Meeting Persona

I have been in committees for decades.  Yes, literally decades.  And over those years there are some interesting patterns of participation that I have observed.  Which are you?

The passive listener

...is the person who comes faithfully to the committee and listens.  Rarely if ever do they actively contribute to the content of the committee unless specifically asked a question. Then they surprise everyone with an often useful and insightful response.  My suggestion: Speak up a bit more. 

The non-engaged

,,,is the person who sits at the periphery of the meeting.  They are often seen "sneaking" a look on their phone. Texting. Or doing something else.  While they are not actively disruptive, they are passively disruptive because of the infectious quality of their non-participation.  My suggestion: Either commit to participating in the meeting for the time you are there, or ask to be excused from the meeting.  (If that means you are not fulfilling your job and responsibilities, consider that.)

The cautious contributor

...is the person who does participate in the meeting and provides periodic contributions to the content of the meeting.  This person can often be intimidated by other more active members of the committee.  My suggestion:  Look at your prior contributions and see how they have shaped the discussions and outcome. Your input is valuable and you should feel positive about your contributions.  Do it more!

The carefree contributor

...is a person who is active in the committee.  They often contribute and throw out a lot of thoughts and ideas to see what will "stick".  This is your classic brainstormer. They like to provide new and sometimes off-topic ideas to see how it may contribute to the subject matter of the meeting. Fortunately their ego allows them to embrace other members feedback on those suggestions, both good and bad.  My suggestion: Be sure that you continue to contribute to the meeting. Don't overpower it with your presence.  Try to be sure that you explain your thoughts and ideas and how they relate to the content of the meeting.

The dominator

...is a person who clearly dominates a meeting.  It can be done in a variety of ways, and often can co-exist with other meeting types.  Regardless their domination of the meeting can inhibit the input of others because of their overpowering nature.  My suggestion:  Be aware if you are in the dominator position and back off to a more cooperative and productive position.

The organizer

...is the person who looks to keep everyone on track, even if being on track is counterproductive to the progress of the meeting.  These individuals are very helpful to the outcome of the meeting and focus, but it shouldn't be to the detriment of the outcome or progress of the meeting.  My suggestion:  Stay focused on the plan for the meeting, but allow for wandering and exploration when appropriate.

The nay-sayer

...is someone who finds fault with everything.  They have a thousand reasons why things can't happen.  Why they won't happen.  They can bring a meeting and progress to a halt quickly.  My suggestion:  Require all "we can't do that" statements with a follow up "this is how we can..." statement.

The always right

...are individuals who contribute like the carefree contributor but with a fatal flaw.  Instead of accepting the additional follow up of the other members of the committee, they feel personally attacked if anyone makes a suggestion for improvement or change.  They feel their idea should be accepted exactly as they propose.  My suggestion:  Keep providing ideas but understand that it's rare when a presented idea is in its final form.  Realize that others can contribute to the improvement of your idea.  And remember that not all of your ideas are good ones.

The agreer

... seems like a great person on a committee. They seem to agree and compliment all of the members of the committee, yet provide very little to the committee.  While they seem to be a valuable member of the committee they actually don't contribute much to the outcome.  My suggestion:  Continue to compliment the activities of the committee, but start to provide support, content and effort to the activities, beyond simple lip service.

What other meeting types?

What other meeting types have you seen?  What can they do to improve their contributions to the committee?

But most of all...what type of meeting participant are you?