Mr. Bob Rodzaj: Running an Effective Meeting
Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education
Mr. Bob Rodzaj, a regional pastor overseeing the Northeastern United States, delivered a forum message to this year’s Living Education students, encouraging them to learn an important, often-overlooked skill. Whether you’re a manager, employee, teacher, or engaged in some other profession, one important ability that can greatly boost both your professional career and personal competence is the skill of running effective meetings. Mr. Rodzaj noted that at some point, it’s likely that all of us will be in a position of some responsibility and will need to run a meeting. In his forum, Mr. Rodzaj gave the students six keys to running effective meetings.
- Make Sure You Even Need to Have a Meeting
Running effective meetings involves preparation behind the scenes beforehand. An important aspect of that preparation typically involves evaluating the priorities and objectives of what the meeting is trying to accomplish. A small handful of minor points that can be addressed privately may not be the most effective reason to call a meeting. A well-run meeting should clarify, not create more questions.
- Consider Who Really Needs to Have a Meeting
Not everyone in your team may need to be involved. Involving every person in every meeting may be an unproductive use of their time, and could actually hinder progress. The right information should be addressed to the right people.
- If Possible, Schedule the Meeting at an Optimal Time for All Attendees
Meetings can be hard to coordinate. It’s good to plan a time that works for everyone well in advance, and clearly communicate so that everyone has time to prepare. We should consider a person’s situation: there may be circumstances that make it difficult for someone to attend a meeting, and we should be prepared to work around that. Time management is also important—a general rule for most meetings is to keep it between 30 and 60 minutes. It’s important to be mindful of other peoples’ time, and to clearly communicate not only what the meeting is about, but also the time frame.
- Prepare an Agenda
Preparing what you’re going to talk about is important for organizing your thoughts. It’s important to arrange it clearly, logically, and systematically to prevent confusion on your part or the parts of anyone who reads it. It should establish what the meeting is about, not create more questions.
- Distribute the Agenda Ahead of Time
Share the agenda with your team ahead of time to let them know what will be discussed. A quick pre-meeting message can help remind them of a few important points and address anything they might need to review to prepare.
- Start the Meeting on Time, Keep it on Track, and End on Time
Keeping others’ time in mind is critical. Start the meeting promptly, lay down ground rules, and maintain control before it gets too far off track. Encouraging collaboration and creativity is important within the bounds of reason, and it’s helpful to exercise moderation as we let the conversation flow. If the meeting begins to get off-topic or disruptive, keep a hold on the discussion and keep it flowing in the right direction. Finally, be sure to end your meeting on time and promptly.
When running meetings, it’s important to be personable, organized, and balanced. This is an important skill that can serve us throughout our lives and careers as we develop the ability to lead and manage others. Whether you’ve ever run a meeting before, understanding these skills can help us later on in the event we ever are in that position, and can help us strengthen existing skills to be an even more effective member of our team.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
