GOOD MORNING! Maybe you think “good meetings” is an oxymoron. This week we have Board meetings at the Conference office. My dad once admitted that even though he has been to a ton of meetings over the years, they didn’t accomplish much! Ouch!
LET’S TALK…
Patrick Lencioni says that “the greatest myth about meetings is that they are inherently bad.” Here are some essentials for a good meeting.
- Know why you are meeting. Make sure you know the purpose and intended outcomes for the meeting. Also, don’t try to accomplish too much in one meeting. One side note, I do believe that we can be too quick to cancel a regular meeting. Don’t forget that just “getting together” to update each other is an important reason to get together.
- Have an agenda. I’d say the more “free-spirited” you are, the more you need an agenda. Agendas help us to think logically through the meeting and keeps us from forgetting important topics to be discussed.
- Start on time. Not everyone will show up on time, but as best as you can, start on time! Those who are on time deserve their time to be honored.
- Remember that conflict is good. If everyone agrees, a meeting isn’t necessary! Lencioni refers to it as “drama.” When people are engaged and care about something, expect differing opinions. That’s a good thing!
It’s a simple as this. When people don’t unload their opinions and feel like they’ve been listened to, they won’t really get on board. –Patrick Lencioni
- Minimize electronic gadgets. This is a tough one. The cell phone and other electronics can be a huge distraction. I’m as guilty as any about answering a text in the middle of a meeting. Just be aware of this and minimize their use!
- Keep the meeting moving. Too often meetings move too slowly that’s why so many Board Meetings can be “bored” meetings (ha ha). Moving the discussion and decisions at a good pace keeps things interesting and people engaged.
- Follow through! “Your meetings have value in proportion to the follow through you create!” (Dan Rockwell). Make sure you know what the next steps are and who is taking responsibility.
BEFORE YOU GO…
We are taking a fresh look at the Boards in the Conference. We are asking ourselves questions like: Are they necessary? Are they helping to build healthy local churches? If so, how? If not, what changes can we make? If you think about it, please pray for God’s wisdom as we meet!
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Coffee with Randall 
Somewhere along the line I learned that people who often express negative opinions in a Board Meeting or Council Meeting were doing so from a fear the proposed action will hurt something they think is valuable. So, from then
on, instead of trying to push aside the negative, I learned to draw out the reason for the fear and often found that
the person’s underlying motive was really a positive thing. Further discussions on those points very often resolved the seeming conflict.
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Praying for wisdom as you make decisions regarding boards and committees
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