HOW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOL
“Just as the driver of a car has two tasks, to follow his route and to manage his vehicle, so the chairperson’s job
can be divided into two corresponding tasks, dealing with the agenda items and dealing with the people.”
—Antony Jay, “HOW TO RUN A MEETING”Think of one or two specific meetings that you currently lead or anticipate leading in the near
future. Use the space provided here to plan and tailor your accountabilities and duties as chair-
person.
WEB WORKSHEET
SECTION 11 TOOLS FORLEADINGMEETINGS 351
Keeping the meeting on track:
❑ Get clear closure by summarizing decisions when ending discussion on an agenda item; confirm action plans,
responsibilities, and timelines that have been agreed to. [☛10.10 Closure]
❑ Check periodically to ensure that you are on schedule.
❑ Keep tight time limits for discussions, and let participants know how long each topic is expected to take (e.g., have
times on the agenda, announce how much time is left on a given topic area).
❑ Keep a flip chart titled Parking Lot, and park issues that you don’t have time to handle. (Get agreement with
meeting participants as to how and when Parking Lot issues will be handled.) [☛10.9 Visible Information][☛13.3 Accountability]Your unique accountabilities as chairperson
(what you will hold yourself accountable for achieving as the meeting chairperson)