Committeed to Christ

I sure do spend a good amount of time in meetings. Here's 5 things to live by in running effective meetings.

1. Have the people come prepared and you be even more prepared
I have a problem with bringing an issue to the table that was on no one's radar and then expecting wise, godly decisions to be made on the fly. Sometimes this is unavoidable. But your agenda should be out in advance and action/focal points should be very clear coming in and going out.

2. 75 Minute Rule
I have been in some marathon meetings and they rarely end on an upbeat. An hour and 15 minutes gives time for discussion, processing, decision making and action steps. If you can't get through it all...you've either got too much on the agenda or you're taking too long on each step.

3. Have Action Steps
If no one has any application/action points coming out of a meeting, you shouldn't have had the meeting.

4. Start and End Positive
Sometimes tough things will be discussed...but start by acknowledging and affirming people, teams, and end the same way. The minutia cannot trump the exhortation!

5.Start and End on time
If someone is late...they are not just wasting 10 minutes of your time. They are wasting 10 minutes of each group member's time. This is unacceptable and if it is allowed to happen repeatedly, disrespect and dissension could creep in.

What's the longest meeting you've been in so far this year?