9 Tips for Running Good Meetings

When I became a school administrator, I immediately found myself leading many meetings.

Although I had led meetings in the past, most of them were informal conversations that impacted a small number of people. As a rookie building leader, I was now being asked to facilitate high-stakes discussions that would impact numerous students, staff, and families.

With little training on how to lead meetings, I relied on natural ability and gut feeling to run my meetings. Using this “fly by the seat of my pants” approach to running my meetings resulted in many issues.

First, my meetings lacked purpose. I was often unclear about the objectives for our meetings, which led to confusion from attendees and inefficiency in our discussions. The absence of clarity made it difficult to keep our team focused and productive.

Second, my meetings lacked structure. Unrelated discussions were quite common, leading us down rabbit-holes and derailed our progress. Given the loose structure of my meetings, valuable time and energy was wasted without arriving at any solutions.

Third, my meetings lacked collaboration. One or two outspoken individuals would dominate the conversation, resulting in others feeling frustrated and useless. Because the loudest voices drowned out the others, important perspectives went unheard.

Finally, my meetings lacked clear decisions. Rarely did I take time to circle back to our action steps, which led to attendees being confused on their roles. Not knowing what had been decided and who was responsible resulted in very little being accomplished after the meeting’s conclusion.  

Consider the meetings you lead. Do they include purpose, structure, collaboration, and clear decisions?

Unfortunately, far too many school meetings lack these important pieces.

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When you become a school leader, you will be asked to facilitate several types of meetings: faculty meetings, department meetings, parent meetings, and so-forth.

However, one of the most common meetings for school leaders to run – and the most important - can be categorized as “strategic” meetings.

Strategic meetings occur when a group of employees meet to discuss, analyze, and decide upon critical issues affecting the long-term success of a team. Examples include team leader meetings, department chair meetings, school improvement team meetings, and administrative team meetings.

As common as these meetings are in schools, their outcomes are far from identical. Even within the same organization, strategic meetings can range from productive to pointless and everything in between.

What causes such a contrast in strategic meeting results? The leader.

Some leaders treat these meetings with the utmost importance, ensuring that their meetings are organized and productive. Others leaders treat these meetings with little regard, paying little attention to the finer details.

“Oh, its just a meeting,” you may be thinking. “What does it really matter?”

Leaders who accept bad meetings set a precedent for the rest of the organization. When tolerated at the highest levels, bad meetings often become the ceiling of what can be expected in other meetings within the school.

That’s not to say some employees won’t try to make their meetings more effective than their boss. But it’s unlikely they’ll feel much pressure to do so. Contrast that with leaders who run fantastic meetings. Employees who leave well-managed meetings often feel compelled—if not pressured—to run their own effective meetings.

Think about the meetings you run. Where did you learn how to structure your gatherings? If you are like a majority of employees, your meetings are modeled after a current or former boss. The next time you run a meeting understand your style could be patterned—for better or worse—for years to come.

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Regardless of the type of meeting you are asked to run, there are several “best practice” principles that are fairly universal in application. Here are nine ideas to consider:

Clear Purpose: Every meeting has a well-defined purpose, and participants are sent the agenda in advance with an opportunity for input. This clarity ensures that time is spent productively and that everyone understands the meeting's objectives.

Encourage Participation: Educational leaders must actively engage all participants, encouraging them to share their insights, concerns, and ideas. The best administrators create an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued.

Time Management: One of the cardinal sins of leadership is wasting people’s time. Therefore, meetings must start and end on time. The leader keeps discussions on track, preventing irrelevant conversations and excessive delays. Agendas are followed, and time is allocated appropriately for each agenda item.

Active Listening: Effective administrators listen actively to participants. Rather than be preoccupied with their phone or laptop, administrators must acknowledge participant contributions, ask clarifying questions, and ensure that every voice in the room is being heard.

Positive Tone: Have you ever noticed how the tone of a meeting mirrors the personality of the leader? Effective meetings maintain a positive and respectful tone, with a focus on solutions as opposed to problems. Leaders must be mindful of their behavior, setting an expectation for professional and courteous behavior.

Food: The presence of food at a meeting can play a surprisingly significant role in its success by fostering a sense of camaraderie and well-being among participants. While not appropriate for every meeting, well-timed snacks can break the ice, encourage informal discussions, and promote a more relaxed and collaborative atmosphere.

Dot's & PB M&M's. Is there a better combo?

Transparency: Leaders must be transparent in their communication. Rather than withhold information, leaders must openly share all relevant details to ensure the team has the proper context for making decisions. Meetings are a prime opportunity for leaders to build relationships and foster trust with employees.

Problem-Solving: Productive meetings have a clear focus on solving problems and making decisions. As the discussion unfolds, leaders must think about how they can guide their team towards an actionable outcome. When the meeting ends, attendees must be clear on next steps, as well as how decisions are being communicated.

Accountability: Leaders must ensure that decisions are documented and that there is a system in place for following up on progress, holding participants accountable for their commitments. Always remember: what happens after the meeting - as opposed to during the meeting - is the benchmark for productive gatherings.

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Still not sold on effective meetings?

Many leaders love to complain about time spent in meetings. “Why do we have so many meetings?” they argue. The irony of this statement is a great deal of a leader’s time is spent addressing issues that come about because those same issues aren’t resolved during meetings in the first place.

As you think about the meetings you run, consider them not as time-consuming obligations, but as powerful tools for addressing the core issues that matter most to your school’s success.

If you liked this article, you'll love my books Learning Curve and Turning Points.