Effective Meetings By Phone - Part 2, How To Hold A
By Steve Kaye, Wed Dec 7th

Even a well-planned teleconference can go poorly. Some peopletreat any meeting as a casual social activity instead of as aserious business project. And a teleconference brings specialchallenges because people attend them in the privacy of theiroffice without being able to see or be seen by the otherparticipants.

Use these techniques to hold a more effective meeting by phone.

1) Begin with a quick round of self introductions so thateveryone can find out who is present and hear everyone else'svoice.

2) Enforce the rule of "one speaker at a time." Multipleconversations ruin a teleconference.

3) Insist that people announce when they join or leave theconference.

4) If people must leave during the meeting, gain closure on anyissues that they participated in before they leave. For example,"Pat agreed to prepare a cost estimate by next Monday. Is thatcorrect, Pat?" Make adjustments in the agenda (if appropriate)based on the remaining participants.

5) Keep everyone focused on the issue being discussed. Ifsomeone introduces an idea that seems unrelated, say, "Thatsounds interesting. How does that relate to the issue?"

6) Record the conference. First, this will help you prepareminutes. And second, it encourages people to make meaningfulcomments. Of course, you should announce that you are recordingthe meeting before you start.

7) State your name each time that you speak. This helps everyoneknow that you are speaking.

8) If you are speaking on your desk phone, use the handsetinstead of the speakerphone. A speakerphone, while useful,distorts your voice, picks up background sounds (like officeequipment), and makes a poor impression on the listener. If youmust have both hands free while you talk, obtain a headset.Note: It is more courteous to speak to people through thehandset (instead of the speakerphone) on any phone call.

9) Speak clearly to make sure that you are understood. Take theextra effort to enunciate carefully and speak slowly. Of course,you want to sound natural.

10) When stating numbers, write them out while you speak becausethat defines the rate at which everyone else is capturing them.

11) Then ask the receiving party to confirm numbers (or othercritical data) by repeating them. Although this may seemawkward, it prevents misunderstandings. Better yet, send writtencopies of all critical information.

12) When possible, plan your statements by jotting down anoutline of your key ideas before speaking. This contributes to amore efficient meeting, helps you appear more thoughtful, andavoids the embarrassment of making a verbal gaff.

13) Use your best, most focused listening skills. Pay additionto content, as well as inflections, voice tone, word selection,emphasis, assumed intentions, and your intuition.

14) Avoid shuffling papers, moving about, or tapping objects.Everyone else will hear the noise. It's distracting andirritating.

15) Reinforce accomplishments by distributing copies of keyideas and agreements during the meeting. You can send these, forexample, by e-mail or fax.

16) Stay fully present during the meeting. Avoid working onother tasks, such as reading mail or filing papers. These reduceyour ability to participate intelligently in the meeting.

17) Avoid using the mute button to talk to someone in youroffice during the audioconference. First, this shows discourtesyto both parties - the person in your office and the people inthe teleconference. It also takes your attention away from themeeting, causing you to miss important information. And bewarned that people have found themselves in serious trouble whenthe mute button failed.

18) Prepare minutes soon after the meeting. Send a draft to keyparticipants to confirm that your notes accurately describe theresults of the meeting. Minutes should be released within a dayor two after the meeting in order to be useful. After that, theybecome stale.

Properly conducted, teleconferences contribute to the efficiencyof effective business. Use the above techniques to make sureyour meetings do that.

About the author:IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and author Steve Kayehelps groups of people hold effective meetings. His innovativeworkshops have informed and inspired people nationwide. Hisfacilitation produces results that people will support. And hisbooks show how to hold effective meetings. Sign up for his freenewsletter at http://www.stevekaye.com. Call 714-528-1300 orvisit his web site for over 100 pages of valuable ideas.