Using Meetings in Requirements Analysis Chapter 14 Chapter Objectives Learn Importance of meetings in needs assessment Preparation activities for the meeting leader Challenges to meeting scheduling Types of meeting tools Process and components to develop agendas Process to lead a meeting Types of meetings for the needs assessment process Why Hold Meetings Meetings bring several people together to reach specific goals within a set time period Needs assessment meetings can be held to Share and obtain project status information Create an expected deliverable in a working meeting Extract information from participants in a discovery meeting Meeting Planning Meeting leaders plan to use participants time wisely by Preparing well for a meeting Inviting the right participants Defining the purpose and objectives before scheduling a meeting The meeting purpose should be specific The deliverables should be measurable so the meeting leader can determine if the objectives have been satisfied at meeting closure Do We Need a Meeting Yes if Multiple people needed to make decision We need commitment from the group Discussion is needed on information shared Topic is complicated and could use meeting format explanation More than one person needs to share information No if Information can be obtained from SME Objective could be handled one on one Topic is uncomplicated and non controversial Information can be shared through other tools besides a meeting Pre work Pre work includes Preparing information to share before the meeting Collecting information from others needed for the meeting Distributing information to prepare the participants for the meeting Pre work can include developing discovery questions for the meeting These may or may not be distributed before the meeting Participants Maximum meeting size of 7 10 people is recommended Larger meetings can be more difficult for the meeting leader to manage conversation Larger meetings do have a purpose They may initiate a needs assessment event prior to putting the teams into break out sessions They may also be used for sharing project status information SME s Subject Matter Experts SME s are very important in needs assessment meetings They show and or explain how the business or technical processes work today They understand the process in exhaustive detail They validate that the final solution developed satisfies the business requirements Scheduling Challenges Short Notice Meetings The definition of short notice depends on your company culture Notification options include Sending email request for meeting Send a pager message Contact via cell phone Full Calendar Syndrome Occurs when invitees participate in meetings most of their work day Options include Determine if they really need to participate Define the needs and expectations for invitee s participation Contact invitee for potential meeting times Scheduling Challenges Early Morning Meetings The time of day may pose challenges for some meeting participants Consider the following Is the start time reasonable Can you give advance notice of the start time so participants can adjust their personal schedules Global Meetings Projects with global participants introduce time zone challenges Scheduling options include Adjust meeting time to fit the international participants schedules Find common work times between both locations Scheduling Tools There are many tools available to schedule meetings Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes are common tools Prior to scheduling a meeting electronically Check invitee calendars for meeting conflicts Give plenty of advanced notice Be careful not to double book meetings Meeting Lists Pre meeting checklist This helps the leader prepare for the meeting A sample list includes Reserving the meeting room Preparing the agenda Inviting participants Reserve audio visual equipment if necessary Prepare pre work materials Action items list This is created during a meeting to capture action items based on the discussion The components include Action to be taken or issue to be resolved Owner who will execute action or resolve issue Due date for action or issue Ground Rules Ground rules are often used in longer meetings to assist controlling the discussion Sample rules could include One conversation at a time Respect other views Everyone participates No foul language Conversations remain in the room Flip Charts Flip charts are used to capture lists and diagrams They are A visual reminder to the meeting participants Useful to trigger thoughts for discussion Flip chart paper is available in adhesive and non adhesive formats Determine if you need tape or thumbtacks before your meeting for the non adhesive paper Agenda Purpose An agenda Provides an outline to the meeting leader and participants Informs participants of the discussion topics before the meeting Sets expectations for meeting purpose and expected deliverables Agenda Recommendations A good agenda can be developed if The meeting leader solicits topics and deliverables from team members for agenda development The agenda length is 1 to 2 pages long Time limits for discussion topics are listed Annotated Agenda The annotated agenda is a very detailed agenda It is used by the meeting leader and scribe It expands the agenda to ensure all details are covered in a meeting Annotated Agenda Components Components of the annotated agenda could include Purpose or high level discussion topic Time expectation Who participates Detailed discussion topics Documentation needed Facilitation materials needed for topic Deliverables Leading the Meeting Follow the agenda to lead the meeting Then Check for understanding during the meeting to ensure participants are clear on the discussion Encourage full participation by including everyone in the discussion Table issues if necessary to move the discussion forward Give the participants breaks during long meetings Remote Meetings Telephone conference calls Use to reduce the need for participants to travel Challenges Cannot read body language of remote participants Video conference calls Use as an alternative for face to face meetings Challenges Interaction can be difficult when one side of the call dominates the conversation Developing the Agenda Introductions This should be the first item on a meeting agenda Necessary when new people are introduced to a project Not necessary when the same group of people meets regularly More Developing the Agenda Meeting purpose and objectives This clarifies why the