Meetings Dr. E. ElSherief

Meetings 1.Before a meeting – agendas 2. During a meeting – using agendas 3. After a meeting – minutes 4. Hold a small group meeting 5. Homework - meeting minutes

A meeting takes place when people come together (whether for work, clubs, sports, school, volunteer organizations, etc.) for a purpose. What was the last meeting that you attended? What made that meeting satisfying/unsatisfying?

Effective meetings are structured through  writing: before–during–after

Before a Meeting: Download the meeting agenda. Create a note-taking template from the agenda. Fill in as much as possible on the template, for example, attendee names, meeting date and time, and any information that is not likely to change. I include all attendee names; then before the meeting, I highlight the name as each individual arrives.   Review the minutes of the previous meeting to be aware of ongoing topics and action items.  Download any materials people have distributed in advance, for example, team reports and slide presentations.

Review the materials, looking for any information you might need to know to make your job easier. I suggest flagging any jargon and abbreviations and finding out what they mean so you will feel informed when people use them during the meeting.  Create automatic entries for any long terms people may use such as "Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center" and ones with challenging spellings such as "Weyerhaeuser." Using automatic entries (for which you type just a few strokes rather than the entire word or phrase) will help you keep up during the meeting.  Meet by phone or in person with the meeting leader, if possible, to learn about the kind of meeting and minutes he or she expects. For example, does the leader want you to capture information that participants write on white boards? Is he or she willing to let you know when a point in a long discussion should be recorded? Ask questions about anything on the agenda that isn't yet clear to you. 

Before the Meeting : Agenda Writing A listing of what is to take place during the meeting. Set Agenda Good agenda items: •Specific •Results‐oriented •Timed •Realistic

Specific  results‐oriented  timed realistic

The Agenda Should Include: The title of the meeting e.g. “History Society Committee Meeting” or “Ghost Walk Planning Meeting” The date, start and end time of the meeting The venue The issues to be discussed at the meeting: including o Approval of previous meetings’ minutes o Review of actions from previous meeting o Main items for discussion o Any Other Business (AOB)

Date and Time We would suggest that Society Committees meet weekly during term time (minimum once a month). Try to work around academic timetables so that Committee members are more likely to be able to attend. Why don’t you set a regular time once a week so that you can set up a routine and increase regular attendance?

Venue Think about which venue will be most appropriate for a constructive meeting. Will you be more professional and focused...in the pub or in a University classroom? Make sure you get your room booked before you issue your agenda!

When to send out the agenda It is amazing how many times people turn up to a meeting without knowing what the meeting is about. Make sure that the agenda is circulated at least 1 week before the meeting is due to take place. It’s amazing how often we all fail to do this and it can slow the meeting down and make it take longer.

‘Any Other Business’ (or AOB for short) Including this item on the agenda enables you to postpone any discussions you don’t want to have until the end of the meeting and keeps you focused on the already tabled items. It helps keep the meeting on track and avoids tangents and time wasting

Number each agenda item To help the Secretary take minutes and to provide a easy to understand structure to the meeting make sure that you number each agenda item. A number by each one means everyone, even those not paying full attention, can keep track of what is happening.

Sample Agenda Template

During the Meeting Use Agenda Take Notes

Using Agenda •Assign roles – Chair –note taker –time keeper •Follow agenda – topics –times –participation

After the Meeting Writing Minutes

Good Meeting Minutes Good meeting minutes •Complete •Detailed and concise •Action items that tell us –what –who –when

Importance of Meeting Minutes Creating meeting minutes provides a written record of what was agreed at a meeting. Good meeting minutes tell people what was decided and what they need to achieve and by what date. When meeting minutes are received it jogs memories about tasks that people need to do. If a task is not performed then you can refer back to the meeting minutes and follow up on it. Without meeting minutes, you have no recourse if an action was not carried out. In the worst case, if meeting minutes are not written you may end up having to repeat the meeting.

Meetings Need Headings Topics Decisions Actions Agreed Upon       Person responsible       Deadline Next Meeting       Date and Time       Location       Agenda items

You should include: the reason for the meeting what it was about and where and when it was held. It is important to include a list of the attendees – both their first and last names. If you are not sure, you need to ask to make sure that you get the names right, otherwise your meeting minutes may be a source of irritation for attendees. If someone did not attend but it was important that they did, this should be included. For example, sometimes decisions cannot be made without a particular person being present.

What was achieved during the meeting. Decisions that were made at the meeting. Your minutes will serve as a written record that these decisions were made. Any actions that were agreed. In this case you should include the action itself, who it was assigned to, and the date it should be completed by. Finally, if a follow-up meeting was agreed on, this should be mentioned.

Do's and Don'ts: Do write minutes soon after the meeting--preferably within 48 hours. That way, those who attended can be reminded of action items, and those who did not attend will promptly know what happened. Don't skip writing minutes just because everyone attended the meeting and knows what happened. Meeting notes serve as a record of the meeting long after people forget what happened. Don't describe all the "he said, she said" details unless those details are very important. Record topics discussed, decisions made, and action items. Don't include any information that will embarrass anyone (for example, "Then Terry left the room in tears"). Do use positive language. Rather than describing the discussion as heated or angry, use passionate, lively, or energetic--all of which are just as true as the negative words. Do have a new year filled with productive meetings captured efficiently in crisp, clear meeting notes!