successful project management - Commonwealth of Learning

Chapter 9
Managing Project Team Meetings
Meetings are either a pain in the neck,
Or a welcome opportunity
To explore group thinking and decision making
Learning outcomes
After working through this chapter you should be able to:
• prepare a project meeting by specifying objectives;
• chair and monitor a meeting;
• handle difficult people;
• solve problems as they arise; and
• define terms and jargon used in association with meetings.
Introduction
So far we have discussed issues that are specific to management of the project.
Interestingly enough, the running theme has been communication at every turn. It is,
however, important to devote a bit of our time on an aspect of communication that
that the project manager cannot afford to overlook, namely, the meetings that are
regularly held at the different stages of the project life. Meetings bring about a special
type of interaction, an aspect we have already discussed in one of our chapters.
Evans (1996) reminds us that meetings are important for a number of reasons,
including:
• passing instructions;
• solving problems that arise during the project;
• making decisions on project related issues;
• explaining and seeking explanation on issues;
• trouble-shooting; and
• persuading team members to adopt a certain view
These are crucial aspects of any project and constitute the heart of productivity.
The issue of time
An observation has already been made that team members already belong to their
departments where they have a full load of responsibilities. It is, therefore, not
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