[Ohio-talk] fyi

[Smith, JW]

These are great idea's and I would add that it is all about clock management most of the time.

I firmly believe that somethings should only need 1 hour, others maybe 2 and nothing should exceed 3 hours in my opinion and if it does it is usually a sign of incompetent or inexperienced leadership or an unrealistic agenda.

Also, factor in some kind of breaks or change of pace every hour for any meeting that exceeds an hour.

Jw

Dr. JW Smith
Associate Professor
School of Communication Studies
Schoonover Center, Rm. 427
Athens, OH 45701
smithj at ohio.edu
T: 740-593-4838
F: 740-593-4810

*Ask me about the newly revised Ohio Fellows Program or visit http://ww.ohio.edu/univcollege/ohiofellows.cfm

"Regarding the past, change what you can, and can what you can't"
"Our minds are like parachutes. They work best when they are open."

-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio-talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of richard via Ohio-talk
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2015 8:50 PM
To: 'NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List'
Cc: richard
Subject: [Ohio-talk] fyi

Tips for Running Effective Meetings

 

            By the nature of being organizers, most of the work we do in the Federation somehow involves group interaction.  Whether it's heading committee meetings, chapter meetings, or state board meetings, most of us will play the role of facilitator many times during our Federation work.
Below are some suggestions you might find useful as you are called upon to lead meetings of all sizes in the Federation.

q  Stay focused.  Keep the goals of your meeting and the goals of the Federation in mind.

q  Start promptly.  As Dr. Jernigan always said, "Federation meetings start on time."  Get participants in the habit of arriving punctually.

q  Set a positive tone.  Welcome people and thank them for coming.

q  Build community.  Ask everyone present to introduce themselves.

q  Clarify procedures.  Review the group's system for making decisions.

q  Review the agenda.  People will be less likely to bring up items out of order if they know their topics will be discussed later.

q  Be flexible.  Allow participants to add items to the agenda; make time for those 

q  items to be discussed at the end of the meeting.

q  Don't get sidetracked.  When people stray too far from the agenda, remind the group of its purpose.  "These are all very good points, but let's try to stay focused on the issue at hand."

q  Keep discussion moving.  Summarize points and focus on goals or action items.  "It seems that we are all in agreement that the state legislature's proposed consolidation plan is bad for blind people.  I propose that we take
the following action."    

q  Turn questions into action items.  Don't let the group get bogged down in small details.  If the group gets snagged on a detail, turn it into an action item.  "Joe, why don't you find out that information and report back to us next week."

q  Get public commitments for action.  This reinforces accountability.  "Who in the room can commit to attending the community forum on bus route changes this Wednesday?"

q  Be conscious of group dynamics.  Try to rein in domineering members of the group and create opportunities for shy members to speak up.  "We haven't heard from the younger members of the group on this subject.  Do any of you have any thoughts you'd like to share?"

q  Acknowledge people.  Thank everyone for attending the meeting.  Thank everyone for working together.  Thank each person by name who prepared something for the meeting.  Thank those who committed to accomplishing a task before the next meeting.  Say thank you as many times as you possibly can; "appreciation" is the most motivating word in the dictionary.

q  Do your homework.  Follow up with people between meetings.  Make sure commitments are fulfilled before the group meets again.  This will keep your group purpose-driven and prevent you from rehashing the same agenda items
the next fifty times the group meets.   

 

 

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