by Jeffrey A. Kramer, FACHE, CAE
Most people quickly learn that running a meeting is not as easy as it may appear. There is a big difference between chairing a meeting and just being an attendee. The following is provided to assist you whether you will be chairing your first meeting or improving the meetings you currently chair.
The key to a successful meeting is preparation. You should consider doing the following:
- Develop the meeting’s agenda early; at least two weeks before the meeting. This activity will provide time to solicit agenda items from your Board/Committee members, assemble the agenda and provide it to the Board/Committee members in sufficient time (10 days) for their review prior to the meeting
- Discuss the agenda items in advance with key people to obtain a sense of the issues and the committee.
- Formulate an idea of the outcomes you would like to see for each issue. It is important to be flexible as new information may arise during the meeting that may result in a different outcome than you originally considered. Listen to your Board/Committee. There are times that they have the best solution/answer to a situation/issue.
Meetings should be action-oriented. All agenda items should require action by the Board/Committee to ensure that the Board/Committee’s time is used effectively. Presentation of reports only should be kept to a minimum. Reports should include an information section in the agenda book, and Board/Committee members may ask if they have any questions about them.
Elements for running your meeting. As you chair more meetings, you will develop your own meeting management style learning what works and does not. You will also adjust your style depending on the composition of each Board/committee that you chair.
- Use of electronics. Just like at the movies, ask your members to silence their phones. You should also request that the use of laptops be minimal. This higher use of laptops is more problematic as many organizations now use PDF format for their agenda books.
- Know your members. As time progresses, you will learn about the quality and quantity of your members’ contributions. Some have to comment on each agenda item; those whose comments lack substance and those who are minimal contributors.
- Manage discussion. Keeping to the time limits set for the meeting is essential. Meetings that consistently run over only serve to discourage current members and makes attracting new members more difficult. Keeping to the time limits will also gain you a reputation as an effective leader.
- Include time limits for discussion of each item on the agenda. A time limit is a useful tool as it provides everyone with an idea of how the meeting will run, thus allowing you to control the flow of the meeting. It is especially helpful when you need to close a discussion on an item.
- During the discussion create a list of the members who raise their hand to speak on an issue. This tool is used by many chairs to ensure fairness during the talks. It will also let you know how many times someone has spoken, which will ensure fairness.
- Awareness of repetition. During any discussion, there comes the point where the comments begin to repeat. Be alert for this as it will enable you to close the discussion and move on.
One last item: your board/committee members will appreciate your efforts. They will know that you are making good use of their time.
You may be interested in this article if you are a board member? The Importance of Board Training
Jeffrey A. Kramer, FACHE, CAE is a highly skilled individual and problem solver with extensive experience in both the healthcare and association management fields. He has held positions (including executive director and senior staff) that enabled him to become involved with nearly all aspects of the operation and issues of associations.
About Golden Square
Golden Square, a creative branding and marketing agency, provides scalable marketing solutions that focus on your association’s goals when you need it the most. From the starting point, we help define goals, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and processes to reach and optimize your initiatives. We have a proven record of success in membership attainment, donor development, community outreach, educational marketing and more. We elevate your organization in its specific competency and create a top of mind presence as the point-of-authority and premiere organization. It’s branding, communications and marketing with you in mind.®
For more information, visit www.GoldenSquare.biz. Let’s start a chat. Contact Jeffrey A. Kramer, FACHE, CAE or Deborah Hodges, MA, President & Managing Principal at info@GoldenSquare.biz or by telephone at 312.675.6080
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