How we run department meetings
I’ve been thinking recently about the structure of our department meetings, and the admin that goes behind it. I’ve been to plenty of bad meetings so it felt about time we came up with a system that will make ours more worthwhile. Combined with a fair amount of reading about productivity/etc, this is how we are changing things to make the best use of the time:
- Each sub-team (support, media, performing arts, external support, development) in my group meet fortnightly.
- Initial agenda written using the template in Google Wave- all members of the group able to contribute. If it’s not on the agenda it isn’t discussed. If the item doesn’t involve the entire group it doesn’t make it to the meeting, if it could be dealt with faster via email it doesn’t either.
- Wherever possible we meet in person, video conferencing in via Skype (or increasingly Google chat now) available if team members are away.
- Minutes are written in the same Wave as the agenda, checking off items as we go. This can be achieved collaboratively if required.
- All actions are noted along with deadline. The final part of each meeting is for each member to confirm actions they are taking away with them.
- No AOB features anywhere in the meeting now. Not on the agenda, not in the meeting.
- Once complete minutes are transferred to the school wiki so others can see the record.
- All members of the group agree minutes once they are on the wiki to confirm dates/etc.
- The next meeting starts with a review of the previous meetings action points.
Nothing particularly new or ground breaking here, but it seemed it was about time we looked at the process. The formalising of agenda contents and action items seem to be the key to making the most of the time. The wiki gives us a searchable record that will happily scale up over the rest of the school if and when we get to it.
I’ve also been reading some good stuff about holding meetings stood up to help speed things up, not sure we are quite there yet though. September maybe…
Image source- God is bored of you CC licensed on Flickr by Tom Coates
