Comments on: Meeting Behaviors: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly http://www.pmhut.com/meeting-behaviors-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly Fri, 24 May 2013 04:18:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Laura Bamberg http://www.pmhut.com/meeting-behaviors-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/comment-page-1#comment-17849 Laura Bamberg Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:23:05 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=4865#comment-17849 First of all, having senior stakeholders sit in on meetings will not always be necessary; I'm imagining meeting with the project team, and the advice in the blog post above is excellent on that front. One thought I had was that it IS rude when someone in the meeting is playing on their laptop (or working on it) or taking e-mails and such on their phones. If a senior-level member of the meeting can't take it without having to do so, I suggest they send someone they trust in their stead. Having an agenda, giving it out beforehand and maintaining the agenda during the meeting helps for many reasons, and one of them is that if you do have to send a stand-in, you can make sure that person sees the agenda and can fill in what you would say in response to any questions or disagreements you may have with it. Good post. Thanks for the advice - all is good! First of all, having senior stakeholders sit in on meetings will not always be necessary; I’m imagining meeting with the project team, and the advice in the blog post above is excellent on that front.

One thought I had was that it IS rude when someone in the meeting is playing on their laptop (or working on it) or taking e-mails and such on their phones. If a senior-level member of the meeting can’t take it without having to do so, I suggest they send someone they trust in their stead. Having an agenda, giving it out beforehand and maintaining the agenda during the meeting helps for many reasons, and one of them is that if you do have to send a stand-in, you can make sure that person sees the agenda and can fill in what you would say in response to any questions or disagreements you may have with it.

Good post. Thanks for the advice - all is good!

]]> By: Johan Moberg http://www.pmhut.com/meeting-behaviors-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/comment-page-1#comment-17745 Johan Moberg Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:11:05 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=4865#comment-17745 I have seen meetings that are completely derailed by seniors, but I believe that such situation is the result of a weak Project Manager. I think, if you, as a Project Manager, can't say anything to your superiors to keep the meeting (which comes out of the project budget) on track then you just don't cut it to be a Project Manager. Sure, there will be situations where you just can't say anything, but that should be the exception rather than the norm. I have seen meetings that are completely derailed by seniors, but I believe that such situation is the result of a weak Project Manager. I think, if you, as a Project Manager, can’t say anything to your superiors to keep the meeting (which comes out of the project budget) on track then you just don’t cut it to be a Project Manager. Sure, there will be situations where you just can’t say anything, but that should be the exception rather than the norm.

]]> By: Andrew Terry http://www.pmhut.com/meeting-behaviors-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/comment-page-1#comment-17743 Andrew Terry Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:51:03 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=4865#comment-17743 J. Elliot - The art of Project Management often calls for the PM to display diplomacy and tact. It also requires the PM to effectively manage not just their project team and peers, but the people above them, too. In the example you've painted, the appropriate response is to talk to the superior, as you call them, afterwards and remind them that a) as a senior member of staff, they should be setting a better example to the other attendees, and b) each meeting carries a cost, not just a time cost, but the hourly cost of everyone in that meeting. Don't forget, that in a client-driven, cross-charging environment (like most organisations today), project meetings come out of the project budget. Speaking from personal experience, this approach <i>does</i> have an impact on disorderly behaviour - even of senior staff. J. Elliot - The art of Project Management often calls for the PM to display diplomacy and tact. It also requires the PM to effectively manage not just their project team and peers, but the people above them, too.

In the example you’ve painted, the appropriate response is to talk to the superior, as you call them, afterwards and remind them that a) as a senior member of staff, they should be setting a better example to the other attendees, and b) each meeting carries a cost, not just a time cost, but the hourly cost of everyone in that meeting. Don’t forget, that in a client-driven, cross-charging environment (like most organisations today), project meetings come out of the project budget.

Speaking from personal experience, this approach does have an impact on disorderly behaviour - even of senior staff.

]]> By: J. Elliott http://www.pmhut.com/meeting-behaviors-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/comment-page-1#comment-17717 J. Elliott Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:40:43 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=4865#comment-17717 The PM HUT is publishing a lot of articles on "how to conduct better meetings", all of them with advices that can never be implemented in the real world, all of them assuming that the Project Manager is the strongest person in the meeting and he or she can say anything to anyone. Well guess what, if a superior is discussing issues outside the agenda or answering the phone or checking email during the meeting, all the Project Manager can do is keep his mouth shut. Andrew and others, please take into consideration the status of the Project Manager when you write such articles, as again, they have no real benefit in the real world. The PM HUT is publishing a lot of articles on “how to conduct better meetings”, all of them with advices that can never be implemented in the real world, all of them assuming that the Project Manager is the strongest person in the meeting and he or she can say anything to anyone. Well guess what, if a superior is discussing issues outside the agenda or answering the phone or checking email during the meeting, all the Project Manager can do is keep his mouth shut.

Andrew and others, please take into consideration the status of the Project Manager when you write such articles, as again, they have no real benefit in the real world.

]]>