Meetings are an essential practical aspect of running a school. Used as management tools they can be very beneficial but all too often they do not achieve the results intended. Holding effective meetings does not depend on intuition and good fortune but on effective management skills.
Individual study time: 3 hours

Learning outcomes
At the end of this unit you should be able to:
• understand the reasons for holding meetings
• understand the roles of the key players at a meeting
• plan meetings for different purposes
• conduct a meeting efficiently and effectively
• ensure participation in a meeting.

Attitudes to meetings
The success of every meeting depends on the co-operation and support the chairperson receives from the participants. The chairperson should thus be fully aware of people's attitudes to meetings.

Comments
Amongst the many reasons people have for not liking meetings, the following have been found to be the most common:

Poor leadership: The leader does not keep the discussion on the subject and so fails to keep things moving in the appropriate direction and to engage in those aspects of the discussion that are stimulating and motivating to the members.

Goals are unclear: Members are not really sure what they are trying to accomplish.

Lack of commitment: Assignments are not taken seriously by committee members.

No clear focus: For example, 'What are we supposed to be doing today?'

Recommendations ignored: Management needs to be responsive to the recommendations of a committee.

Inconclusive discussion: Problems are discussed but no conclusions are reached or decisions made.

Lack of follow-through: Members are not given assignments.

Domination: Often one person or clique dominates a meeting, talking and pushing for their positions while others wonder why they are there.

Lack of preparation: The agenda is not prepared and materials that really need to be there are not available. Someone has not done his or her homework.

Hidden agendas: Some participants may have personal axes to grind, promoting discussions that only they think are important.

Comments
Among the factors you listed were probably the following:

Clear definition of purpose: What the committee and its members are supposed to do and what their goals are, is clearly set out.

Careful time control: Meetings start and end on time, with enough time allowed to get the work done and no more.

Opinions respected: Meeting members listen and are sensitive to each other's needs and opinions.

Informal atmosphere: Participants are encouraged to contribute to the discussion when the atmosphere is informal rather than being a formal exchange.

Good preparation: Both chairperson and meeting members are well prepared, any materials required being available.

Commitment: The members are qualified and interested, wanting to be a part of the meeting.

No distractions: Interruptions are avoided or held to a minimum.

Record keeping: Good minutes or records are kept so that decisions are not lost. There is no need to search out what decisions were made at the last meeting.

Assessment of performance: Periodically, the meeting stops and assesses its own performance, with any necessary improvements being implemented.

Recognition of effort: Meeting members feel that they receive some kind of reward for their efforts, when their contributions are recognised and appreciated.

Management response: The work of the meeting is accepted and used, making a real contribution to the school.

Is a meeting needed?
How can a school head avoid holding meetings that frustrate people? Some attention must be given to designing meetings that are productive. The first decision to be made is whether a meeting is really necessary.

Comment
It seems almost too obvious to mention that there needs to be a legitimate reason for holding a meeting. The design of the meeting depends on its purpose and what the hopes for outcomes are. Some legitimate reasons for having meetings are listed below.

Legitimate purposes include:
• to share information
• to plan future programmes, actions
• to co-ordinate actions of individuals or units
• to solve problems, making a decision on a plan of action to deal with a problem
• to gather information, get feedback, review past actions
• to determine policy
• to motivate, inspire
• to train, instruct
• to provide support, build cohesion.

Comments
We often find school heads conduct meetings because it is required of them. We have meetings for 'meetings' sake'. These can often be a waste of time, and serve no purpose to the improved management of a school.

Among the reasons you gave may have been that the purpose of the meeting was not legitimate. The following list provides some questionable purposes for meetings:
• it is required or expected
• it is scheduled
• to deal with individuals in a group setting
• to punish or reprimand
• to exert control
• to gain visibility - ego satisfaction.

Assuming there are legitimate reasons for holding a meeting, the next question to ask is: Is a meeting the best vehicle for accomplishing the objective? For example, if there is information that needs to be communicated, should one hold a communication meeting or would it be more efficient and effective to send out the information to all who need it via a memo or written document? The basic condition that determines if a meeting is needed centres on the question: Do people have to interact face to face to achieve the objectives desired? If the answer is yes, then a meeting is probably needed.

What type of meeting?
Meetings can take many different forms, from the more creative brainstorming techniques to formal school board meetings. Below you will find a brief summary of the different types of meetings you might employ as a school head.

Statutory: The law demands it, for example, directors' or councillors' meetings.

Managerial: Necessary to progress school affairs, for example, to inform of policy, to brief, to delegate tasks, to discuss problems, to reach group decisions, etc.

Creative: To generate ideas, to open up new possibilities or avenues of action, for example, to 'brainstorm' around the idea of what the school could design, manufacture; to produce an advertising slogan, poster, etc.

Negotiating: To reach a solution to a problem, for example, management and teachers' union to agree pay increases acceptable to two sides with different interests.

General/public: To report back to a group, for example, an Annual General Meeting of staff members or to air matters of membership meetings, public inquiries into public interest matters.

Participants' roles
In any meeting there are a number of defined roles. These are fairly common to most types of meetings.

Comments
Having listed and described your view on the roles and functions of the various people in a meeting, compare them to the following ideas listed below.

The chairperson
The role of the chairperson is to:
• co-ordinate the work of the committee
• ensure that rules and procedures are kept to
• run meetings so that all members have a chance to air their views
• act as 'umpire' over disagreements, steering the meeting along avenues of decision-making
• ensure that documents and records are efficiently kept
• foster good will and working relationships among staff members
• act as the meeting's leader and guide.

The secretary
The secretary's duties are to:
• carry out the administrative work of the meeting
• organise meetings and record the minutes
• liaise with the chairperson regarding the general running of the meeting
• keep meeting members and associated parties informed
• act as the chairperson's 'right hand'.

The treasurer
The role of the treasurer is to:
• monitor the meeting's financial activities
• record all its money transactions, submitting regular reports to the meeting as well as annual balance sheets
• liaise with an external auditor who scrutinises the books
• advise the committee in matters of financial expenditure.

The committee member
Among the duties of the committee member are to:
• participate at meetings and do the work delegated to him or her in the process of advising or decision-making
• attend meetings regularly, offering information, views and responses either by means of voting or making views known to the chairperson
• keep staff or interested parties he or she represents informed of the work the committee is doing and the decisions it has reached.

Organising and preparing meetings
The organisation of meetings involves a school head in a great deal of work. In order to ensure that no job is missed, it is a good plan to deal with matters systematically. A checklist is an invaluable aid. It can be conveniently divided up into jobs to do well in advance, the day before the meeting, the day of the meeting, during the meeting and after the meeting.

Comments
This list that you have developed might not necessarily be exhaustive. Use it as a starting point, and add to the list as you find new things that have to be arranged prior, during and after a meeting.

Special terms for meetings
Often one attends meetings and becomes totally confused by the terms used during the meeting. At times these terms are used deliberately to confuse the participants. Listed below you will find a list of common, and in some cases not so common, terms used during meetings. The list can be built on. Start your collection now!

Summary
In this unit we have introduced you to a number of problems and benefits associated with meetings. School heads spend a considerable amount of time attending or managing meetings, and therefore it is important that you use your time efficiently and effectively during these meetings. As a management tool you will find that meetings can become an effective method of planning activities, informing staff members of activities, motivating a team spirit, co-ordinating activities, solving problems and building cohesion in the staff room.