CHAIRING A MEETING:

In summary, the chairperson helps the group:

• To form an agenda and stick to it.
• Ensures that everyone gets the opportunity to speak and that their views are heard and minuted (by the secretary).
• Sums up the agreed points as they are made (this helps the minute taker)
• Keeps the group focused on the agenda.

This can be made a little easier if you adopt some, or all of the following:

• Make sure that you will be able to attend regular meetings before you accept the position of chair.
  
  
• Try to ensure that you set an overall time for the meeting and allocate time limits for each agenda point.  If any point starts to go too much over time, ask the group to postpone a decision until the next meeting and suggest a working party (or sub-committee) be set up to debate the points and suggest a resolution to the next meeting.
  
  
• Read any meeting papers before you go into the meeting.
  
  
• If you are new to the committee, and it is not a public meeting, try to jot down a seating plan so you know who is who.
  
  
• If the committee/meeting is new and there are not too many people, ask the members to introduce themselves.
  
  
• In formal meetings, the convention is 'speaking through the chair'.  That means it is considered rude to speak unless the chair invites you to do so. – Past practice might help here, but if it is a new committee or meeting, try to judge the level of formality to know if these conventions are strictly imposed. For example, do the members use first names or are they more formal? If you are not sure, ask the secretary of the meeting for their advice.
  
  
• In a formal meeting, try to keep an eye out for anyone who wants to speak; they will usually raise their hand. And don't let others speak out of turn, allocate a speaking order if too many want to speak at once, say something like, "Professor Jones, first, followed by Mrs. Knowles, and then Mr. Norman"
  
  
• Jot down your own notes at the meeting and especially note any action points that are down to you.
  
  
• Don't let conflict in meeting upset you.  Often arguments will become quite heated or angry at meetings. Remember that some of this behaviour is often strategic and theatrical. As long as the members are not being abusive (or violent) to each other, heated debate is quite healthy.

Click here for suggestions for handling disruptive or inappropriate behaviour.