icr3a meetings handbook1

ICR3A Handbook: Departmental Meetings

Company standards for departmental meetings

Quick start checklist to

plan a successful meeting

Templates for agenda

and minutes

December 2012

ICR3A Handbook:

Departmental Meetings

Standards

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Developed by

ICR3A Meetings Special Committee:

Aaron Carpenter Ann Van Buren

Anna Armas Chauntain Shields

Ingrid Finstuen Rachel Lloyd

December 2012

ICR3A HR Handbook: Best Practices for a Successful Meeting


Table of Contents

How to Use this Handbook Page 1

Before the Meeting: The Agenda Page 2

During the Meeting: Keeping On Track Page 7

After the Meeting: Following up Page 9

Conclusion: Key Points Page 11

Appendix: Templates

Page 12

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How to Use this Handbook

This guide aims to make meetings successful by

providing tools to manage the

procedures before, during, and after

meetings

The ICR3A HR Handbook: Best Practices for a Successful Meeting is aimed primarily at ICR3A departmental heads and other employees who create and manage department meetings. This is intended as a guide and is highly recommended for all ICR3A meetings. The format allows enough flexibility for each department to customize where needed, upon HR approval. It is not meant to be read cover to cover, but to serve as a reference tool. The handbook is divided into seven sections outlined below. Additionally, the Appendix includes a checklist to guide the meeting process. It is highly recommended to use the checklist simultaneously with this handbook.

● Introduction - what you need to know before using the handbook. ● Before the meeting – procedures for assembling and preparing

materials, soliciting information from others who need issues addressed, and inviting the appropriate parties.

○ Establishing an agenda – methods and examples for using the agenda template.

○ Assigning roles – guidance for delegating responsibilities of the meeting chairperson, facilitator, and secretary.

● During the meeting – a series of steps to keep the meeting progressing according to the established purpose and agenda.

○ Opening – How to set the tone of the meeting. ○ Conducting the meeting – Tools and guidelines for

effectively managing the meeting time, facilitating active participation, addressing off-topic subjects, and redirecting digressive conversation.

○ Closing – Guidelines for concluding the meeting, reviewing actions addressed during the meeting, and completing minutes.

● After the meeting – This section addresses distributing meeting materials (including surveys and “Thank you’s”), archiving meeting minutes, and appropriate follow-up on required actions.

● Resources – This section provides links to the sources used to create this document and suggestions for further reading.

● Appendix - Agenda, Meeting Minutes, and Checklist Templates.

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Before the Meeting

Pre-Meeting Steps As with almost every process, there are certain steps that should be completed in order to ensure a standard practice. This section details the steps that should be taken prior to holding the meeting.

Identify a Purpose In order to have an efficient meeting, it is critical to identify a purpose first. This step should cover what the meeting is meant to accomplish, even going as far as creating an objective, such as “Settle budget for Spring 2013 marketing.” Once you understand what needs to be accomplished, gauge how much time is necessary for that topic, leaving room for not only the presentation of topic, but for discussion as well.

Identify Participants Carrying on the example from above, although the meeting topic pertains to marketing, does not mean that every person in the marketing department should be present in the meeting. Identifying a purpose early on will clarify the relevant parties that should be included. An efficient and cost-effective meeting is one that does not include unnecessary parties.

Confirm Availability of Attendees A clear marker of an ineffective meeting is when critical participants are unable to meet due to scheduling conflicts. Contacting meeting attendees as early as possible will allow them to plan accordingly and prepare for the meeting. Reach out to the involved parties and find a date and time that will work for all.

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What makes an efficient meeting? See the Resources section for further reading.


Confirm Time and Location While ICR3A conducts most departmental meetings in person, participants should be informed of how they can call in to the meeting if it occurs while they are traveling. Meeting planners should provide details that accommodate traveling associates whenever possible, rather than postponing a meeting or attempting to complete the meeting without that person.

Solicit New Topics and Confirm Relevance to Meeting Objective Meeting organizers should seek to accomplish as much as possible during pre-meeting correspondence. This means being open up to suggestions about other topics that should be covered during the meeting in question. One of the best practices in this realm is to acknowledge what each participant has suggested and then follow up to confirm that the topic is relevant to the meeting objective. If the suggested topic is important but not relevant, schedule time to discuss that topic in another session.

Identify Time Allocations Should one of the newly suggested topics make it onto the agenda, be sure to confirm the time necessary for that topic. Again, let your pre-meeting correspondence serve multiple purposes. The more you clarify before the meeting, the smoother your meeting should go.

Assign Roles Once the participants are confirmed, the meeting organizer should assign roles. If there is not a dedicated minutes taker, one of the participants should be assigned that role. This person can also serve as the timekeeper, but the critical concern is that the meeting facilitator not be tasked with roles that will take his or her attention off of the agenda. These roles can be clarified and cemented when distributing the agenda before the meeting.

Meeting planners should provide

details that accommodate

traveling associates

whenever possible, rather than

postponing a meeting.

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Sticky Note

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What is an agenda? It is a pre-formatted

schedule that includes

information about the meeting as well

as the topics.

Agendas are meant to organize the

meeting and provide every participant with a glimpse of what the meeting

will entail.

Department heads should establish standards that work best for them. If there is to be a dedicated minutes taker, his or her schedule might bring in added schedule conflicts. Revolving roles could be a better option when availability is a concern.

Establish an Agenda Now that you have a clear purpose, have confirmed the availability of necessary participants, and have invited new topics, it’s time to organize all of this information into one easily referenced document. This means establishing an agenda. ICR3A has implemented a standardized agenda template that can be used across all departments. The following breakdown of the agenda sections will clarify the proper usage of this document.

Meeting Title When titling a meeting, consider your tactics in crafting email subject lines. The title should clearly convey the topic at hand, but it shouldn’t be a full statement of purpose.

Meeting Information The first section of the template deals with the logistical information regarding the meeting. Because the agendas will be distributed before the meeting occurs, they should contain information regarding time, location, and call-in numbers for satellite participants. In addition, ICR3A has included a field in which meeting organizers should state the objective that they identified in early planning stages.

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It is not mandatory to fill out every field for every meeting. ICR3A has simply provided space for all information that could be pertinent.

Preparation for Meeting This section is meant to inform participants of what is expected of them throughout the course of the meeting and how they can best prepare for the meeting. If the meeting will focus on a written proposal about the marketing budget, each participant should have a copy of that proposal and, if necessary, bring it to the meeting ready to discuss. This is not a required field. If there are no materials involved in the meeting preparation, organizers can leave these fields blank or alter the wording to better reflect what participants should accomplish before the meeting.

Action and Agenda Items Whereas the previous sections related to information decided before the meeting, the sections in the image below will all be addressed during the meeting. When planning the agenda, include information from past meetings and tasks that were assigned so the group can revisit them. The agenda is meant to serve as a tracking and organizing device; use it as such. In order to stay within the reserved time, assign each agenda and action item a specific amount of time, and then assign a

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The Agenda Template helps

all attendees participate in

meeting planning. That helps the meeting to run more smoothly.

See the full

Agenda template in the Appendix.


timekeeper to alert speakers when their time has run out. ICR3A trusts that its employees will be respectful of one another and suggest additional meetings to cover topics that require more time.

Distribute Agenda Depending on the amount of time available, you may be rushed to get the agenda to participants the day before the meeting. However, participants should all receive a copy of the agenda ahead of time, particularly if the meetings will require preparation. This allows each person to understand his or her responsibilities as well as raise any concerns about the agenda or time allocations. A best practice in distributing the agenda is to include information on accessing the previous meeting’s minutes. The first agenda item in every meeting is to approve minutes from the last meeting. A simple reminder to review those minutes before the meeting will expedite the approval process.

Pre-Meeting Conclusion

These steps were designed to standardize the process of preparing for meetings and provide department heads with information that will aid in making meetings more efficient and less costly. For additional resources and agenda and minutes templates, please turn to the appendix.

An action item is a task that is

scheduled and assigned with a

deadline.

Often, action items are

assigned in one meeting and

revisited in the next.

For additional resources and agenda and

minutes templates, turn to

the appendix.

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During the Meeting

Opening the Meeting

The opening of a meeting is an opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the meeting. An effective opening will include the following steps: · Review the agenda — Reading the agenda for the meeting

provides a reminder to participants of why they have gathered. Furthermore, individuals are less likely to interrupt the flow of the meeting if they know that a topic of interest to them will be raised at a later point in the meeting.

· Review the Ground Rules — This reminds meeting participants of expectations for their behavior. While ICR3A will allow each department to set up ground rules according to their own needs, the Human Resources Department recommends the following:

o Do not use any personal electronics during the meeting o Private conversations are not to be conducted during the

meeting o Only one person should speak at a time. Please refrain from

interrupting other speakers o Comments should be addressed to the issues at hand rather

than the personality of the speakers. · Review minutes — Reading the minutes from the previous

meeting provides participants with an idea of what was accomplished at the last meeting and what they agreed to do between the meetings.

Conducting the Meeting

The main challenge of conducting an effective meeting is managing the time. ICR3A Human Resources department has the following suggestions for keeping a meeting on task.

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See the section on

Pre-meeting Planning for

more information about the

agenda and the minutes.

Reviewing ground rules

reminds participants of

the expectations for their behavior.


Important techniques to help

manage time

Negative polling is an effective way to

check for consensus.

The facilitator simply asks if

anyone disagrees with what has been

suggested by participants.

Hesitant participants can then voice their

objections.

Use a flip chart — Recording ideas on a flip chart allows all meeting participants to see the flow of discussion topics. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity for participants to alert the facilitator if they feel their points are not being accurately recorded. Use an Idea Bin — a separate flip chart page where ideas that are not pertinent to the current agenda item are recorded. The Idea Bin allows participants to focus better on the topic at hand because they know other important points will be remembered and followed-up at a later point in time. Acknowledge disruptions — Ignoring disruptive behaviors will encourage them. Address the behavior in a tactful way and ask for suggestions to resolve the issue. Involve participants in time management — Some topics might end up taking longer than anticipated. When this occurs, ask for a vote on whether to continue with the current topic or to put the discussion in the Idea Bin and move on.

Closing the Meeting

The closing of the meeting is an opportunity to review what has been accomplished and what will need to be addressed in the future. An effective closing will include the following. Check for consensus on agreements — Review the agreements or conclusions that have been reached during the meeting so that each participant has one last chance to voice their disagreement. Assign action items — The facilitator should use the end of the meeting to determine who will follow-up on which items from the meeting. Participants should clearly understand what is expected of them between this meeting and the next. Revisit the Idea Bin — Review the topics in the Idea Bin and agree on where and when the topics will be discussed in the future.

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After the Meeting

Post-Meeting

After the meeting is the time to follow up with meeting participants, reiterate what was said and decided on, and to check that those who have action items to complete have the information and resources needed to complete the assignment.

Finalize Meeting Minutes1

The minute taker should complete the minutes as soon as possible after the meeting. The minutes are not a transcription of the meeting and don’t necessarily have to be written in the order they occurred. The minutes should be topic based, so that it is easy to see what topics were discussed and what decisions were made on the topics. This should also include who is going to do what and when the deliverables are due.

Be sure to have either the meeting facilitator or chairperson sign off on the minutes before sending them out. If the facilitator wrote the minutes another meeting participant should sign off on the minutes before they are sent out.

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Deliverables to meeting participants

In a follow-up email to the meeting participants, be sure to include the following pieces:

Thank you letter to meeting participants — Even if everyone did not agree or get along in the meeting, it is important to send a thank you letter. There are three key parts to a thank you letter:

· Thank members for taking the time to attend the meeting and reiterate the importance of the topics discussed.

· Provide any information you promised the participant(s).

· Restate your concerns and what you want.

Meeting Minutes — Meeting participants can respond with corrections and questions to the minutes, as well as email their agreement with them.

Meeting Satisfaction Survey — Ask participants what they thought was good/bad about the meeting, what they learned at the meeting, what they thought could be better. This can be done as simply as writing the survey questions at the end of the email. Online resources such as www.surveymonkey.com provide resources for employees to respond anonymously as well as allow management to easily track satisfaction numbers. Free services are available.

Archive meeting documents It is a good idea to archive meeting documents, including minutes and any other materials that were presented, such as reports.

Check on required action(s) The meeting chairman, or whoever is responsible, should check that the relevant parties are completing the work assigned to them and have all the needed resources to do this.

1 Meeting Minutes Template was modified from one available on www.templatespoint.org/meeting-minutes-templates.html. Other templates are also available on office.microsoft.com

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Conclusion

A greater understanding of

the meeting process along with the tools provided in this handbook, will improve the effectiveness of

meetings at IRCA.

This handbook is intended as a dynamic tool for each of the departments at ICR3A. While the Human Resources Department recommends the basic steps in the meeting process, these steps can be customized to suit the needs of each segment of the company. A greater understanding of the meeting process and a comprehensive, usable handbook that includes tools like an agenda template, a meeting template, and a step checklist are sure to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of meetings at ICR3A. The Human Resources Department is happy to answer any questions about this handbook. The department can be reached via email at [email protected] or phone at 208-123-4567.

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Appendix A

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ICR3A Meeting Checklist

Before the Meeting

In opening the meeting, did you ☐ review the agenda? (p. X) ☐ review the ground rules? (p. X) ☐ review the previous minutes? (p. X)

In conducting the meeting, did you ☐ keep the meeting on task? (p. X)

In closing the meeting, did you ☐ check on agreements? (p. X) ☐ assign action items? (p. X)





Appendix B

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During the Meeting








Appendix C

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After the Meeting

In completing the minutes, did you ☐ utilize the minutes template? (p. X)

In distributing the post-meeting materials, did you ☐ send a thank-you note? (p. X) ☐ distribute the minutes? (p. X) ☐ conduct a satisfaction survey? (p. X) ☐ distribute supporting materials? (p. X)

In checking on required actions, did you

☐ consult the action items identified on the minutes? (p. X)


Appendix D

[Meeting Title] Agenda

Meeting Information

Objective:

Date: [01/01/2000] Location: [Enter Room Number]

Time: [Time] Meeting Type: [Type of Meeting]

Call-In Number:[List number] Facilitator: [Name]

Call-In Code: [Enter code] Chairperson: [Name]

Minutes: [Name] Called By: [Name]

Timekeeper: [Name]

Attendees: [List Names]

Preparation for Meeting

Please Read:

Please Bring:

Action Items from Previous Meeting

Item/Responsible/Due Date 1. [Item Description] / [Responsible]/[Due Date]

Agenda Items

Item/Presenter/Time Allotted 1. [Agenda Item] / [Presenter Name]/[Time Allotted]

New Action Items

Item/Responsible/Due Date 1. [New Item] / [Responsible]/[Due Date]

Other Notes or Information


Appendix E

ICR3A Meeting Minutes

[Time Allocated] [Topic of Discussion] [Presenter Name]

Discussion Summary

Conclusions

Action Item Responsible Person Deadline

[Date] [Time] [Place]

Meeting Called By:

Meeting Type:

Meeting Facilitator

Time Keeper

Number of Attendees


ICR3A Meeting Minutes, Page 2

Observers

Resource Persons

Notes:

[Time Allocated] [Topic of Discussion] [Presenter Name]

Discussion Summary

Conclusions

Action Item Responsible Person Deadline


Appendix F

Resources for Further Reading

If you would like more information on any parts of the successful meeting process, we recommend the following web sites.

Before the Meeting Vertex 42 http://www.vertex42.com/WordTemplates/meeting-agenda.html This site provides a clean and uncomplicated agenda template, which HR found would be easiest for department heads to adapt. This site contributed the most to the template included in the handbook.

Project Management Docs http://www.projectmanagementdocs.com/project-documents/meeting-agenda.html This site also provides helpful information for what an agenda should include. If you want to further adapt the agenda to meet your departmental needs, this site can provide valuable insight into addressing issues.

Marketing Sherpa Blog http://sherpablog.marketingsherpa.com/marketing/effective-meeting-agendas/ This site addresses the larger picture of ineffective meetings. If you are struggling to understand why ICR3A has implemented more formal meeting practices, take a look at this site to understand how agendas can redirect a meeting that has derailed.

During the Meeting Introduction to Planning and Facilitating Meetings http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/_/pdf/effective-meetings.pdf This pamphlet, available in PDF form from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, provides in-depth information about planning and facilitating meetings.

Conducting Effective Meetings http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7labor/11.pdf This is a chapter taken from a book called Labor Management in Agriculture: Cultivating Personnel Productivity. While the broad focus is on agricultural laborers, the information about planning and conducting meetings can be applied to any industry.

Effective Meeting Facilitation http://www.nea.gov/resources/lessons/duncan1.html This article, posted on the National Endowment for the Arts website, provides a good, quick read about planning and conducting effective meetings.


After the Meeting Templates Point http://www.templatespoint.org/meeting-minutes-templates.html The minutes template in this handbook is a modified version of the one found on this site. The site provides a wide variety of Word templates for everything from minutes to calendars to invitations.

Microsoft http://www.office.microsoft.com Microsoft’s web site offers a huge number of templates. It is a good resource if you are looking for possible additions to the minutes template available in this handbook.

University of Wisconsin-Madison http://quality.wisc.edu/effective-meetings-after.htm This is a concise and helpful site from the Office of Quality Improvement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It also includes information on preparing the meeting, conducting the meeting, and dealing with common problems.

CADCA http://www.cadca.org/policyadvocacy/capitol_hill_basics/after-meeting This site, from the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, provides some clear and commonsense tips for following up after a meeting.

icr3a meetings handbook1

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