Chairing a meeting is much like chairing a conference. In both cases, the role is not unlike that of a conductor leading an orchestra. You don’t have an instrument to play yourself. Instead, your responsibility is to bring out the best in others, aligning different talents, managing tempo, and ensuring the final performance works as
Do you go pink when you speak in a meeting? Turns out, it doesn’t actually matter. The following experience was shared with me. They have given me permission to pass it on. “I always go red when I speak. I used to think ‘oh, I’m going red’. And that made me go redder, face and
They can do. But it’s not guaranteed. Because Speaking and Chairing are not the same. While they are both actively involved in an event, the Chair’s role is different. My Masterclass on Conference Chairing and Facilitation for Association of Association Executives (AAE) will prepare you to perform well as a Chair or Facilitator. In the
It’s ok to for your volunteers to talk about their ‘charity work’. In fact, you might want to actively encourage them to do so. It can positively affect their contributions to meetings and make chairing them easier. When I was a Membership Director, one of the associate members once said to me “I want to
“What would make it easier for you to contribute in meetings?” If you were to ask your members this question, what might you expect to hear? Perhaps: “I want to quickly make sense of the meeting and what I can contribute.” “I want the space to share my view in the meeting.” “I want to
If you’re finding Chairing hard work, it could be time to change the work you’re doing. When you step from being a member of a group to chairing it, it’s like swapping from a player to a manager. Your work changes. It becomes about enabling the group to perform well. As a chair, your work
During a meeting, there are some moments that can be seen as awkward and therefore difficult to handle. Chairing a meeting can be a bit like keeping a set of plates spinning. One minute they’ll all be fine, spinning away. And then, out of nowhere, there will be a contribution that creates a wobble. Let’s
Watch retailers are known for displaying their products to show the time of 10:10. Why? Because it sells watches. It creates the space for the brand name and logo to be clearly visible. And the position of the hands puts a smile on the face of the product which makes for a positive and appealing
When it comes to becoming a more comfortable, confident Chair, how you prepare makes a big difference to your performance. Preparing to chair is a bit like making a good cocktail. It involves gathering together the right ingredients, and mixing them in the right way. The right ingredients There are three ingredients to pull together:
John Wilson is a pretty amazing conductor with many internationally reputed orchestras. I’ve been lucky enough to see him in action from the Choir seats at the Royal Albert Hall. These seats are behind the orchestra and they give you a fresh perspective on his performance, viewed from the front. It occurred to me that