Public Spark

Whether it be a board meeting or a student organization meeting, everyone has had some exposure to what meetings are all about. Sometimes meetings are great, but other times, they can be long, boring, and pointless. Here are some ideas that I’ve taken from great effective meetings that I have attended.

1. Shortest time possible

   Sometimes the more time you have the more opportunity for people to not pay attention, not ask appropriate questions, or get bored. In shorter amounts of time, you can be more productive.

2. NO food or water

   In most circumstances this will work especially if you are trying to get through the meeting in a short amount of time. Of course, this depends on the type of meeting and whether or not there is anyone with diabetes, but it may otherwise be a good option. This eliminates distraction and a relaxation mentality. For some meetings that offer food, it becomes the attendees focus to eat and zone out, rather than concentrating on the meeting and agenda at hand.

3. Clear outline or goals that need to be met

   In meetings it is important to have structure, otherwise the whole point of the meeting is lost and it will not be productive. By having a clear outline, the leader can go through the agenda and make sure elements that need to be resolved or cleared can be shared. This can contribute to keeping the meeting short because everyone knows what needs to be talked about.

4. NO chairs

   Chairs can give the impression of relaxation and less sense of urgency to get things done. Again, this is not by any means a sure all solution for more effective meetings, but it can prevent nappers and help people to move quickly through the meeting.

5. Leader who called the meeting to be organized and keep time

   It is easy for meetings to go astray so the leader must keep time and follow the agenda.