Anatomy Of A Successful Meeting

Photo by Glen E. Ellman Whether it's Dr. Dennis Onieal, superintendent of the National Fire Academy, addressing 1,500 people at Firehouse Expo or a fire chief addressing 15 members at a department meeting, every productive meeting needs an agenda.

For 35 years, I have attended all types of meetings in both the private and public sectors. Some have been successful and some have been disasters. In the poorly run meetings what was lacking? Did they contain factors that were an equation for failure?

One factor that I am sure was lacking was proper communication. It is imperative that honest communication takes place. Without communication, there is no understanding and without understanding, chaos will exist. Conversely, what were the factors that made the other meetings a success?

To prevent failure, we must review and analyze the components that make a meeting successful. In my opinion, the best dissecting method is the use of the "five W's" of journalism: who, what, when, where and why. The following will give the reader a focused picture of a successful meeting.

• Who. In the military there is a phrase, "Need to Know." This should be applied to all potential participants. If the topic(s) pertain to your job classification and/or management level, you should be present. The number of participants should be determined by the subject matter and the people involved. This may range from two to an annual union meeting of 1,000. Remember, uninvolved participants distract from the natural flow of a meeting. The agenda should specifically state who should attend the meeting.
• What. This aspect may appear extremely easy to decide but it often results in difficulty. The longer length of time between general meetings usually means more topics. It is necessary for the chairperson to sift through the subject matter and prioritize the topics and set an agenda. The agenda must be followed without exception because an unstructured meeting will certainly be confusing and unproductive.

SAMPLE AGENDA:

1. NFPA protective clothing standard.
2. Critique of recent apartment fire.
3. Apparatus Purchasing Committee.
4. July Fourth Parade.
5. Minimum staffing requirements.
6. Winter hydrant identification.
7. Upcoming firematic courses.

If the number of subjects to be covered are too numerous to cover in one meeting, another meeting should be scheduled. An "ad hoc" meeting may be considered as well, since this type of meeting is limited to a specific topic and purpose. Deviations, when this type of meeting is scheduled, will result in a fractured, lost meeting.

• When. Meetings should be held routinely on specific dates. This aspect gives all concerned time for preparation. Obviously, peak vacation periods and prime holiday seasons should be avoided.

It should be mandatory that the meeting start on time. The reason for this is twofold:

1. It shows the participants that the agenda is to discuss matters of a serious nature.
2. It is unfair to penalize on-time personnel for another's lateness.

Photo by Steve Silverman

The third element of time to address is how long each participant should have the floor. Unless there is a lengthy committee report, most participants should be able to express their views within three minutes. This limitation should be established when the meetings convene so that the meeting moves along. It also provides for equal time for each of the participants. Filibustering should be left to Congress.

• Where. This is vital to a successful meeting. There is nothing more disconcerting than telephones ringing and/or key participants leaving to conduct "other business." It is of utmost importance that the location be distant from all distractions. If applicable, the meeting should be held at a neutral location which is equally accessible to all participants.
• Why. This factor may best be answered by asking several questions:

1. Do you really have to think about when the last meeting was held?
2. Does each division or company operate by doing things "their own way"?
3. Are you usually advised of important departmental matters in the kitchen?
4. Do some personnel of equal rank have access to departmental information while others are "kept in the dark"?
5. Are matters of discipline either weakly addressed and/or just forgotten?
6. Is there new equipment on a rig and no one knows how it got there?
7. Does the chain of command issue the nebulous statement "play it by ear"?
8. Is there no solid procedure on how to handle specific incidents?
9. Do critical questions go unanswered?

These are common complaints from organizations that do not have regular, productive, scheduled meetings.

• How. There are two concerns I feel I must address in a sixth area and that is "how."

1. Should the meeting be taped? It is my belief that the meeting should not be taped. A verbal record of the meeting will inhibit all participants. The taking of minutes will suffice.
2. Should the meeting be formal or casual? This depends on the subject matter. If the meeting is of a serious nature, or minutes are required by law, Robert's Rules of Parliamentary Procedure should be followed. If the meeting is of less importance, the participants can proceed in a more casual but structured manner.

Roles & Duties

Besides the factors that constitutes a successful meeting, we must point out the duties and responsibilities of the participants:

• The Chairperson.
  1. Set an agenda. In your announcement of the meeting, identify the purpose and label its topics.
  2. Do your homework. Know your subject!
  3. Leave personalities out of the meeting.
  4. Anticipate and respect the opinion of others.
  5. Be honest and to the point.
  6. Answer questions and, if possible, make your decisions public. Those decisions made later should be brought to everyone's attention via your organization's methods.
  7. Insure that all participants are aware of what was established at the meeting via memorandum, special order or newsletter.
  8. Be willing to compromise!
  9. Monitor the progress of issues established as a result of the meetings. A serious breach of morale occurs when time, effort and money has been put into a meeting and then have the issues return to status quo.
  10. Rather than highlight negative situations or area of poor performance, take a moment to acknowledge those areas that are operating smoothly.
  11. Make an effort to include as one of your goals, decisions that include a consensus of the attendees. This approach will result in a win-win situation and even have a deeper value sometimes than the actual issue at hand.
  12. Keep in mind that an issue or comment that may appear insignificant is important to someone.

• The Attendees.
  1. Do your homework! Know your subject!
  2. Leave personalities out of the meeting.
  3. Anticipate and respect the opinions of others.
  4. Be honest and to the point.
  5. Be willing to compromise.
  6. Remember, some decisions are not made by the democratic process. When a business meeting is successful it promotes:
     1. The identification of problems.
     2. Cooperation and compromise.
     3. Input by all.
     4. Open communication.
     5. Clarification of organizational goals, priorities and SOPs
     6. Assigns accountability and responsibility.
     7. Improves overall efficiency and effectiveness through teamwork.
     8. Provides a means to solve problems.

Meetings at which ideas are exchanged in an open and honest environment are a pleasant, healthy experience and sometimes a revelation. People must be allowed to vent their concerns.

Remember an unvented situation may result in a BACKDRAFT!