11.7
THE CHAIRPERSON’S OPENING REMARKS
Inspired by Roger Mosvick and Robert Nelson.Meeting leaders often rush directly into discussing content or topic items, leaving participants
vague as to why an item is being discussed and what outcome is expected from the discussion.
Making a brief introduction—3 or 4 minutes at the beginning of a meeting—is one of a lead-
er’s most important responsibilities. Done well, the introduction yields a number of positive
results:
✔ It orients the group to the purpose of the meeting, and clarifies the context for the
meeting.✔ It enables meeting participants to sharpen their focus, and thus helps shorten meeting
time.✔ It provides an information base for the meeting.
✔ It clarifies meeting process and minimizes unrelated discussion during the meeting.
The chairperson’s orientation can be prepared in five steps.
356 SECTION 11 TOOLS FORLEADINGMEETINGS
Review
Meeting
Purpose
and
Process❑ Restate the purpose for the meeting.
❑ Review the specific outcomes being sought from the meeting (e.g., “At the end of this meeting,
we will have in place...).
❑ Ensure that participants are clear about the meeting process and their role in the meeting (e.g.,
➟ agenda, participation requested, ground rules).
Provide the
Meeting
Context❑ Provide all meeting participants with the same facts, trends, and evidence (e.g., briefly review
historical facts).
❑ Review the present status of the problem. (“Why are we talking about this now?”)
❑ Review what’s known about cause(s) of the problem. (Distinguish fact from conjecture, and note
probabilities.)
❑ State the consequences if the problem goes unresolved (the urgency of the problem).➟
Set the
Meeting
Boundaries❑ Define a problem frame. A concise, well-organized problem definition will help a group to move
quickly into working the problem.
❑ Set clear boundaries for the discussion. Maintain focus and insist that some issues be discussed in
other settings.
❑ Don’t dwell on past grievances. Focus on finding solutions to the present problems.
❑ Define the criteria for an effective solution. Set out constraints and decision rules (i.e., time,
money, resources, policy, and so on).➟
➟
➟
➟