I'm the PM -- So what's my role in this meeting?

Of all the “roles” project managers can play during a meeting, there’s only one that is crucial — that’s the gatekeeper. Sure, it may sound bad (partially because of Sigourney Weaver’s role in the movie Ghostbusters!), but it simply means that you control the flow of the communications.

In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than sitting in a meeting and watching the project manager have little or no control of the discussion. Not only can the meeting become chaotic, but it also poorly reflects on the perceived competency of the project manager. When there are disruptions, sidebar conversations, topics totally off on a tangent, or someone else “running the show”, team members undoubtedly lose confidence in the project manager’s ability to lead.

This does not mean you are to boss people around. Just use your own style and control who says what and when. It may be advantageous to have an agenda so when someone pulls you off it, just refer back to the agenda to reel the discussion back on track. Jot down these off-topics and address them offline.