the meeting
- After the meeting
Let us analyze each aspect in detail
- Before the meeting
Before organizing the meeting, it is important to:
- Clearly define objectives (SMART) and topics to be addressed
- Collect the necessary information to support the themes
- Identify the people who will attend the meeting
- Organize and prepare the agenda
- Define roles to be played at the meeting (time controller, meeting coordinator and minutes editor)
- Distribute in advance all the information collected
- Diagnose the necessary equipment to support the meeting
- Set the date and place for the meeting
- Convene the meeting
- Confirm the presence of all those invited to the meeting
- Check if the room is available and equipped for the meeting
- During the meeting
Ensure that:
- The topics are addressed according to the agenda and the expected times
- Moderation / facilitation allows all participants to give their opinion
- The minutes are drawn up, approved and signed before the meeting is concluded
- After the meeting
Remember of:
- Archive all information
- Check that all the defined actions are being correctly executed and with commitment
- Fix what needs to be fixed
Today, with technology at our disposal, it is possible to:
- Draw up the minutes of the meeting and ensure its signature before it is completed
- Ensure the participation of all stakeholders (including members of virtual teams)
Conclusion
Proficiency in the exercise of the Project Management profession depends on the approach chosen in relation to some techniques and tools.
What is your opinion about the suggestions covered in this article?
Posted on: February 22, 2020 11:26 AM |
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Comments (40)
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Alexandre Costa
Scrum Master| Integer Consulting - Pictet technologies
Loures, Portugal
Dear Luis,
How I understand this post, I suffer at first hand of this disease. As much as I try to align rules and standards for meetings and offer my help to change this situation, "os velhos do restelo", line and top managers seem unable to change and keep thinking that they need a meeting for all except for what is really important.
Alexandre
Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Alexandre
Thanks for your comment
I have heard many people complain because they attend many meetings that have only one result: Pure waste of time :-)
Rami Kaibni
Community Champion
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten Associates
New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Luis
Great post and reminders. While in theory this looks great, in practice things might not go as smooth.
I’ve been practicing for more than 15 years and sometimes, especially in large meetings, I find that things can go off track but our
Job is to get them back on track.
RK
Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Rami
Thank you for reading this article and for your comment
I fully understand what you wrote: "I find that things can go off track"
And I agree with: "our
Job is to get them back on track. "
Paulo Roque
Chartered Civil Engineer, PMP| BECHTEL
Setubal, Portugal
Dear Luís Branco:
I firmly believe in the effectiveness of not too long ( a maximum of 45 min would be enough ) follow-up meetings that really matters to launch challenges, identify, discuss and address problems, to take decisions and assign tasks in order to make sure that the job gets done, avoiding at the same time the spread of a culture of delay throughout the project team.
The article is quite systematic on how to proceed to maximize the effectiveness of meetings.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Paulo Roque
Marinela Bumba
Gestora de Projectos | Standard Bank Angola
Luanda, Luanda, Angola
Caro Luís;
Tenho um chefe com essa doença,e ja tentei alertar várias vezes do atraso que essas reuniões causam na conclusão dos objetivos diários e semanais.
Muito obrigada pelo artigo.😗😗
Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Paulo
Thank you for participating in this reflection on the published article
We agree on the maximum length of a meeting (even so, 45 minutes ... :-))
Do you think it is feasible to implement the suggested activities in a systematic way?
Dear Luis,
First of all, thank you for your reflection. I couldn’t agree more that "Chronic reunit" is a disease that affects many organizations.
Although it is easier to make a decision when putting all of the stakeholders in one room we are all different and it is sometimes very challenging to choose the proper way of communication for all of the participants.
That is why I would add into the “before” action list an item: “Sharing the meeting agenda in advance”, which you probably have included in “Distribute in advance all the information collected”. Also if there are any documents which need to be análised before the meeting we should carefully share them in advance so during the meeting all of the participants “speak the same language”.
Great tips, thank you once again for sharing.
Best regards,
Karolina Figueiredo
Paulo Roque
Chartered Civil Engineer, PMP| BECHTEL
Setubal, Portugal
Dear Luis Branco:
Absolutely, the systematic approach proposed in the article is not only feasible, but it also lists the main steps to take into consideration for holding meetings in the most effective way.
Best regards
Paulo Roque
Jacob Cruz
Subsea Engineer| Sonangol E.P
Luanda, Luanda, Angola
Dear Luis,
This a very important topic because meetings is an essential tool and technique to everybody who want to plan, execute, monitor and close projects. The description you did regarding the desase "chronic reunit", I couldn't agree more but I focus more on the symptom linked to the follow up for the meetings' deliberations. If we compared the decisions made during meetings against those implemented, the difference is considerable.
Thanks for this post..
Congrats....
Henry Hattenrath
Project Consultant| Tectonic Engineering MSA LLC
New York, Ny, United States
Luis
Excellent post on PM essentials for managing meeting. For those invitees not attending, the Minutes of Meeting will indicate that they are not available. The Minutes will be distributed to attendees and all other invitees. As needed, the issuance of the Minutes may need to reflect progress on actions taken after the meeting.
Henry
Dear Luis
What a such important topic on today’s company life but not easy to handle because to make meetings more cost effective as you suggested , at the end of the day this methodology has to become part of the company ways of doing things out there , so here is where the challenges are!!!
Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Paulo
Thank you for your feedback
Best regards
Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Henry
Thank you for participating in this reflection and for your opinion
Absolutely agreed.
The minutes are the "guide" for the actions to be developed
Dibuisa Mpila
Project Engineer| Angola LNG
Houston, Tx, United States
Dear Luis ! I have enjoyed reading your post. As you know communication is very critical activity in managing a project no matter the size of the project.
In term of meetings , firstly it is very important to have right the person in the room to avoid a wast of time.
Secondly, it is important to implement an Action Item Decision Register tools ( an excel spreadsheet may helps) which should be used throughout all the project phase this helps to track all the actions specially critical decisions should be recorded as many stakeholders may leave the project before the fully execution.
I am working in a very dynamic industry " Oil and Gas" whereby people mouvement are often better organization is highly recommended.
Lastly, the Meeting Coordinator must dominate the agenda and the meeting exception. In the beginning, as an opening remarks outline the goals using SMART principals.
As well as, while closing the meeting ensure, the meeting Coordinator must verify the agenda on his closing remarks and expectations for the next meeting ( if frequency applied).
Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Dibuisa
Thank you for participating in this reflection and for your opinion
Do you think it is feasible to implement the suggested activities in a systematic way?
Tiago Romao
Project Manager - PfMP | PgMP | PMP | ACP | PBA | CBAP | CSM | MSc.| Altice Portugal | Meo
Sobreda, Setubal/Almada, Portugal
Great post,
good reminders and tips lb.
The hardest experience i have in meeting is with hidden agendas, specially in steering committees meetings.
People ask me to schedule it, they came without reading or care about meeting agenda. They bring theirs agenda, and because have more powerful and authority, ended by deviating the meeting agenda.
Some times purely as a tactic to demonstrate their "power" against other pm groups.
regards
Hello, Luis.
Yes, I couldn't agree more on this diagnosis.
Last minute meetings with a very “undefined” agenda and with no real decisions coming out of it are almost always a pure waste of time.
Thank you for this article!
Rui
Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Rui
Thank you for participating in this reflection and for your opinion
Do you think it is feasible to implement the suggested activities in a systematic way?
Luis Branco
CEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, Ldª
Carcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Cara Marinela
Obrigado por participar nesta reflexão e pela sua opinião
Você acha que é possível implementar as atividades sugeridas no artigo de maneira sistemática?
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