Dealing With Meeting Disruptors

There are several steps you can take, both before and during the meeting, to combat this problem.

Some of these are quite aggressive, so be sure your course of action is appropriate for any given meeting.

Before the meeting

• If someone has a fixed position on a subject, and has often argued tediously from that position before, ask for their co-operation just for this one meeting. Try to get their agreement to "back off" from this fixed position just this once to see how the discussion develops without it. Point out the win-lose character of debating around and around a subject and the waste of everyone's time, including that of the disruptor. Afterwards, hold a private discussion with the person and debrief on the effect on the meeting process.


• Open the meeting with a discussion of the process to be followed for the meeting itself, including the length of time any one person will be allowed to speak at a time.


• Line up an ally for the meeting, with the intent of reducing or eliminating the disruptive behaviour. This person can refuse to argue with the disruptor, or alternatively confront the behaviour directly. This can be more effective if the ally is someone who is not usually at the meeting.


• Give the disruptor a role in the meeting, such as posting decisions and points of view on flipcharts. Disruptors are often energetic people who like to be the centre of attention. Making them responsible for an important, high profile task will often make them a useful participant.

During the meeting

• In setting the ground rules at the beginning of the meeting, agree on the type of language that is and is not acceptable. For example, people must express their opinions in terms that solve problems rather than lay blame. When this is clearly set out at the beginning, it becomes easier to identify and stop disruptive behaviour before it takes root.


• If someone makes personal attacks on another, firmly point it out. You might say, "Jessica, please confine your comments to the issues --- personal comments like that are not appropriate or acceptable."


• Reverse roles Invite the disruptor to chair the meeting. During the meeting, you attempt to dominate the discussion on a different topic. This is a tricky strategy, and you'll want to be very sure of your ground and know the participants very well before you use it.

A different approach might be to invite the person to lunch and present the situation to him or her as a personal problem for you. State how you see it and the effect it is having on the other individuals and on the work of the department, and invite the other person to work with you in finding a resolution to the problem.

I've seen this process work wonders not only in reducing immediate disruption, but in helping develop strong loyalty to the team and its leader.

Meetings are an exercise in "applied communication". All of these remedies will depend heavily on your own ability to communicate effectively with the disruptor.

Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker and author who helps companies save money and employees save their sanity by improving companywide applied communication. She can be reached at 416-966-5023 or hwilkie@mhwcom.com Visit her websites at http://www.mhwcom.com and http://www.HiddenProfitCenter.com. For more information on the effects of "applied communication" on the workplace and your company's finances, read or listen to The Hidden Profit Center.

Some Related Articles:

Seven Ways to Stop Interrupting
Employee from Hell: Sir Talk-a-lot
Safety Check: Creating a Safe Meeting Environment
Five Questions to Ask Before Any Meeting
Seven Difficult Personality Types
Creating Norms: A Simple Method for Managing Group Conflict
Authentic Communication: Dealing With Moose on the Table
Why People Like Bad Meetings