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The chairman’s job. . . Your duty as a chairman is to maintain control of a meeting and enable meeting members to par- ticipate in making decisions. It is NOT your duty to impose your will on the members. With that in mind, here are several tips that can assist you in chairing a meeting effectively. Start on Time Starting late punishes those who arrive on time. People tend to arrive at the time they know the meeting will start, not at the time it was called. Get a reputation for starting on time, and people will quickly learn to be punctual. You, as chairman, will need to arrive ahead of time to get set up. Keep Discussion on Topic This is the most important factor in controlling a meeting. if someone starts to get off topic, get them back on track immediately, but tactfully. by commenting. “That’s a good point, Jack. but right now we have to decide where we will hold the banquet,” or. “Excuse me, Joan, but could you save that point until later? The topic right now is who will be the guest speaker.” Getting a motion on the floor as soon as possible during a discussion will help keep the discussion on track. Summarize discussions often to keep everyone clear on what has been decided and what the decision re- maining is. Limit discussion by allowing only new opinions, facts or ideas to be presented. “Does anyone have a point that has not been mentioned yet?" Some meEIings have at least one in- dividual who tries to monopolize the discussion. Control them by saying, “Let’s hear from some of the other members first. Jane," or “I'd like to limit everyone to speaking just once on a topic, Tom." Make Decisions Quickly Make sure everyone knows what the problem is. Don‘t waste time on opinions if you can get the facts. e.g.. “I think the hall is fairly cheap and is probably available on the weekend," versus “The hall costs $35 and is available Thursday and Friday nights only." Get a motion on the floor quick- ly. You can facilitate this by saying. “Would someone please move that we have a mall display." Call a vote as soon as you see there are no new facts or points being made. (Sixty percent ofpcoplc decide on a motion within 60 seconds after it's made.) Involve Everyone If the group is small. go around the circle seeking each person‘s ideas. Ask quiet members directly what their feelings are on the topic. If the group is large, use buzz groups. brainstorming groups. and surveys to provide members an opportunity to provide input. Note that by limiting talkative members, you will encourage quieter members. Use Parliamentary Procedure The smaller the group. the less forv mal the meeting and vice versa. In a small group. you could finalize the discussion by saying, "It looks like everyone is in favour of having a mall display, then.” lle Aware of the Meeting Environment Set chair.» up itt ti circle for small groups and in El "U"»s]tapc for groups up to 30, so that everyone can see everyone else. Set up only tlH mttny chairs as there are people. Ensure that the temperature. lighting. ventilation and sound are \uilahlc. It is easier for antagonists to gut in a “head-to-hcad" confrontation when sitting across from each other. Sit them beside each other and they will find it more difficult to argue. liml on Time l’coplc attend meetings to socialize, not just for business. By keeping the meeting strictly to business. you can have illllt: after the meeting for “official” sociali/ing. (Meetings over two hours Iottg art: for martyrs only). If you go over schedule. the business was either covered too slotw ly or then: were too many items on the agenda.