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Article
18 Oct 2022
by John Scarrott

Engaging Meetings

It's likely that your members don't automatically come to a meeting in an engagement ready state. If you can show that you're serious about helping them to get there, they'll become seriously engaged.

An article in the Changing Conversations: Changing Outcomes programme.

It's likely that your members don't automatically come to a meeting in an engagement ready state.  If you can show that you're serious about helping them to get there, they'll become seriously engaged. 

engaging meetings.jpg

Here's how to go about it:

Step one: Ask them and listen.  "What would make it easier for you to contribute in meetings?" What you might expect to hear:

"I want to quickly make sense of the meeting and what I can contribute?"

"I want the space to share my view in the meeting"

"I want to know I'm making a difference"

Step two: Take some action to address what they need.  How you can respond:

  • In advance: Send three Warm up Questions
    • Send three questions that will help your people to prepare and switch on to what's happening.  Use their responses in the meeting.
  • During: Create three Spaces for Interaction
    • Begin with something simple that gets everyone into the meeting.
    • Pause in the middle: invite inputs, keeps everyone together
    • End: Final thoughts. What will happen next.
  • After: Send Three Signs for the Future
    • A thank you for their contribution
    • A confirmation of next steps, who's doing what. Yours and theirs
    • and the date of the next meeting.

Happy Chairing!

Do you want to become a more comfortable, confident chair? If so, why not come along to my Changing Conversations: Changing Outcomes Masterclass: Effective Chairing: Making Meetings More Productive

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