Organizing a good meeting

Definitions

Agenda -  a list of topics that will take place at a meeting. Agendas usually include the time given to discuss each topic.
Agenda item - a topic on the agenda.
Brainstorming - a creative process where people generate as many ideas as they can without evaluating them until later.
Facilitator - someone who coordinates the process of the meeting.
Go around - where each person around the room has a chance to speak briefly about the issue.
Minutes - the written record that documents the decisions and participants of a meeting.
Minute taker - someone who writes down the minutes and types them up for the group to review at the next meeting.
Process - the patterns of the group's interactions in the meeting, as opposed to the content or outcome of the meeting. 
Speaker's list - a list of who's turn it is to speak in a meeting. If someone wants to speak, they raise their hand or catch the attention of the facilitator. People are allowed to speak in order of when they put their hand up. This prevents people from interrupting others or talking a lot.
Tabling an item - putting off a discussion until the next meeting, often because of a need for more information or thought.
Timekeeper - someone who reminds the group of how quickly the time is slipping away.
 

Having good meetings

Preparation

	Define the purpose of the meeting.
	Set the agenda for the meeting.
	Set the date, location and time of the meeting and inform everyone who might want to attend.
	Make sure everyone who has information that's important to the meeting can attend or will send information.

Facilitating the discussion

	Appoint a minute taker, facilitator and a timekeeper.
	Review the agenda and see if there are any new items.
	Set times to discuss each item.
	Open the discussion of each item with a brief background and a summary of what is the group is being asked to do with this item (decide, approve or just listen). Ensure that everyone has a chance to participate equally to the discussion and that the meeting stays on topic.
	To end the discussion of a topic, the facilitator should summarize the decision made or action to be taken and do a final check for the group's approval.

Follow-up

	The minutes taker should write down the topics, a brief outline of the discussion and what decisions were made. If an action is to be taken - the minutes should record who agreed to take on the work.
	The minutes should be circulated after the meeting so people are reminded about tasks they've agreed to.

Common problems

1. The meeting wasn't needed. The decisions, announcements or information could have been dealt with in another way. Too many meetings make people tired and confused. 
Solution - try and develop methods to deal with these issues outside of meetings - by phone, fax or mail.

2. Attendance was poor. The meeting may have been missing some key people who had important information or were needed to approve certain decisions (often financial ones). Sometimes the meeting is held with short notice on at a bad time. Also, people may arrive late or had to leave early - disrupting the agenda and rushing everyone else.
Solutions:

	Always start on time, even if everyone isn't there yet. Offer food at the beginning of the meeting to bribe people to arrive early.
	Make a rule that if someone can't make a meeting, they call to let you know.
	Make sure that people who are presenting a proposal or who have background information needed to make a decision can attend. If not, they should send the information some other way.
	Set a time for the meeting to end. Ask people to commit to the full length of the meeting.
	When the date for the next meeting has been set, contact everyone who wasn't at the prior meeting so they don't lose contact with the group's schedule.
	Call and remind people about the meeting 2 days beforehand.

3. The location was unsuitable. Some rooms are difficult to hear people speaking, or they are so cramped it's hard to make eye contact with everyone there. There may be other noises or distractions - cold, heat, lack of food, hard to find, not accessible by wheelchair.
Solution - always check out the facilities beforehand.
Checklist:

	are there enough chairs? Can you arrange them they way you'd like?
	does everyone know how to get there?
	do they have a chalkboard, flipchart paper, overhead projector or other equipment you might need? Do you need to book this equipment in advance?
	is there adequate heat, ventilation, lighting in the room?
	are there likely to be distractions during your meeting - strong sunlight coming directly into the room, rush hour traffic outside the open window, other meetings or loud activities in a nearby room.
	do you have a key? Is there someone you can call if you problems getting in?

4. The purpose of the meeting isn't clear. There may be no clear agenda, or the items on the agenda may be badly defined, for example, people may not know if they are being asked to make a decision, listen to an announcement, brainstorm a solution or accept a proposal. If the goal of the meeting isn't clear, the group runs the risk of nothing being decided.
Solution - define the goals of the meeting.
Make a clearly outlined agenda and stick to it.
Classify agenda items - are they announcements, updates, items for discussion or does a decision need to be made?

5. The facilitator was inadequate. Some meetings are more demanding than others. There is no "perfect" facilitator, but sometimes people aren't up to the challenge, and allow the discussion to digress, conflicts to rage and proposals to be confused.
Solutions:

	In a group where everyone has similar skills at facilitating, rotate facilitators so everyone gets a chance to improve their skills.
	Provide training on facilitating meetings, especially if there are some people who have little or no experience in facilitating.
	Have co-facilitators for a meeting, this is also a good way to train people.
	For difficult meetings, get an outside person who is trained to take over.

6. New people at the meeting don't know what's going on.
If there are going to be new people at the meeting, make sure someone can welcome them before the meeting begins. 
New members should be able to see the minutes from previous meetings, get background information about the items to be discussed at the upcoming meeting and a time to ask questions.
Have new people sit next to someone who can answer their questions during the meeting.

by Regan McClure

Bibliography

The Perfect Meeting by David Sharman, Random House, London, 1993. An excellent, and brief, guide to holding meetings. Include formal and business-type meetings, as well as consensus and innovative techniques.

Effective Meetings by P. Hodgeson, Century Business, London, 1992. Another great guide to holding meetings, blending practical tips and general theory.

Chairing a Meeting with Confidence: An easy guide to rules and procedures by Kevin Paul, Self-Counsel Press, Vancouver, 1992. Very useful for official meetings - Annual General Meetings, Elections of a Board, deputations etc. Includes a simplified set of rules and loads of information on preparing for a meeting.