Put The Science Behind Meetings On The Agenda

It’s easy to get bogged down in endless staff gatherings that serve little purpose, but there are proven ways to make them more efficient and worthwhile – and teachers already have all the skills to put them in place

- Grainne Hallahan

A meeting is an event where the minutes are kept butthe hours are lost.”This has become a popular refrain in the world of work and, no doubt, many teachers see the truth in that statement. Days rarely seem to be improved by the addition of meetings yet teachers’ lives are full of them: meetings with parents, meetings with your faculty, whole school meetings...the list goes on.

As meetings clog up calendars, they can often create a mix of frustration and ennui among those in attendance, and rarely achieve anything more than the basic requirements. But does it have to be this way?

Not according to Steven Rogelberg, a professor of organisational science, management, and psychology. In his book, The Surprising Science of Meetings, he says meetings can be transformed into more effective beasts with a few easy tweaks that, fortunately, teachers are already skilled at using.

“What it takes to be a good teacher in designing a class is very akin to what it takes to be a good meeting leader,” says Rogelberg. “Good teachers think about the plan, how to deliver the lesson, the seating plan, and they want to mix up their delivery to keep it fresh. All of these elements are the same things that make meetings work.”

So, how can you ensure that the meetings you hold are productive and efficient? Here’s a quick guide.

1.Mix up the meeting agenda

If you’re putting out the same agenda week in, week out, you’re probably not using that tool effectively, suggests Rogelberg.

“So many agendas are just recycled from meeting to meeting, and agendas in themselves don’t promote meeting effectiveness. What matters more is what is on the agenda: are the topics meaningful and relevant?” he explains.