MEANINGFULManaging

MEETINGSLeader Meeting Guide

How to use this Meeting Guide

Meaningful Meetings - Prep and Lead meetings that motivate & inspire your team!

This tool will help Educational Leaders prepare, organise and present team meetings that educators actually look forward to attending rather than dreading or finding excuses not to attend! The meeting guide includes pages for Leaders to add to their 'Essentials Journal' or perhaps print and add to a specific meetings prep folder. I've also included templates for writing up agendas, recording meeting minutes and note pages for participants. You can choose to print and use the templates in this guide or perhaps just use some of the ideas to add and modify forms you are already using. I suggest reading through the guide from start to finish first then decide what sections you would like to use and set these up in a hardcopy folder for easy access at all times - preferably in your journal or close by as you will save time by adding notes here and there rather than the day before a meeting is due and you have other things to do! If you are new to running meetings try some of my strategies in the 'My Meeting Tips' pages. I've also included agenda topic ideas, steps to help you prep and a tool to ensure you record what you need to reflect back on after the meeting is finished. Sections in this guide include: 1. Tips for Meetings2. Agenda Topic Ideas 3. Meeting Prep Guide4. Meeting Action Guide5. Meeting Agenda Template6. My Meeting Notes (for attendees)7. Meeting Minutes Template

Tips for Meetings

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MOTIVATING. MENTORING. MEANINGFUL. ORGANISED. INSPIRING.

Be very clear about the purpose of your team meetings, the duration and how

they will be structured.

Tips to help you prep and lead meetings that motivate your team and provide a space for professional conversations!

Complete, print and distribute meeting agendas to all team members at least 2

days before meeting so they can review and add to the 'Educator Input' section.

Early childhood meetings are often held after hours at the end of a long

working day so employ some simple strategies to make them less of a chore

and bore - Why not provide dinner or at the very least snacks and drinks. start

your meeting with a fun and interactive team building game to loosen everyone

up and leave negative thoughts at the door, You could also use this time to

regularly acknowledge those members of the team that have contributed

outstanding actions or work ethic since the last meeting was held.

Set times for your meetings and each agenda item then STICK to them!

Allocating a timekeeper to monitor time spent on each topic helps keep focus.

Review the last meeting minutes and discuss any unfinished business before

the start of new discussions and agenda items.

Rotate the job of minute taker for each meeting. Use the template in this guide

to help the person taking minutes follow a simple structure.

Keep to the original purpose of the meeting and don't allow or encourage

conflicts, negative conversations and work performance issue to be discussed

and consequently become a whole team problem and time waster.

opportunities for learning and creative discussion

Try to maintain a balance between heavier problem solving issues and

opportunities for learning and creative discussion. Collaborate with your team

on what they would like to achieve in meetings and how they can become

productive professional learning sessions that are respectful of their time and

skill. After brainstorming, put a written agreement in place listing those

expectations.

Tips for Meetings

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MOTIVATING. MENTORING. MEANINGFUL. ORGANISED. INSPIRING.

Rather than continually talking 'AT' team members during a meeting try to

make your discussions as interactive as possible. Allow everyone to express their

opinion or suggestion and get those bodies moving when you can - sometimes

it can be helpful to break into smaller groups to discuss and brainstorm bigger

topics then come back together to share information and thoughts.

Tips to help you prep and lead meetings that motivate your team and provide a space for professional conversations!

Be aware of diversity and culture within your team and the different ways adults

learn new things or approach change. Be prepared for this ahead of time.

Use resources and multimedia materials to help make learning as visual as

possible.

Have set agenda items you cover at every meeting so everyone knows what to

expect and there is a sense of familiarity. Add in additional topics as needed but

don't create unrealistic expectations of what you will have time to achieve. Use

the Agenda Topics Suggestion Sheet in this guide for ideas to start you off!

Try to ensure that team meetings offer opportunities for active learning and

sharing rather than always trying to convey information and expect people to

just focus and listen to what has essentially become a one way presentation

when they are already tired!

Be clear in your directions and requests of staff before a meeting. If you would

like reading to be done or action to take place beforehand make sure you are

specific and also set a time frame.

Organise and arrange the meeting space and tools ahead of time. Try to make it

comfortable and inviting and print copies of the 'my meeting notes' handout

then add to a folder for each participant that they can bring with them to every

meeting.

When you are ready to close the meeting make sure to take the time to thank

and show appreciation to your team members for attending (especially if out of

their usual work hours!)

Agenda Topic Ideas

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MOTIVATING. MENTORING. MEANINGFUL. ORGANISED. INSPIRING.

Previous Meeting Minutes & Unfinished Business

Ensure the topics you set on the agenda for team meetings provide a balance of problem solving & creative learning!

Wellbeing/Self Care Check In or Activity

Program Focus/Idea/New Resource Share

Workplace Health and Safety

EYLF Outcome Area Focus

Professional Conversations - (List a reflection topic/question for each meeting).

Meeting Decisions & Outcomes (Review from previous meeting).

Quality Improvement Plan Quickies (set goals, review and evaluate progress).

Professional Development Ideas, News, Requests & Shares

Looking Forward - (Meeting Action Plan Tasks listed & decisions recorded).

Let's Get Interactive (you can ask educators to act out scenarios and case studies

covering areas you would like team members to explore and learn more about.)

Suggestions for you..

Family & Community Engagement

Guest Presenters or information sessions

Spotlight (use this section to highlight or recognise achievements of team

members)

Talking Stick Time ( a round the circle quick session to ensure all team

members have had an opportunity to talk or interact - especially useful if you

have a mix of dominant and shy or less confident participants!).

Meeting Prep Guide

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BEFORE YOU MEET

Next Meeting Date:

Next Meeting Time:

Next Meeting Location:

Purpose of this Meeting is:

How long is required for this meeting?

Copy of previous minutes printed & handed out to all team members at least 1 day

before meeting. Give copies of blank 'my meeting notes' sheets at same time.

Meeting Agenda items added to form and displayed in staff area for review and

input from all team members - at least 2 days before meeting.

Book & confirm any community items or guest presentations.

Identify and research any learning area focus topics or planning information you

want to share. Make notes for agenda item discussions and updates.

Review Connect & Grow action guides to see if anything requested to be added to

agenda from recent educator session.

Confirm arrangements for any meeting catering required.

Reflective question or topic chosen and any additional information prepped.

Check over the leader journal for any suggestions, topics or requests that have

been jotted down and now need addressing at the meeting.

Appoint minute taker for next meeting according to rotation schedule. Appoint

timekeeper if using this strategy.

List of action items and tasks assigned at previous meeting ready to be reviewed.

Meeting Action Guide

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MEETING ACTION TIME TASKS & NOTES

Team Members Present:

Team Members Not Present:

Notes for Agenda Item Discussions:

Meeting Action Guide

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MEETING ACTION TIME TASKS & NOTES

Action Item Review:

Action Items decided on in this Meeting:

Were all items identified last meeting completed or implemented as planned?

What tasks were assigned during the meeting - who, what and when?

Action Items Delegated To Timeframe Support/Resources Required.

Meeting Agenda

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Meeting Date :

ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED

Meeting Location :

SET AGENDA ITEMS

Meeting Time : What to Bring :

Food Provided - Y or N

TIME ALLOCATEDPERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR ITEM

TEAM MEMBER INPUT TO AGENDA

My Meeting Notes

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Meeting Date:

Action Items for Me Other ActionsMy Agenda Topics

Meeting Place :

Last Meeting Date :

MY NOTES & SCRIBBLES

Meeting Time:

Meeting Minutes

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Meeting Date :

In Attendance :

Meeting Location :

Apologies/Excused:

MEETING WELCOME & OPEN

Meeting Began :

Approval of last minutes & review of

previous business:

Meeting Chaired By:

AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSIONS

Minutes Taken By:

Number & briefly describe main points of each agenda item below in order discussed.

Meeting Minutes

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AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSIONS CONTINUED....Number & briefly describe main points of each agenda item below in order discussed.

Meeting Minutes

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AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSIONS CONTINUED....Number & briefly describe main points of each agenda item below in order discussed.

Meeting Minutes

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DECISIONS MADE DURING MEETINGList and describe the decisions that were made.

Decision Who Decided?Why was this made? Who does this impact?

NEXT STEPS FORWARDTasks, follow up required, resources or training identified.

Action Required Team Member

Responsible

Tools or Resources

required to complete

Completed Before

Meeting Minutes

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GUESTS/SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS/COMMUNITYBrief summary of any special presentations or community information of importance.

ANNOUNCEMENTS & MISCELLANEOUS ITEMSBrief notes itemized on extra meeting discussions or announcements

Time Meeting Closed: Date of Next Meeting:

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