Effective chairmanship - In a nutshell

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Effective chairmanship - In a nutshell
The effective chairing of a meeting employs a range of skills and personal characteristics.

We have all, I am sure, attended poorly run meetings: meetings that overrun; where not everybody has taken an active role, where some people were allowed to hog the stage; where actions were not clear and no deadlines were set.

So, what makes a good chairperson? A chairperson needs to be able to manage the meeting, before, during and after. So, they need to come across as confident and assertive as well as organised and fair. They need excellent communication and listening skills and be able to read the group dynamics.

The chairperson should remain objective at all times, handing over the chair if they wish to take a stand on a point. Before a meeting the chairperson needs to define the purpose, aims and objectives, decide what decisions need to be taken, consider who needs to attend and how long the meeting should be, and plan the ‘not too full’ agenda (with the secretary).

During the meeting the chairperson needs to keep the purpose of the meeting at the forefront of their mind and manage the discussion such that adequate time, with encouragement for all to contribute, is given to each topic, and manage any overrun or overly garrulous attendees! Meetings should always keep to time and if a topic clearly requires more discussion then another meeting should be set, with this meeting still finishing on time.

Actions and decisions need to be clear, understood and recorded and it is the chairperson’s role to slow down discussions, and stop the meeting to clarify these actions, actioners and timings, and after the meeting to check the minutes, before they are sent out.

If a chairperson is doing all this, meetings should run smoothly!

Karen Janas
Karen Janas Consulting
07773350459
@KJConsultingUK
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