Back in the day, I used to hear people say they had a meeting and wonder what it must feel like.  After all, meetings are for important people to get together and discuss important things, to make changes, to delegate responsibilities, to make dreams a reality.  The only meetings I ever had to go to were staff meetings and for me, as a specialist, I feel as though I have given up months of my life sitting through meetings that had no bearing on what I was teaching.  Sure, there’s always a little thing here or there I can apply, but not always.

Now in my old age, I not only go to meetings but I call and run meetings.  Which sometimes means I have committee meetings related to those other meetings.  This month I will have attended 11 separate meetings, some weekly, some bi-weekly, some monthly, some bi-annually.  They will be in person and virtually, with a table full of people or a room full depending on the meeting.  So, after having attended literally hundreds of different meetings, I have come to some conclusions.

In person is best.  The reason people meet is to have dialogue and share ideas.  It is so important during these meetings that we’re able to see and read each others body language.  Not everything is said through our words.  Especially in an organization where personnel changes frequently and there is always someone new, it it important to see if someone wants to share something but may be hesitant.  It’s important to read emotions, to see if people are comfortable or uncomfortable so that honesty can be encouraged in what is said.  I hate meetings where everything discussed is rubber stamped.  People are chosen or elected to organizations because they have the experience and/or expertise to contribute to the discussion and it’s important for the leader to open up those pathways, even if it’s not what everyone wants to hear.

Virtual meetings where you only hear the person talking are a waste, mainly because you lose all of the things mentioned above.  It’s too easy, as a participant, to become sidetracked or have side conversations and this means nothing meaningful gets accomplished.  As a teacher, there is nothing more maddening than sitting and listening in a meeting for several hours at a time.  We would never do that to our students, so why do we do that to each other?  It’s not the least bit constructive.

Setting up a great meeting is like setting up a great lesson plan.  When I first began running meetings, I was all uptight about making it all “official”, down to a cheat sheet for Robert’s Rules (which I detest).  Then I realized that a meeting was all about organizing the agenda in such a way that the people involved stay engaged, just like my class.  Some of what we do should be routine, so that we know what to expect, but there there should also be opportunities to respond, opportunity to work in small groups, opportunities for questions and open discussion.  A good teacher will know when to change directions, tweak to make room for a teachable moment, and a good meeting facilitator does the same thing.  The key is flexibility within the agenda, just like you would have in your lesson plan.

Over the years, the hardest part of a meeting for me has been that person who wants to take up all the air space or continually finds problems rather than present solutions.  Encouraging those people to find things to engage in that uses their strengths can go a long way in creating a positive environment. Suggesting that a person write what it is that they feel strongly about, perhaps in an article or blog can be a great way to encourage them in a positive way.  Or asking that negative Nancy what they would suggest to fix a problem, address an issue and putting them in charge, lets them know that you care about what they have to say and that you need their help to fix that thing they’re passionate about.

This leads to my last point.  Meetings that focus on relationships and people are more constructive.  People who serve want to make a difference and it’s important for those in charge to get to know those people so they can focus on their unique strengths to get things accomplished.  It’s important to find out where their strengths and passions lie to gather people around a cause or project.  People who are passionate, who feel listened to and whose time is respected will do just about anything.  Everyone wants to be recognized and appreciated for who they are and a good leader can do this by just getting to know them better.  Sure there are things to get done and it’s work, but a person who is given encouragement, responsibility and is thanked in a sincere way will feel a sense of accomplishment doing those things for others whether it’s their team, school or other organization.

Truth be told, I love a good meeting as it allows me to hear new ideas, enlightens me, and inspires me AND I get to know people in a different way.  So, here’s to another week and more meetings.