Introduction & Functions of the Chairperson Pt 1

Introduction & Functions of the Chairperson
Part 1 of 2

Thank you for joining us for this online chairperson training.

So, why would you bother with having a chairperson for a meeting?
Because surely, we all have the best intent for our business, we all are keen to achieve the best possible results in our jobs and we all already get the necessary guidance and support from our managers during team meetings that do not necessarily have an appointed chairperson.

True?…

Absolutely, but just consider this…

During committee or team meetings, often employees from different areas of the business will attend and depending on the need of the organization, meetings may occur monthly, or, for example, if you are part of a Safety Committee, at least quarterly depending on legal requirements.
Team meetings may usually take around 1 – 2 hours so in the scheme of things, this really is not a lot of time.

To ensure that this time is used efficiently, an extra level of discipline and focus is required so that these meetings deliver tangible results and do not become irrelevant  talk fests or in some cases, even become legal liabilities for the organization.

To achieve meeting objectives, someone needs to take on the role of the Chairperson to ensure that:

1. all business topics are discussed in line with a timed agenda;
2. everyone’s views are heard and discussed; and
3. that clear actions are identified and allocated to appropriate personnel.

This, in essence, is the role of the Chairperson.

So let’s have a look at these three main areas of responsibility for a Chairperson:

Responsibility 1) – All agenda items are covered

Meeting agendas inform all participants what will be discussed at the meeting.  Each meeting topic should be timed in accordance with its importance and complexity.
A timed meeting agenda will then become an important tool for the Chairperson to manage the meeting and the expectations of the participants.

Responsibility 2) – Everyone’s views are heard and discussed

The Chairperson should create an environment where all participants feel comfortable to express their views and to participate in discussions in a non-judgmental atmosphere.  To achieve this, it is important that all participants have the opportunity to be heard in a respectful manner.
Only then, will management be able to make informed decisions.

Responsibility 3) – Actions are identified and allocated to appropriate personnel.

It is essential that actions are identified, approved by management, and then allocated to appropriate personnel and followed up.
Each action should have clear completion dates against them.

Without these 3 main areas of responsibility, meetings may become talk-fests and as mentioned earlier, might even end up becoming a legal liability for the organization.  The role of the Chairperson is therefore a very important one and yes, it can be learned.

When appointing a Chairperson, the organization should consult with team members about:

• the role and the functions of a Chairperson
• who could be the Chairperson, realising that the role of the chairperson can be rotated between team members

This course will give you the knowledge, tools and techniques to enable you to make any meeting effective, valuable and enjoyable for all participants.

FUNCTIONS OF A CHAIRPERSON PART 1 OF 2

The functions of a chairperson are usually identified at an organizational level but the following should be considered:

• Develop Meeting Rules
• Activities well before the meeting
• Activities just before the meeting
• Activities during the meeting and
• Activities after the meeting

So, lets step through each of these.

FUNCTION 1 – DEVELOP MEETING RULES

A set of agreed meeting rules will help manage participants’ expectations with regards how they are expected to behave during the meeting, which will contribute to meeting effectiveness.
These meeting rules should be clearly communicated to all participants and ideally formally documented in a procedure and signed off by all participants to signify agreement.

Examples of meeting rules are:

1) One person to speak at the time

Ever been in a meeting where there are several conversations happening at the same time?  Allowing this is a sure way of wasting meeting time.
This is where a chairperson can intervene and bring attention back to the nominated speaker.

2) Do not ridicule or judge others, be respectful

Either in thoughts or spoken word, we may all be guilty of putting others down for expressing what they believe in.  In such cases, It’s better to hear a person out and ask them to clarify their views. They may be coming in from an angle that you may never  have considered.

3) Support others in expressing their views

Not everyone feels confident to express their views during a meeting.  So, it is up to the other members to build that person’s confidence and show them that they are interested in what they have to say.

4) Let other speakers finish before formulating your own response

Give people the courtesy to finish what they want to say.  Formulate your response once they have finished, not during their talk.

5) Do not misrepresent opinions as facts

In the heat or passion of the moment, people may represent their opinions as “the truth”.  Nothing wrong with expressing an opinion of course, but if you want to state a fact, back it up with evidence.

6) Issuing meeting minutes.

Critical to any meeting are the minutes.  These need to be written, approved and issued in a timely manner so that meeting topics are actioned correctly and efficiently.
This agreed meeting procedure will give the Chairperson a mandate to manage the meeting in accordance with these rules and can also become an effective tool to train new team members.
So, develop your own meeting rules in consultation with management and team members  and review them with the team regularly to keep the rules relevant and also to remind team members of what the rules are.

FUNCTION 2 – ACTIVITIES WELL BEFORE THE MEETING

There are a number of activities that a chairperson should consider, well before a meeting takes place, for instance:

1) Identify time and location and organize meeting resources.

The time and location of the meeting needs to be negotiated with and approved by management.  You need to take any special needs into account from participants and aim for a time and place when all can attend.

2) Ensure that the venue has the correct resources.

For example audio/visual equipment, chairs tables, table water, etc.

3) Develop and communicate meeting agenda.

You need to develop an agenda in consultation with management and other members.
Agendas may change from meeting to meeting but usually there are a few permanent topics for example:

• • • • review of previous minutes including the status of corrective actions
      • and of course other or new business

4) Ensure the agenda ONLY includes topics relevant to the purpose of the meeting

Sometimes people may try to get topics included into your agenda that are not related to the purpose of the meeting.  In this case, people who try this, may have been unsuccessful in trying to get their issue resolved through other forums.  They now want to be part of your meeting to try and get a resolve.
You need to be strict here and not allow this to happen.  Irrelevant topics will dilute the effectiveness of your meeting.

5) Organize someone to take meeting minutes.

Meeting minutes are a critical part of any meeting.  They need to be accurate, approved and issued in a timely manner.

6) If applicable organize guest speakers.

At times you may wish to invite guests to present on a specific topic.  These guests could be from within the organization or external.
Of course, you need to consult with management on this.

7) Send out a meeting invitation plus meeting agenda.

The  meeting invitation, should include start time, finish time and final agenda.  This must be done  well before the meeting.
Although team meetings may be scheduled for a whole year, you still need to remind team members of each meeting closer to each meeting date.

8) Establish a meeting quorum

A minimum attendance level for a meeting should be established.  If there is nobody present with sufficient management authority then the meeting may be a waste of time.
If you have such concerns, consult with management.

FUNCTION 3 – ACTIVITIES JUST BEFORE THE MEETING

1) Arrive early

A chairperson needs to arrive early to make sure the room is set up.  Ensure the room is set up as planned, test any audio/visual equipment and ensure you know how it all works.

You need to make sure there are sufficient copies available of the final agenda, and any other papers relevant to what is going to be discussed and of course have sufficient copies of the previous minutes.  Do not rely on participants to bring these with them.

2) And finally:

Start on time. Always start on time. 

This necessary for the meeting to stay on track and is respectful to those members who arrived on time and also one way how you can show your commitment and professionalism.

Please review the information below this video and attempt the first assessment