| Team Work: Conducting Meetings - Guidelines for Group Meetings |
The brevity of the quarter and the difficulty of coordinating schedules limit the number of times possible for groups to meet to discuss their plans and progress. Maximizing the effectiveness of these meetings is therefore of critical importance. While each group will develop its own meeting style, depending on the people involved and the tasks at hand, a number of guidelines are provided to help groups get the most out of their meetings from the beginning.
1) Develop a timeline for what needs to be done by the group over the group's lifetime
2) One person should have responsibility to distribute (email) reminder of meeting time/place.
3) Have an agenda with topics and approximate times to be devoted to each. Should include:
4) Assign meeting roles: timekeeper, moderator/facilitator, scribe.
5) Attendance is mandatory.
6) Start meetings promptly (e.g. 5 minutes after agreed time).
7) Develop a protocol for participation to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to state his/her view. Facilitator should check with each individual to see if (s)he has anything to add.
8) Develop a protocol for decision-making.
9) Set topics for next meeting before adjourning.
10) Maintain a file of agendas and notes.
11) Distribute notes from meeting to all team members after the meeting.
12) Decide how conflicts are going to be resolved. If at least one team member feels mediation is needed, the instructor should be contacted.
13) Use a checklist (e.g., Learning in Teams: A Student Guide, p. 10) to review meeting after each meeting. Refer to these in preparing weekly journals:
Defined tasks completed effectively?
Last meeting reviewed?
Progress since last meeting reviewed?
Meeting goals set BEFORE meeting?
Goals addressed?
Appropriate time spent on each topic?
Decisions made and recorded?
Time and place for next meeting set?
Goals for next meeting set?
Meeting effective?
Meeting enjoyable?
Additional comments:
14) Each person has the right to point out when these guidelines are
not being followed.
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