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As a manager, there are specific behaviors that you should demonstrate in meetings.

1. Prepare a meeting agenda.  A large part of the chairperson’s contribution occurs before the meeting begins. You will need to have a clear understanding of what is to be done at the meeting and what, if any, decisions are to be made. You’ll have to determine who should attend and the right number of attendees to optimize the group’s effectiveness. You’ll also need to drop up the planning document that will guide the meeting – the agenda.
2. Distribute the agenda in advance. If you want specific people to attend your meeting, and particularly if participants need to do some homework beforehand, get your agenda out well in advance of the meeting.
3. Consult with participants before the meeting. An unprepared participant can’t contribute to his or her full potential. It is your responsibility to ensure that members are prepared. What data will they need ahead of time? Do they have those data? If not, what can you do to help them get it?
4. Get participants to go over the agenda. The first thing you should do at the meeting is to get participants to review the agenda. Do modifications need to be made? If so, make them. Clarify the issues that you plan to discuss. After this review, get participants to approve the final agenda.
5. Establish specific time parameters.Meetings should begin on time and have a specific time for completion. It is your responsibility to specify these time parameters and to hold to them.
6. Maintain focused discussion.It is the chairperson’s responsibility to give direction to the discussion; to keep it focused on the issues; and to minimize interruptions, disruptions, and irrelevant comments. If participants begin to stray from the issue under consideration, the chairperson should intercede quickly to redirect the discussion. Similarly, one or a few members cannot be allowed to monopolize the discussion or to dominate others. Appropriate preventive action ranges from a subtle stare, a raised eyebrow, or other nonverbal communication, on up to an authoritative command such as ruling someone “out of order” or withdrawing someone’s right to continue speaking.
7. Encourage and support participation by all members.Participants were not selected randomly. Each is there for a purpose. To maximize the effectiveness of problem-oriented meetings, each participant must be encouraged to contribute. Quiet or reserved personalities must be drawn out so their ideas can be heard.
8. Maintain an appropriate level of control.The style of leadership can range from authoritative domination to laissez-faire. The effective leader pushes when necessary and is passive when need be.
9. Encourage the clash of ideas.You need to encourage different points of view, critical thinking, and constructive disagreement. Your goals should be to stimulate participants’ creativity and to counter the group members’ desire to reach an early consensus.
10. Discourage the clash of personalities. An effective meeting is characterized by the critical assessment of ideas, not attacks on people. When running a meeting, you must quickly intercede to stop personal attacks or other forms of verbal insult.
11. Exhibit effective listening skills.If you group meeting is to achieve its objectives, you need to demonstrate the listening skills. Effective listening reduces misunderstandings, improves the focus of discussion, and encourages the critical assessment of ideas. Even if other group members don’t exhibit good listening skills, if you do, you can keep the discussion focused on the issues and facilitate critical thinking.
12. Bring proper closure. You should close a meeting by summarizing the group’s accomplishments; clarifying what actions, if any, need to follow the meeting; and allocating follow-up assignments. If any decisions have to be made, who will be responsible for communicating and implementing them?