Making Meetings Matter
by Beth Houf
We have all been there…
The meeting that never should have happened.
The meeting that was poorly facilitated.
The meeting that was a waste of time.
The meeting that went on and on and on and on.
When we analyze our schedules so that we can find more time to be immersed in the most important work, effective meetings is one of high priority. When done correctly, meetings make a difference. Unfortunately, just merely hearing the word meeting makes most people cringe. How do we change ineffective practices and make meetings matter?
- Purpose and Relevance. What is the purpose of the meeting? Are we just meeting to meet? If there is not a clear purpose to meet, that is the starting point. If there isn’t a purpose, time to delete. Relevancy is related. We all only have a certain number of hours in each day. Are the topics relevant for each member of the meeting? If not, reevaluate and check the invite list.
- If it can be in an email, put it in an email. This has been my philosophy as a school leader for many years now. Our time together is collaborating, decision-making, team-building, but not reading through slides or information that could be easily done independently.
- Agenda-oriented. Successful meetings have agendas that are clear and action-oriented. We have worked to create agendas that turn directly into minutes at the end of the meeting so we know what next steps need to happen.
- Celebrate! It has been part of our school culture to begin every meeting with celebrations. Sometimes these are done in partners or at tables, sometimes these are done in the whole-group setting. Taking focused time to recognize what is going right in the lives of our staff makes a big difference in setting the tone.
- But don’t ignore the bad stuff. We also take time to decompress when needed as well. I’ve done this a few different ways. One of my favorites is a staff restorative circle with the prompt, “What is keeping you from being your best self today?” or “What roadblocks are you facing right now?” Our staff carries the load of so much of the trauma that students endure. Secondary effects of trauma can not be ignored. Giving staff the time to process and reflect is imperative to creating a school with a culture of wellness.
- Norms. Take time to develop shared norms for groups that meet regularly. If it is a one-time meeting, include norms that are needed to be productive. Simply having norms isn’t enough. You must also find a respectful way to address when people are not following the norms that we established. At Fulton Middle School, we norm “knock” to get us back on track with a quick knock on the table.
- Roles and Responsibilities. Get others involved with team roles, such as timekeeper, note-taker, norm reader—what are other roles that could help your meetings run more effectively?
- Utilizing structures and protocols to process the information is imperative to ensure each team member has a chance to contribute. Sometimes the quietest ideas are best for the team. Without structures and protocols, these ideas can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. The added bonus is that the staff can then utilize these practices with students.
- Be transparent. Share your agendas well before the meeting and post minutes in a timely manner after meetings are complete. This helps to build trust and save time, keeping everyone on the same page. Transparency bolsters trust and helps build a positive culture!
- Take time to review the action steps needed before the next meeting. When everyone knows the “to-do list,” it helps the team to be productive and efficient.
Bonus Tip: At the end of your meeting, take time to evaluate how well your team stuck to norms and followed the agenda. Recalibrate for the next meeting and begin to set your new agenda.
Meeting Challenge
What meetings do you currently have in place in your school or district? Is there a clear, shared purpose for each meeting? Could each member of your staff quickly state this to a visitor to your school? How could this be a reality in your school? Also, what is going well with your current practice?
Take time to share out your effective meeting strategies, structures and ideas to the #LeadLAP hashtag.