resources/

Meetings

This document is quite out of date. A less out of date version is at the bottom of our meeting notes. For the current schedule and more info, see team resources (meetings).

Meeting preparation

Facilitator’s tasks

In preparation for each meeting, the facilitator (with assistance of anyone else able and appropriate) will:

  • Clarify the time and medium for the meeting, remind participants to help everyone prepare as needed
  • Confirm availability of a quorum (at this point, a quorum is loosely whatever is enough attendance to be worthwhile to hold the meeting)
    • Coordinate a rescheduled meeting if a quorum is not available
  • For Board / Steering Committee meetings specifically: prepare an agenda in advance
  • Confirm/assign someone as recorder for the meeting
  • Mark all these details on the meeting page

Meeting process

The neutral facilitator runs the meeting, keeps everyone on-task, on-time, productive, respectful, etc. The facilitator does not weigh in with their own views. Other participants hold the facilitator to their role. Another neutral person works as a recorder to mark the ideas and process as the meeting goes both for long-term records and so participants can see the notes in real-time.

  1. Check-in round
    • Each participant just takes a moment to share what’s on their mind and get focused for the meeting
  2. Past-meeting review
    • Review the next-steps from past meeting to check on status
    • Push forward any next-steps still to do
    • Add to agenda any that need further discussion
  3. Agenda building
    • Participants list items to discuss
  4. Discussion
    • Discuss each agenda item
    • Mark any identified next steps and assign to someone
  5. Check-out round
    • Each participant takes a moment to comment on the meeting or otherwise just sign off

Post-meeting tasks

After the meeting, the facilitator and recorder should work together to summarize the meeting minutes, and update the meeting page with the next-steps decided. Next, create a new meeting page for the following meeting and include any appropriate initial notes. Send out an e-mail to the participants when the updated page is complete.

Those who missed the meeting should read through the summary and post comments as appropriate.