The Business Meetings Sourcebook

THE BUSINESS MEETINGS SOURCEBOOK This Page Intentionally Left Blank THE BUSINESS MEETINGS SOURCEBOOK A Practical Guide to Better Meetings and Shared Decision Making Eli Mina American Management Association New York • Atlanta • Brussels • Buenos Aires • Chicago • London • Mexico City San Francisco • Shanghai • Tokyo • Toronto • Washington, D.C. Special discounts on bulk quantities of AMACOM books are available to corporations, professional associations, and other organizations. For details, contact Special Sales Department, AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Tel.: 212-903-8316. Fax: 212-903-8083. Web site: www.amanet.org This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mina, Eli. The business meetings sourcebook : a practical guide to better meetings and shared decision making / Eli Mina. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8144-0670-X 1. Business meetings. 2. Group decision making. 3. Teams in the workplace. I. Title. HF5734.5 .B87 2002 658.4⬘56—dc21 2002001079  2002 Eli Mina. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Printing number 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 C ONTENTS Preface xiii Introduction Part 1. 1 BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR SHARED DECISION MAKING Chapter 1. Goals and Parameters of Shared Decision Making 5 9 Defining the Goals of Corporate Decision Making 10 Defining Your Vision of Shared Decision Making 12 Choosing Among Four Decision-Making Models 21 Using Shared Decision-Making Parameters for Making Collective Decisions 25 Chapter 2. The Many Hats of a Facilitator Advocate 39 Balancer 40 v 37 Contents vi Battery Needing a Boost 42 Breath of Fresh Air 43 Confidant 45 Consultative Leader 46 Coordinator 49 Delegator 50 Diplomat 53 Eternal Optimist 59 External Facilitator 60 Healer 64 Inventory Keeper 68 Island of Sanity 69 Mediator 70 Mistake Maker 75 Motivator 80 Negotiator 81 Quitter 83 Realistic Visionary 86 Sheepherder 88 Spokesperson 89 Succession Planner 90 Voting Member 91 Vulnerable Human Being 92 Chapter 3. Negotiating Your Mandate, Workplan, and Resources 95 Negotiating Your Group’s Mandate 96 Preparing Your Group’s Workplan 102 Establishing Your Required Resources 106 Chapter 4. Selecting, Orienting, and Nurturing Your Team Determining the Desired Makeup of Your Team 109 Determining the Desired Size of Your Team 114 Attracting Good Talent to Your Team 114 Selecting Your Own Team Members 115 Influencing the Selection of Team Members by Others 116 Orienting Your Team Members 121 108 Contents vii Learning About Your Team Members 122 Nurturing Your Team 122 Assessing Your Team 140 What to Do if You Inherit an Imperfect Team 141 Starting a Quiet Corporate Revolution 146 Working with External Consultants 148 Chapter 5. Defining Your Team’s Rules of Engagement 152 What Are the Rules of Engagement and Why Are They Important? How Rules