Guide to Meetings

Chapter 6. Opening the Meeting

Chapter 6 Outline

1. Task functions for opening the meeting

   • Stress purpose and outcomes.

   • Review the agenda.

   • Deal with timing issues.

2. Process functions for opening the meeting

   • Set the tone.

   • Remind participants of their roles.

   • Reach agreement on the ground rules.

   • Involve people early.

   • Use icebreakers with new groups.

The way you open the meeting will have an enormous impact on the meeting’s effectiveness. The opening provides you with an opportunity to set the tone and begin to steer the participants down a productive path. During the opening, you need to accomplish two sets of functions. The first set is called “task functions”—how you go about accomplishing your work. The second is called “process functions”—how you get people ...