Making Meetings Work The Art of Chairing

This short, accessible book on the art of chairing is an indispensable guide to help Chairs and meetings (of all types) to work more effectively. There are millions of meetings every day in public and private organisations. A poor Chair can lead to unproductive meetings, weak outcomes, unclear actions and even major fallouts. Many types of meeting within business settings and beyond are covered in this short book – from regular meetings to company board meetings, conferences and senior level regulatory meetings. It covers both physical meetings and virtual chairing. Using a light-hearted approach and written by a globally recognised Chairperson of leading technology, media and communications businesses and regulatory bodies during times of great change, the book offers a practical, jargon-free approach that covers many types of meeting. It will be of use to Chairs in the business environment, the public sector at local, regional and national levels, and in many types of communities and gatherings. It is interspersed with anecdotes and examples that bring the text to life and give powerful stories that everyone can learn from. As a result, meetings of all sorts will be more productive, and, importantly, more fun. As a result, people will become better chairs. The book is a perfect quick reference tool for anyone currently involved in chairing meetings and is wanting to hone their skills, or anyone new to the art of chairing meetings and wants to get quickly up to speed.

Introduction 1. Chairing A Meeting 2. Chairing Small Meetings 3. Chairing Company Board Meetings: What Is The Board For? 4. Chairing Company Board Meetings: How To Go About It 5. The Right People: Diversity 6. Chairing Board Committees & Agms 7. Chairing Selection Panels 8. Chairing Conferences & Summits & Dinners 9. Virtual Chairing :The Future? The Next Normal?

Richard Hooper has devoted his career to the technology, media and telecommunications sector. He was a founder of the Open University on the BBC side, developed with colleagues at British Telecom the forerunner to the internet – viewdata, and launched one of the first satellite television channels – Superchannel. He was founding deputy chair of the UK communications regulator Ofcom; chair of Informa plc; and he chaired two reviews for Labour and Conservative Governments on the Royal Mail and on copyright licensing.