Planning a Difficult Meeting

The task of planning a meeting can be daunting enough without worrying about a negative message that is going to be conveyed and how the attendees will respond. For those who do not regularly plan meetings, planning one that will prove uncomfortable is that much more intimidating. Meetings that focus on negative topics such as layoffs, cutbacks, downsizing or low profits can be especially difficult to coordinate and host. Hopefully, you are one of the lucky ones who is simply organizing the meeting and letting another individual actually deliver the message. Whatever your role, here are some helpful tips to utilize in the event of either scenario.

1. Suggest a Pre-Meeting Memo

Ask your boss if generating a short memo that briefly describes the reason for the meeting would be acceptable. Make mention of the fact that it would be beneficial for attendees to prepare themselves for the message of the meeting and not feel ambushed, thus lessening the chance of a complete reaction of shock. Some meetings would not be appropriate for such a memo (i.e. layoffs) and unfortunately, these types of meetings will have to go without. Ultimately, it is your boss' decision as to whether or not you will be generating memo. But preparing the attendees whenever possible is always a good decision.

2. Forego the Food

Unless you are planning a meeting that is going to last longer than an hour and a half, skip the food and beverages. Most meetings that center on a negative or difficult topic are going to be short, sweet and to the point, so the need for food will most likely not present itself. Additionally, your attendees are not going to feel like munching on that bagel if they are receiving not-so-great news.

3. Avoid Incorporating Extra Elements

As previously stated, these types of meetings are best if kept short and to the point. Now is not the time to incorporate a technological element or guest speaker that is not pertinent to the focus of the meeting or can be left out for another meeting. If handouts, graphs or a speaker is necessary, be sure to keep anything that is introduced to the bare minimum and to only incorporate those elements that are absolutely necessary. Don't think that since you have everyone gathered, you should also invite the pension profit representative in to discuss the importance of contributing to their 401k. Attendees will not be able to focus on any extra, unnecessary information and it would not be appreciated by the attendees or your boss.

4. Go for the Gusto

In preparing the notes/outline for the meeting, do not dance around the issue of the meeting. Building up this negative announcement would be the wrong decision to make for more than one reason. First, people do not enjoy being talked down to and may take your attempt to be sensitive as being yanked around. Second, the build up could end up being worse than the actual news. You never know what kinds of scenarios people could be conjuring up in their minds while you (or the presenter) dance around the issue.

5. Find a Positive

This is another issue that would need to be discussed with your boss before implementing, but most executives like to end things on a positive note. Take suggestions from your boss regarding a positive element you can include to be the focus of the conclusion of the meeting. A "here is the bad news, now some good news" sort of situation. It does not have to be an extraordinary, fantastic bit of information - just a little something positive for the attendees to keep in mind along with the negative.

Meetings that are centered on a not-so-pleasant topic are inevitable in the professional world. When planning such a meeting, the intent should always be for it to be conducted with as much professionalism as possible, so the attendees still feel valued and respected but walk away informed. Implementing these strategies will assist you in achieving the goal of getting the message across while maintaining the morale of the attendees.