Effective Meeting Strategies for Productive Officer Training

Conducting a good meeting (Lodge Room & Committees) Officer Training

Seven Steps The meeting that drones on and on; the meeting where everyone sits fiddling with his or her smartphone; the meeting that the Bar Manager hijacks; or the meeting where almost everyone in the room is wondering the same thing: Why am I even here? Officer Training

1. Make your objective clear Must have a specific and defined purpose What do I seek to accomplish? Create a set agenda Available to all Officer Training

2. Consider who is invited. Who really needs to be there Invite the right people Make sure items are relevant Officer Training

3. Stick to your schedule Create an agenda to cover what needs to be discussed Limit the meeting to 1 hour Develop a timeline that allots a certain number of minutes to each item Copies to each attendee Officer Training

4. Take no hostages Call out person talking more than his fair share of time Be public about it Establishing ground rules early create a consistent framework Officer Training

5. Start on time, end on time Be responsible for running regular meetings promptly Same day, and time Respect others valuable time Officer Training

6. Ban technology Loose the cell phones, and Ipads Use of a PC for the one who is taking notes Maintain focus on the meeting and needed contributions Eyes up here, please! Officer Training

Get the minutes out within 24 hours Reduce interpretations of discussion Document the responsibilities given Assign tasks delegated, and any assigned deadlines Review at next meeting 7. Follow up Officer Training

8. Dos and Donts - - - No drinks in Lodge room and during meetings Don t invite people who don t need to be there Don t schedule your meetings at the last minute so people don t have time to prepare Non-Elks (family and friends) are not permitted in Lodge for Initiation ( Do not address the ER without standing (Roberts Rules) - - Officer Training

8. Common Mistakes Needless motions. For example, motions to accept reports on which no action is taken, motions to approve minutes of previous meetings, and motions to close nominations. Failure of the Chair to state motions, call for negative vote, announce results of vote or generally follow parliamentary forms. Officer Training

Common Mistakes Failure of a Member to make a proposal and put into form of a motion, or to state clearly and concisely what the motion is. Failure of Chair to rule promptly, call motions out of order, and decide on controversies. Officer Training

Common Mistakes 5. Failure of Chair to control debate: (a) Permitting personalities and animosities to be injected, and (b) Allowing debate to get off permissible subject under procedures. 6. Failure of Chair to use powers of general consent to expedite business. 7. Failure of Chair to move promptly and efficiently through business at hand and preside as the controlling and guiding hand of the meeting. Officer Training