1.5 - About University

key words from a complex idea, and still keep the tone and meaning of the speaker. Onthe other hand, the few chosen words can convey the heart of the idea and add tounderstanding.• Recording information on a flip chart may at first appear to slow down a meeting. Infact, the investment of a few minutes up front to capture ideas and comments and makethem visible to the entire group often yields substantial dividends later in a meeting.• The leader needs to develop these skills:- Write large, legibly, and quickly.- Spell reasonably well.- Think about what to write, write clearly, and listen at the same time.• The proper equipment must be available (e.g., whiteboard, flip chart, pens, tape, and so on).• It takes practice for a leader to be able to record information on a flip chart or someother form of common text, contribute to the content of the discussion, and guide theprocess, all at the same time. Consider using another person as a recorder or scribe untilyou are comfortable handling these roles simultaneously.H OW TO USE THIS LEADERSHIP TOOLA picture is worth a thousand words.Signs of frustration in meetings include:✗ wandering conversations,✗ agenda items not concluded with clear decisions or plans,✗ revisiting decisions from previous meetings,✗ low creativity, and✗ people feeling that they are not being heard.Making information visible can help alleviate these frustrations. Keep a whiteboard or flipchart in your group’s regular meeting room to capture brainstorming items, and visibly recorddecisions and plans. Your meetings will soon become more effective.WEB WORKSHEET1. Here are just a few of the opportunities you might have to make information visible. Checkoff those that fit, and add your own specific uses.Opportunities for makinginformation visibleWhat you will do to maximize these opportunities❑❑Working toward closure on decisionsand action plansBrainstorming (e.g., recording data relatedto an issue)[☛ 10.10 Closure][☛ 6.9 Brainstorming]324 SECTION 10 TOOLS FOR LEADING TEAMS AND GROUPS