Leading Better Meetings--Meet the Moment, September 11, 2022

Leading meetings is one of the essential tasks of academic leadership. There are faculty meetings, department meetings, and more. You have a “captive audience” with teachers and students and you'll want to use that time as part of your acceleration to building trust. Design those meetings with intentionality!

One thing to say is that the purpose of a meeting is never (or almost never) simply to disseminate information. Instead, meetings should be designed to:

• Build relationships and teamwork
• Address the emotional needs of the community
• Debate/discuss a complex situation in which multiple viewpoints are needed.
• Brainstorm ideas to solve a collective problem
• Help multiple constituents find alignment on a best practice

So, let's consider the faculty meeting just prior to Parent/Guardian Night at which each teacher will welcome parents in for a mini-class. How can that meeting be structured? If a division director simply tells teachers reminders of what to include, the meeting is likely to fall flat. Perhaps teachers can instead receive a reminder of what needs to be included before they arrive at the meeting. Then, in the meeting, small groups (already designed by the division director to ensure new faculty are paired with experienced teachers) can rehearse their plans with one another, get feedback on items such as slides, and make adjustments in real time. That's a meeting in which alignment to mission and relationship building can happen without a lot of administrative talking. 

How does this same logic apply to other meetings you’re called to lead at your school?