Roles of Chairperson Chairing a Meeting of Your Superiors It is unlikely that you will ever be asked to adopt the role

of chairman involving a meeting of your superiors. You are likely to have been included for your expertise or knowledge. However, if you find yourself in the role of unofficial chair then remember that you cant really lead - so don't try. As a subordinate, you cannot see the whole picture and it is not part of your brief to make strategic contributions. Your role is most likely to consist of presenting facts, identifying problems and suggesting solutions. Your opinions will normally be of far less interest than your knowledge and it is good practice to avoid expressing any subjective views, unless these are specifically requested. If the debate among your superiors becomes heated, remain objective and express your understanding in a candid and honest way, when your contribution is sought. Avoid entering into any arguments, even if you want to back up your direct superior. You, as a subordinate, are an interloper in this environment and joining in any arguments represents a no-win situation for you. Chairing a Mixed Meeting You may need to chair a meeting that includes individuals occupying different levels within the organizational hierarchy. Meetings that include superiors, subordinates and peers are often the most difficult to gain productive output from. Where senior management attend meetings chaired by subordinates they are particularly prone to hijacking the proceedings. If you are in the role of chair it is your duty to resist such an attempt and to ensure that the meeting progresses in line with the formal agenda. You should have nothing to fear from responsible senior staff, who may be assessing your abilities to cope with such a challenge. Concerns about authority and competition between individuals are likely to be magnified and those that are less senior may feel inhibited, especially if their direct superiors are present. For this reason it is best to ask for contributions from the lowest ranking members first, before their superiors can express a view, with which they may hesitate to disagree. On the other hand superiors are unlikely to feel inhibited by what their subordinates may say. Acting as a neutral chair, your role in a mixed group meeting may prove easier than some of the other scenarios already covered. In a mixed group the existing politics and dynamics will mean that the focus of the group will be far less on the chair, allowing you to run the meeting without undue attention. Ensure the Meeting Starts Well It is good practice for the chair to arrive at the venue ten to fifteen minutes before the planned start time. This enables you to familiarize yourself with the surroundings and place any relevant information, such as the agenda, in front of each seat. Look for any problems with the seating, lighting or anything else that may have an impact on the meeting. If possible, engage the early arrivers in small-talk, whilst looking for clues as to their attitudes and priorities.

In order to maximize the productive scope of the meeting you will need to reduce any barriers between you and the other participants. Be welcoming and friendly, and join in any light-hearted chat, both before the meeting and at breaks. As the meeting progresses, concentrate on uniting the group members and encourage them to focus on the facts rather than on personalities. The ability to start on time represents the first opportunity for you to exercise control. If you let this slip then you will set a dangerous precedent. However, if a key contributor is late, it is acceptable to wait for their arrival or to change the order of the agenda to prevent delays. Your first duty as chair is to declare the meeting open and introduce yourself and the other participants. Be careful to get the names and job titles of the participants correct. Follow this by thanking everyone for attending, even if they had little choice. Then make any apologies for absence, on behalf of non-attendees. Next, state the purpose of the meeting. This is probably the most important statement the chair will make. State clearly what it is that the meeting seeks to achieve and use this to focus the group mind and give members a goal to work towards. Always avoid opening on an apologetic tone, as this may set the meeting on a path to failure and recrimination. Run quickly through the agenda and ask if anyone has other important issues that they feel should be added, at this late stage. Whilst this would be an unusual action to take, it is sometimes necessary. This may mean re-scheduling certain items on the agenda or extending the planned time for the meeting. Announce how long the meeting will last and the times of any breaks. Indicate how you expect participants to make contributions and explain the process you expect to see followed. During these early introductory stages you will have made your style of leadership clear to the group, including the degree of formality that you expect. Maintaining Progress As the meeting progresses the key role of the chairman is to see that progress is made in line with the items on the agenda. There follows a summary of the sort of actions you may need to take: Introduce each item Introduce each item and explain why it is being discussed. Address each item on the agenda separately and in order, don't start a new item before concluding the previous one. Invite contributions Make sure that everyone who should speak on an issue gets the chance to, not just those who can talk the loudest and longest. The chair should look out for minority interests and ensure that these are expressed in the meeting. Encourage quieter members to communicate their feelings, perhaps by prompting them with questions. Summarize each item As the discussion of each item is finished, summarize what has been said and check that everyone agrees with your prcis. If there is confusion then take the time to seek clarification.

Take votes If it is appropriate, you may want to take a vote on specific issues as they are concluded, in line with whatever process has been agreed for that part of the meeting. In addition to these activities you will need to maintain progress against the agenda. Never lose sight of the fact that you are in control of the meeting. If you believe that a particular item is dragging on too long, bring the discussion of that issue to a close, in a polite but firm way. Staying in Control Mood Swings and Interruptions The mood of a meeting can change quickly from being friendly and constructive to being confrontational. If the atmosphere starts to become tense, then you will need to act quickly to improve the situation. For example, if the participants are becoming increasingly polarized in a discussion that is going nowhere you could try moving them along to the next item on the agenda. Try to limit the number of interruptions that are allowed in a meeting. Too many interruptions will halt the flow of a meeting and may lead the discussion onto a side issue. It is the responsibility of the chair to protect the person speaking and failure to do this will lead to a loss of control. Drawing-Out Contributions A significant proportion of people who attend meetings have a valuable contribution to make but never get to make it. The chair should draw out contributions from those who have a point of view or question but are reluctant to communicate it. Several signs may indicate that this is the case: Negative Body Language Shy individuals may hold back from speaking, as they are happier not to be in the limelight. These individuals may appear to query what is being said; a subtle shake of the head or furrowed brow may indicate this. Withdrawal People may be talked over by more vocal participants. They may start to speak only to be interrupted almost immediately, by someone who talks more loudly and forcibly. After a few attempts they may give up and stop making any further contribution. Hostility Some individuals may become offended by the conduct of others at the meeting and this annoyance may become their focus for the remainder of the meeting. They may spend the rest of the meeting by being either actively or passively hostile towards that individual. This will effectively destroy their role as a constructive

participant. As the chair, you need to read signals like these and ensure that anyone who has a contribution to make gets to voice it. In these situations you should encourage attendees to play a fuller role in the meeting. Group behavior is a key aspect of any meeting and you should understand the group of people at your meeting, as well as how they interact with one another. If participants present information as factual when you suspect that it is based on opinion then it is your responsibility, as the chair, to seek clarification. Avoid getting into an argument with any member of the group but stress the importance of all decisions being made on the basis of hard facts, wherever possible. The eyes of all meeting participants naturally home in on the chairperson. The actions, appearance, attitudes and body language of the chair will tend to be mirrored by most other attendees. You should be aware of this throughout the meeting and project a confident and professional image. Summing Up When all the items on the agenda have been discussed and the necessary actions agreed, it is the chairs duty to formally close the meeting. The chair should sum up all of the items on the agenda giving each one the time they feel represented its significance to the overall debate. The follow-up actions should be reviewed, checking that nobody is allocated an unrealistic workload. It is a good idea to let everyone know that a summary action sheet will be produced and distributed, together with the full minutes of the meeting. This list should be distributed to all attendees and any others to which the activities relate. Check that the person taking the minutes is happy with their record of events, then set the time and date for any subsequent meeting. The time to close the meeting has now arrived. Make any final remarks positive, forward-looking and brief thank everyone for attending and emphasize the achievements of the meeting.