20 Top Tips
How to Run Successful Meetings
- Rotate the chair. You can change the chairperson every meeting, quarter, or whatever works for your group. This ensures each member gets experience of the role
- Also rotate the minute taker
- Start on time
- Finish on Time
- Don’t have Any Other Business
- If you do, have a rule that AOB must be submitted in writing 24 hours ahead, to the chair person
- Keep control of the noisy ones
- Give the quiet ones a chance
- Agree rules for the meeting
- Have an Objective for the meeting
- Have an Objective for each item
- Get the minutes out in 48 hours or less
- Keep the minutes to action points
- Allow a certain leeway during the meeting for humour
- Don’t allow people to be shouted down
- Keep contributions short: 4 minutes maximum
- Try and keep the major items in the middle
- Put a time limit on each item
- Get everyone introduced at the start
- Agree what was agreed: summarise