Courses and resources

Who is it for?

Anyone who wishes to improve their participation in, or leadership of, any kind of meeting.

What is it about?

This interactive workshop explores the expectation and realities of meetings.

It?s about understanding what makes a really good meeting and how to get the best out of everyone who attends.

We explore the principles and mechanics of holding good meetings and how to make sure politics and behaviours can be used positively to create effective and engaging events.

What will I get out of it?

The course aims to give you a better understanding of the purpose of meetings, why they sometimes fail and what you can do about it.

You will do this by examining the different roles and responsibilities of meeting participants and by exploring ways of maximising the meeting effectiveness and minimising time wasting.

You will also see how effective communication in meetings can be hampered by a variety of factors and how these can be overcome.

Lastly, you will discover how to convert potentially troublesome situations into positive outcomes.

Course overview:

(Timings are indicative) 1) What is a meeting: plenary (5 mins).

2) Ineffective meetings: group work (15 mins).

3) Communication: presentation and discussion (10 mins).

4) Meeting mechanics: plenary (20 mins).

5) Break and informal discussion (10 mins).

6) Responsibilities of attendees: plenary (10 mins).

7) Responsibilities of the Chair: plenary (10 mins).

8) Skills needed: presentation and discussion (10 mins).

9) Active participation and conflict: presentation and discussion (15 mins).

Is there anything I need to do before attending?

None.

You may also like:

There are a number of good resources on You e-Develop (http://www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/development/edevelop/). The best way to find these is to search for ?effective meetings?.

A document signposting key resources in You e- Develop can be found under ?course resources? along with slides from the workshop.

Do I get a qualification?

No.

Assessment:

None.

Previous attendees said:

"Just to let you know that the exam board this morning went well.

I finished in an hour, which I think is the mark of a good meeting".

"I never thought there were so many things I could do to try and turn around the dull meetings I attend.

I'm going to volunteer to chair the next one!".

"Interesting workshop: all chairs (at least) should attend if we are going to have a chance of improving".

Learning provider:

This course is administered by Staff Learning & Development, please contact sld@exeter.ac.uk for any queries.