With so much of your working life spent in meetings, are you really making the best of your time and resources? Answer the questions to find out if you’re managing your meetings effectively, and providing strong, structured leadership.
1. When do you call a meeting?
a) First thing every morning, with everyone expected to attend.
b) When key issues will be best sorted out face to face with all the relevant people in attendance.
c) It’s usually an ad hoc, last-minute affair.
2. How do you handle difficult situations that arise in meetings?
a) I shout loudest, shout longest.
b) I try to keep maintain balance and control.
c) I’m more your ‘passive aggressive’ type.
3. How would you approach a meeting with people from a different culture?
a) It’s my way or the highway.
b) I’d do some research beforehand to found out some basic rules.
c) I tend to muddle through and keep smiling.
4. How assertive are you?
a) Very, but I think I verge on aggressive at times.
b) Relatively so. I think it’s the best way to help others communicate better and to facilitate the best outcome.
c) Not very. Anything for a quiet life.
5. Are you a decisive person?
a) Yes, but I can be a bit hasty.
b) Yes, but I take my time. I try to think through all the options first.
c) I’m not sure.
6. How do you feel about ‘virtual’ meetings?
a) I wish all my meetings were ‘virtual’!
b) They can save a lot of time and money, but there are a few drawbacks.
c) Lukewarm, to say the least.
7. How well do your brainstorming sessions work?
a) They generate lots of ideas, but nothing that sticks.
b) Well. The key is to harness the creativity of your team.
c) They’re just not my thing. I prefer more structure.
a = 1, b = 2, c = 3.
Now add up your scores.
7–10: You don’t lack strength and authority — or the ability to get results — but your manner and strongarm tactics could be preventing you from getting the right results. Through tact, negotiation, and diplomacy you could bring out the best in your team members. Remember that the point of a meeting is to interact with others, not just to present your opinion. Chapter 4 deals extensively with ass ertiveness and how to walk the fine line between assertive and aggressive.
11–17: You seem to have got it just right, providing leadership from the centre, listening and responding well to the demands of managing a meeting. Don’t be afraid to put down the management manual once in a while and exercise your own creativity as well as facilitating others’.
18–21: People are a problem, aren’t they? Let your good nature be an asset rather than a burden, by building up your backbone and flexing those key skills that got you the job in the first place. You need some positive structure to strengthen your talents. Read on!