Meeting Management

Meeting Approaches

Two general approaches to meetings are leader-controlled and group-centered. Leader-controlled approaches are used at information-giving meetings and large group meetings when the flow of open information is difficult. The leader opens the meeting, either makes announcements or calls on others to do so, and calls for questions and comments. In other words, the leader is the show. This approach is easy on the leader since there are few surprises, and large amounts of information can be covered in short periods of time. The disadvantages of this approach are that the free flow of information is stymied somewhat by having to go through the leader to get “air time,” so spontaneity is affected. Another disadvantage is that sensitive ...