The way you conduct meetings provides your employees with insight into you as a manager and into your company's values and operations. Companies in which meetings run rampant and structure is lacking have little sense of direction. Companies with strong strategic plans also have strong strategies for running meetings as well as other operational functions. When it comes to meetings, two dimensions of interaction are important for you to manage: yourself and others.

Presenting Yourself

You might be the most interesting person in one-on-one situations and still somehow transmogrify into a bumbling mumbler in meetings. In casual situations, the attention shifts back and forth among those participating in the conversation. Usually no one person's comments are more important than any other's. This dynamic shifts in group settings, such as meetings. When it's your meeting, all eyes and ears focus on you. It's natural to find this at least a little intimidating. Relax, and just be yourself!

When you speak, talk at a moderate pace — not too fast, not too slow — and enunciate. Form your words clearly and cleanly. Vary the tone and pitch of your voice. Some people drone on in a monotone when speaking formally, either to a group or to an individual, even though their conversational voices are friendly and full of personality. It's as though a little switch flips and their vocal cords can suddenly emit sound on only a single frequency. Unless you're passing out pillows at your meetings, monotone is no good.

Gestures are often space-fillers. Are you waving your hands around to try to paint an air picture of something, or are you having trouble finding the right words? It's usually more effective to use a pencil and paper to sketch out your picture, or to simply pause for a moment to let the right words come to you. If you don't usually use gestures, consider adding a little movement to your speech. It's hard to listen to a talking head, no matter how interested you are in the message.

If you speak frequently in front of groups (including meetings), consider joining a group such as Toastmasters to hone your public speaking skills. (See Appendix B for information on this and other organizations.) If you've never had any formal public speaking training, it doesn't hurt to take a workshop or a class. And if these ideas don't appeal to you, try videotaping yourself (be sure anyone else in the room who might also be captured on film has no objections) or talking in front of a mirror.

Guiding Others

Offer everyone a chance to speak about agenda items. If a few employees begin to dominate the meeting, intercede to call on silent employees. Pull out your parent hat for a few minutes and let the group know that all members have something to contribute and all ideas are valid and worth expressing. If an individual or small faction manages to monopolize discussion of an item, there is probably no more to talk about, and you can bring discussion of the item to a close. “Okay, let's wrap this up. Any final questions or comments? Thirty seconds, then on to our next topic.”

If an employee is being barraged with questions or criticism, step in to put an end to it. This is a meeting, not an inquisition. If employees see that those who stick out their necks end up getting their heads chopped off, they're not likely to be willing to speak up themselves, even when the topic concerns them. There is a balance between open dialogue and abuse, and it's your role to maintain it and to protect employees who present unpopular perspectives or information. Likewise, if the group keeps circling for another round of discussion or commentary on a particular topic, pronounce it dead and move on.

Bringing Meetings to a Close

Ten minutes or so before the meeting's scheduled end, it's time to begin drawing the meeting to a close. (“Closure” should be the last topic on every agenda.) If it was an educational meeting, recap the key learning points. If the meeting was to disseminate information, review the essential messages. If further action needs to happen, decide who will be responsible for what tasks. Make assignments, if necessary, and establish timelines and a process for following up.

If bringing events to conclusion will require another meeting with the same group, schedule it before breaking up, or at least let people know that a follow-up meeting will be scheduled. End on time. Doing so is as important as starting on time. Some people may want to linger after the meeting to talk with each other or ask questions. Invite further dialogue in your office, if appropriate. But leave the meeting location to emphasize the message that the meeting is over.