
just want to say that......
got people help me to feed my fish fish or not??
hahahaha.......
Contact participants before the meeting to find out if there is anything they want included on the agenda under new or old business. Ask participants beforehand how much time they need to give their reports.
Sometimes it is difficult to judge the timing on an agenda. Either be patient with experimenting on the timing, or be firm with the times in an effort to move the meeting along. One of the main purposes of creating a meeting agenda is to provide structure and help make the meeting more productive.
A printed agenda is a useful tool to help the Secretary take minutes of the meeting, even if items in the meeting are discussed out of order. The agenda ensures that all business is covered, and leaves room for some flexibility.
An agenda can be used to prevent members, board members, and participants from monopolizing time in the meeting with irrelevant discussions and extensive grievances.
An agenda is an excellent meeting planning tool to keep meeting length to a reasonable time frame. A well-planned agenda also makes for more efficient meetings- especially when used in conjunction with Parliamentary Procedure.
The necessity of forming committees is sometimes brought about when meetings stray from the agenda. Committees can work on issues in separate meetings.
Each organization, committee or company has its unique structure and style of conducting business and board meetings, but the elements are always similar: call to order, reports, business discussions and decision-making, and adjournment.
The following is an agenda template for any type of board meeting.
Agenda Heading
7:30 a.m. Call to Order, Roll Call, Determination of a Quorum
7:33 a.m. Approval of Minutes (if no changes or amendments)
7:35 a.m. Report from Chairman
7:45 a.m. Officer Reports, Treasurer Report
8 a.m. Old Business
8:15 a.m. New Business
8:50 a.m. Adjournment
Sample Agenda for a Business Meeting or Non-Profit Executive Meeting
A quorum is usually needed to vote on any use of funds, and the Secretary should take minutes including who is present and who initiates motions on the floor (if Parliamentary Procedure is used).
The following is an agenda template for any type of business or non-profit meeting.
Agenda Heading
7 p.m. Call to Order, Welcome Statement, Introductions
7:02 p.m. Roll Call, Determination of a Quorum
7:05 p.m. Approval of Minutes from previous meeting (if no additions or corrections)
7:10 p.m. Report from President
7:15 p.m. Officer Reports in order of rank
7:35 p.m. Old Business
8 p.m. New Business
8:40 p.m. Miscellaneous announcements for the good of the whole
8:45 p.m. Adjournment
A meeting agenda is a critical tool in meeting planning and time management.
Notice the elements and formats of the two agenda examples below are similar- time, opening and closing the meeting, discussion of old business and introduction of new business, and calling for reports in between.
Listing the time on an agenda is optional, but it can help keep the meeting on track, and encourage committee reports and officer reports to be concise and to the point. For most corporations and organizations, this will dramatically improve meeting time management.
This sample agenda shows calling for reports from officers, times, and examples of types of old business and new business. The format reflects a formal structure where meeting minutes are approved if Parliamentary Procedure is used.
The agenda header should include the title of the meeting (e.g. Board Meeting, Meeting of Executive Directors, Executive Committee Meeting), the full name of the organization, the location, date, and time.
An effective secretary can assist the chair in planning, conducting and concluding a meeting. The secretary can take much of the load off the chair, so that the chair can spend his time more effectively and efficiently.
The role of the secretary starts before the meeting, continues during and beyond the meeting. Thus the preparatory, administrative, clerical and follow up work falls under the jurisdiction of the secretary.
Before you call your next meeting, the FIRST step is to decide if it is really essential. To determine that, ask yourself the following:
· Is this meeting essential? · Can we do without it? · Can we accomplish the task without a meeting? · Can it wait another week? · Can we get things done with few meetings?
Then, if you have decided a meeting is the best way to accomplish your objective, the following tips can help you conduct more effective meetings:
~ Start and end meetings on time. Make sure everyone knows what time you are to start and to end. If you have an ending time, you will find your time is more productive in the time allotted.
~ Have an open agenda on the chalkboard or flip chart. Participants can add an item before the meeting. However, they must be prepared to lead the discussion if they put an item on the agenda.
~ If an item isn’t on the open agenda, reschedule it for discussion at a later time.
~ Give each item on the agenda a time limit. If action or discussion cannot be completed during the allotted time, it must be delayed until the end of the meeting.
~ After all agenda items have been discussed, address the delayed items and estimate how long it will take to discuss them. Decide if the item can be discussed today or needs further action before a decision can be made.
~ Any delayed item should be the first item on the next open agenda.
~ Summarize and record action items before adjourning the meeting. Identify who is responsible for which action.
Susan Cullen is President of Quantum Learning Solutions, Inc., based in New Jersey. She has over 15 years experience in Organizational Development and is considered an expert in the use of blended learning methodologies for lasting organizational change. For more information go to http://www.quantumlearn.com or you can reach us at (800) 683-0681.