Tips for Productive Meetings
- Read your packet before you arrive; be prepared for discussion.
- Attend meetings regularly and on time.
- Listen and involve everyone.
- Debate vigorously, but support board decisions once a decision has been made.
- Constructive criticism has a time and place. Know the difference of when to praise and when to teach.
- Be quick to offer a kind word.
- Keep meetings light & enjoyable.
- End meetings with a summary of action items.
Run productive and smooth meetings, but don’t forget to laugh. Main Street is supposed to be fun!
Running effective and efficient meetings is one of the most critical ways to ensure program success. People are much more engaged when a meeting is efficient and productive.
Volunteer boards often juggle the need to provide updates while receiving critical direction on key decision points. Running a well-functioning and relevant meeting without glossing over key details can be achieved by the following strategies:
- Place the most important items first on the agenda to ensure they are addressed.
- A Consent Agenda allows routine business items to be approved en-masse (such as minutes), leaving more time for discussions of topics requiring deliberation.
- Many boards read their mission statement prior to each meeting. This practice helps keep the board on-task with the mission at top of mind.
- Don’t overthink the minutes — they should simply be a record of the actions taken at the meeting so they can be recalled at a later date. A simple approach is an “Agenda Checklist” that tracks decisions made, action items, due dates, and person(s) responsible.
- Structuring an effective agenda helps keep meetings productive. Keeping agendas streamlined can lead to productive meetings.
What’s Your Agenda?
Meetings should not be held just because it is the second Tuesday of the month. A way to ensure a meaningful meeting is to have an agenda with substance.
Agendas typically include: Attendance and Establishment of a Quorum, Approval of Minutes, President’s Report, Treasurer’s Report, Manager’s Report, Old/New Business, Committee Reports, and Rumor Mill/ News.
The Main Street program manager should review a draft agenda with the board chair before sharing it with the rest of the board. Board members should receive the agenda and any supporting material several days prior to the meeting so they have time to review it. Compose sample motion language for complicated issues ahead of time.
Special Legal Note
Know when you have a quorum and when you need to advertise public meetings. Learn more in the Colorado Municipal League’s Handbook for Appointed Boards and Commissions.