Thursday, January 26, 2012

SLA Leadership Summit: Notes on running an effective meeting via conference call/video conference

These are notes from this morning's brainstorming session (not in order of importance):
  • Set a agenda with time limits for each item.
  • Establish rules for meetings.
  • Use Robert's rules or other agreed upon rules for running the meeting (be consistent).
  • To set a meeting time, use Timeanddate.com (international meeting planner) and/or Doodle.com.
  • Know which items you need a decision on.
  • Know who is supposed to be voting.
  • On the phone? Mute yourself.
  • Ask specific people on the "call" for their comments.
  • Don't just use last month's agenda.
  • Is there nothing to report? Take it off the agenda.
  • If your item isn't on the agenda,then it is not going to be discussed.
  • The Chair does have the prerogative to change the agenda at the last minute, but this should not be a normal activity.
  • Allow time for people to unmute themselves.
  • Can you collaboratively write the minutes?  e.g., Google Docs, blog post, Box.com
  • In your minutes, capture actions and decisions, not the entire discussion.
  • If you're using a tool to disseminate the agenda that allows comments, ask people to comment before the meeting.
  • Know the purpose of the meeting.  Is it a working meeting or a meeting for disseminating information?
  • How do you disseminate information from the meeting out to the membership? Blog posts, newsletter, brief highlights?
  • Assign action items to specific people and set deadlines.
  • Be ready to take some topics offline and then have a report given at the next meeting.
  • Start and end promptly.
  • Identify yourself when you speak.
  • Learn how to use the technology in advance.
  • Reports should be written ahead of time and disseminated.
  • Board members and meeting participants should read reports ahead of time.
  • Get notes out as quickly as possible.
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