Appendix C
How to Contribute as a Participant
Most people who conduct meetings also attend meetings. The more skillful they become in conducting meetings, the more critical they become of the meetings they attend. So, how should people react when they are asked to attend a meeting they expect to be nonproductive? Several alternatives are available:
Don't go. Make up a good excuse.
Go, but demonstrate your dissatisfaction by refusing to participate, criticizing the leader, arguing, or exhibiting other nonproductive behavior.
Go, and help the meeting be productive.
Obviously, the third alternative is usually the best. The problem is, how can a participant be helpful without causing resentment on the part of the leader? If the leader happens to be your boss, tact may be essential.
Here are some ways in which a participant can help a meeting become productive.
Know Why You Are There
If you don't get adequate notice, ask for it. Try to get details on time, place, and objectives so that you can plan and prepare to be there. Suggest that other participants get the same information.
Be There on Time
Get to the meeting before it is scheduled to begin. Be in your seat, ready to go. Encourage the leader to begin the meeting on time. You might tactfully say, “Well it's 9:00. Let's go.” Or, “If you aren't going to start the meeting on time, I guess I'll go back to my office to make a quick phone call.” Hints like this will usually stimulate the leader to start on time.
Stay on the Subject
Be sure you know the subject being discussed and the objectives of the meeting. If you participate, stay on the subject. If you aren't sure what the subject is, ask for clarification—not only for your own benefit but also for the benefit of the group. You could say, “Will you put the objective (or question) on the board (flipchart) so it's clear to all of us?”
Don't Cause Problems for the Leader
Go to the meeting with a positive attitude and an objective to help make the meeting be as productive as possible. Here are a few things to remember:
Don't start side conversations. Ignore anyone who tries to start a side conversation with you.
Don't be interrupted by a telephone message unless it's an emergency.
Don't argue with the leader or with another member of the group. Challenge, yes, but avoid arguments.
Don't lose control of your emotions.
Don't hesitate to ask questions if you aren't sure about something.
Don't try to do other work during the meeting.
Be Open to the Ideas of Others
It's amazing how open-mindedness begets open-mindedness. When you are willing to listen and are open-minded to the ideas of others, they are more apt to be open-minded toward the ideas you present. When responding to their ideas, use such comments as:
“I see what you mean.”
“I understand how you feel.”
“You have a good point there.”
“I hadn't thought of it that way.”
Help the Leader Control the Meeting
Be on the alert for the meeting getting out of control. When it does, respond in one of the following ways:
If heated arguments occur between participants, put yourself in between. See if you can help each one see the other person's side.
If one participant dominates, inject your own ideas or ask for a contribution from another person by saying, “I'd like to hear Bill's ideas on the subject.”
If interruptions or distractions occur, say, “I wonder if we can get back to our objective.”
If you feel that a participant is off the subject, gently bring the conversation back on track with a comment like, “I'm not sure how this ties in with the objective.” This might stimulate the leader to restate the objective or the question being discussed.
If the meeting gets out of control, try to bring it back by restating the objective and summarizing what has been accomplished and what needs to be done.
Use a Problem-Solving Method
Here is a summary of four participant opportunities in a problem-solving conference:
1. Contribute ideas to the discussion.
Understand why you are attending the meeting.
Make sure you understand the problem.
Offer facts and opinions where appropriate.
Maintain dissenting views in the fact of opposition but not to the point of having a closed mind or being obnoxious.
2. Listen to the ideas of others.
Listen carefully.
Understand the viewpoints of others.
Help others to develop their views and ideas.
Be courteous by respecting other opinions even if they are different from your own.
3. Consider the problem objectively.
Maintain an objective attitude.
Avoid giving or accepting opinions as facts.
Avoid becoming emotional.
4. Contribute to the orderly conduct of the meeting.
Arrange matters so that personal interruptions are unnecessary.
Be prompt.
Avoid side conversations with neighbors.
Stay on the subject.
Refrain from dominating the meeting.
Help the leader maintain order.
Pay Attention
You won't be able to contribute at all unless you are attentive. Perhaps the first words of advice are pay attention! Sometimes this is very difficult to do because the subject is dry, the leader is a poor communicator, the physical facilities are poor, or you have something on your mind that bothers you. You, therefore, are tempted to become a poor listener.
Below are five ways to stay attentive and listen even if you are bored or distracted.
1. Find areas of interest. Look for ideas and topics that can be useful to you. These ideas can come from the leader or other participants.
2. Judge content, not delivery. Don't be upset and distracted by a monotone voice or the fact that the speaker is reading the material.
3. Hold your fire. Don't get overstimulated and sent off on an emotional tangent because of a word or phrase that the speaker used.
4. Resist distractions. Sometimes it's easy to remove distractions by closing a door, turning off a fan, or pulling a window shade. Sometimes it requires concentration.
5. Take notes. In addition to the mental process to improve attentiveness and listening, the physical process of taking notes can be helpful. A person who takes notes during a meeting is more able to resist boredom and disinterest than one who doesn't. Obviously, note taking requires listening, and a person who vows to come out of a meeting with notes is committed to listening.
A Note-Taking Technique
The note taker simply records the main words or ideas in the same order that the speaker presents them. If the speaker says, “My first point is…,” the note taker labels it “1.” The note taker tries to put these points down in the same order and with the same emphasis as the speaker. If the speaker says, “I want to emphasize the next point,” the note taker puts down an asterisk, underlines it, or labels it “significant.” Without worrying about a formal outline, or facts versus principles, the note taker exerts self-discipline to listen and take notes. Perhaps the notes will be referred to again and perhaps not. But the note-taking process has served one important purpose—to force the listener to listen. Also, the very process of writing will improve the retention of the listener, whether or not the notes are reviewed at a later date.
The participant is an important ingredient of a productive meeting. The first requirement is to pay attention to what is being said. In addition, there are many things a participant can do to help make the meeting productive:
Know why you are there.
Be there on time.
Stay on the subject.
Don't cause problems for the leader.
Be open to the ideas of others.
Help the leader control the meeting.
Use a problem-solving method.
Pay attention.
What Is Your Profile as a Meeting Participant?
Good meeting participants:
1. Plan for the meeting. 4.
• Think about the problem ahead of time.
• Talk with others who know something about the problem.
• Get as many facts as time allows.
• Understand why they are attending.
2. Contribute ideas to the discussion .
• Offer facts and ideas.
• Don't quickly discard views in the face of opposition.
• Understand the facts.
• Understand the problem.
3. Listen to the ideas of others.
• Understand the viewpoints of others.
• Help others develop their views and ideas.
• Be courteous and alert.
• Listen carefully and think.
4. Consider the problem objectively.
• Maintain an objective attitude.
• Avoid giving (or accepting) opinions as fact.
• Avoid emotionalism.
• Maintain confidences and avoid gossip.
5. Contribute to the orderly conduct of the meeting.
• Arrive on time.
• Help the leader maintain order.
• Make arrangements to avoid personal interruptions.
• Avoid side conversations.
• Do not dominate the meeting.
• Stay on the subject.
• Avoid sarcasm and ridicule.