A  Few Meeting Management Suggestions

Have you ever been to a board or committee meeting that ran as smooth as silk, but you can’t really pin down the reason? Probably some or all of these factors were used:

Agenda control

How is the agenda compiled? A sure way to slow down a meeting is to put out a call for new business at the outset of the meeting. New business should be presented to the agenda con­troller well in advance of the meeting. Then everyone will have a chance to review it rationally. The worst decisions Boards make are usually those made immediately on the presentation of new business.

Agenda Structure

The agenda was structured to cover sequentially the basic types of meeting business:

• Announcement

• Decision

• Discussion

The first and last parts of the meeting are not onerous, allowing the team to warm-up and cool down. The core, the decision section, should be divided into two parts:

1. The consent agenda. Group all items such as committee reports together and ask for a motion "en masse" to save time.

2. The working items. These should be clearly identified, with the required output, and the time limit for debate.

Discussion limits. It helps to place a time limit on a subject, and the length and number of times a meeting participant can address the issue before a decision. This takes a little diplomacy, but it helps.

No reading to the group.  Eliminate letter and report reading. Reports should be presented with the Board package and have a cover sheet sum­marizing the report, offering the recommendation for Board adoption. Members who require clarification should request such from the committee leader in advance of the meeting to avoid delaying the meeting with questions.

These are just a few suggestions to make your meetings more effective.

Reg Watts is the President of The StratQuest Group, a management consulting company with specific expertise in strategic management services to non‑profit organizations. Serving associations in all five sectors, StratQuest concentrates on market research and social research, strategic planning, and organizational review and renewal.