Management: Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 2, Multiple Conversations

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 2, Multiple Conversations

Written by Steve Kaye

Side conversations ruin meetings by destroying focus and fragmenting participation.

Approach 1: Ask for cooperation

Start by asking everyone to cooperate. Look at repparttar middle of repparttar 135551 group (instead of at repparttar 135552 talker) and say:

"Excuse me (pause to gain everyone's attention). I know all of your ideas are important. So, please let's have one speaker at a time."

"Excuse me. I'm having difficulty hearing what [contributing participant] is saying."

"There seems to be a great deal of interest for this issue. Could we have just one speaker at a time?"

These statements diplomatically acknowledge that a side conversation is occurring without naming repparttar 135553 participants or putting them on repparttar 135554 spot. Hostile statements, such as: "Hey you! Stop that!" will create hard feelings that undermine your effectiveness as a leader.

Approach 2: Change repparttar 135555 process

If side conversations continue, change repparttar 135556 rules to make cooperation more convenient. For example, you could use a speaking prop.

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 5, Dominant Participants

Written by Steve Kaye

While dominant participants contribute significantly to repparttar

success of a meeting, they can also overwhelm, intimidate, and exclude others. Thus, you want to control their energy without losing their support.

Approach 1: Ask others to contribute

Asking quiet participants to contribute indirectly moderates repparttar 135550 more dominant participants. Say:

"Before we continue, I want to hear from repparttar 135551 rest of repparttar 135552 group."

"This is great. And I wonder what else we could do." (Look at repparttar 135553 quiet participants when you say this.)

Approach 2: Change repparttar 135554 process

A balanced dialogue equalizes participation and sequential participation (a round robin) prevents anyone from dominating repparttar 135555 discussion.

Approach 3: Include them in repparttar 135556 process

Ask dominant participants for their support during repparttar 135557 meeting. Meet with repparttar 135558 person privately and say:

"I need your help with something. It's clear to me that you know a great deal about this issue and have many good ideas. I also want to hear what other people in repparttar 135559 meeting have to say. So, I wonder if you could hold back a little, to let others contribute."

You can also retain control by giving away minor tasks. For example, dominant participants make excellent helpers. They can distribute materials, run errands, serve as scribes, deliver messages, post chart papers, run demonstration units, operate projectors, change overhead transparencies, act as greeters, and in general perform any logistical task related to repparttar 135560 meeting.

Approach 4: Create barriers

Simply move away from repparttar 135561 more aggressive participants and make less eye contact. If you are unable to see them, you are unable to recognize them as repparttar 135562 next speaker.

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