Chairing Meetings

Looking after the processes (the 'hows') of a meeting or discussion so that it achieves its objectives (the 'whats').

Chairing a meeting is a full-time job. Getting involved in the subject matter of a meeting and chairing it are two roles that do not mix. Successful chairing is greatly aided by being uninvolved, disinterested and impartial. It is precisely because these are such difficult behaviours to adopt that most people fail to match up to the requirements of the job.

The basic functions of a chairperson are well known (but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are well done). It is the chair’s responsibility to:

• start the meeting by clarifying the objectives and checking that all participants have a shared understanding
• introduce each topic (the ‘what’) briefly by putting it into context and explaining the purpose/objective (the ‘how’) by either suggesting or gathering ideas from participants
• control the pace of the meeting by agreeing a time slot for each topic and checking progress against the time plan
• control the flow of conversation by restraining the verbose and bringing in quieter participants
• keep the discussion to the point by summing up at frequent intervals and by asking questions of clarification
• conclude each topic by summarising what has been agreed or decided
• conclude the meeting by recapping the actions that have been placed on people and checking that all participants have a shared understanding of each action
• review whether or not the meeting was successful in achieving the objectives by gathering ideas on what went well and what could have gone better.

In a nutshell, the chair’s role is to facilitate the meeting by being custodian of the processes rather than contributing directly to the topics themselves.

For more advice on how to chair effectively see Meetings and Groups.