CHAPTER 7  

 MANAGING A GROUP

1. meetings

1. how can the effectiveness of a meeting be maximized

Before the Meeting

  • Prepare written reports to be circulated to the attendees
  • Prepare reports/presentations
  • Ensure all reports, verbal or written are concise and precise
  • Contribute to the agenda in advance of the meeting
  • Brief colleagues as appropriate
  • Be clear as to the general and specific objectives of the meeting
  • Be punctual

During the Meeting

  • Express contributions concisely
  • Make only relevant contributions
  • Listen to the contributions of others
  • Build on the contribution of others
  • Seek clarification where necessary
  • Be consistent as to the role to be contributed by the group
  • Keep to the rules, norms and procedures established by the committee.

After the Meeting

  • Carry out all the agreed actions promptly

2. reasons why a meeting may be ineffective

  • Meetings last too long
  • Having to attend meetings unnecessarily
  • Meetings not having clear objectives
  • Agenda/meetings being dominated by the chairman/the manager/dominant personalities
  • Agendas being unrealistic/badly structured/non existent
  • Having an ineffective chairperson
  • Absence of a time keeper to ensure that the meeting runs on time.

3. why are meetings held

  • Ritual
  • Communication and personal contact
  • To enable colleagues to "let off steam" (also disagreements can lead to positive outcomes)
  • To reinforce and profile managerial decisions
  • To motivate attendees
  • Where all attendees can be seen as equals and all contributing in different ways and at different levels to an outcome
  • To delay decisions
  • To enforce or reinforce commitment
  • Can be inspirational
  • To foster the feeling of togetherness.

4. Roles of the chairman

  • Prior to the meeting, ensure that the chairman understands its purpose
  • Run the meeting using an appropriate leadership style
  • State the objectives of the meeting at the start and ensure all participants are aware of and understand them
  • To act as a guide and/or facilitator, seeking views from all attendees.
  • Ensure that everyone has a chance to speak, in a relevant and focused way
  • Avoid interruptions
  • To ensure agenda items are discusses in a meaningful and timely way
  • To regularly summarize and review progress and conforming consensus where appropriate.
  • When actions are needed, to clarify roles, responsibilities and timescales.
  • To monitor the progress of agreed action plans.

2. groups

1. ideal working environment

  • Individuals within a team working towards common objectives.
  • All team members realizing how important their individual and collective contributions are to the overall success.
  • Communication channels working both formally and informally.
  • A culture and working environment needs to be created where individuals can say what they feel
  • To work inter-dependently, taking and giving support from each other
  • An environment where there is open and two-way constructive feedback
  • All team members to contribute to an ongoing evolution of the team objectives
  • individual ideas and contributions to be encouraged, welcomed and recognized (possibly incentivised)
  • Avoidance of blame culture

2. actions by team leader on each stage of the group

Forming

  • Explain task and make objective clear
  • Reassure where necessary
  • Check understanding then re-check as appropriate
  • Facilitate "bonding" sessions
  • Ensure all members are committed
  • Conduct a skills audit
  • Possible hold 1 to 1 sessions with each member of the team
  • Continually communicate belief and confidence and instill correct attitudes
  • Assess abilities of the group individually and collectively

Storming

  • Stay close to the team
  • 1 to 1 with each team member
  • Dealing with conflict
  • Assessing/re-assessing goals and objectives
  • Probably re-define rewards and benefits
  • Reassurance

Norming

  • Monitor and appraise
  • Keep the team on track
  • Revisit objectives/goals as appropriate and refocus team as necessary
  • Ongoing communication of results
  • To be aware of/identify potential areas of weakness/disfunction
  • Coach and support

Performing

  • Positive feedback for a job well done
  • Ongoing recognition and praise
  • What lessons can be learnt
  • To guard against complacency
  • To introduce the concept of continuous improvement
  • Where necessary/realistic being in new members of the team.