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I’ve recently sat in on a lot of admin meetings in my department that weren’t run well. Reminder that this is a skill we don’t learned as academics & we’re all experiencing Zoom fatigue. So here’s a thread of recommendations to better run meetings. #phdchat
I know that some of these might qualify as “bureaucratic bullshit” but they increase your chances of accomplishing what you want to accomplish and people leaving the meeting feeling productive. I’ve worked in admin and program management roles in the past that used these tricks.
1. Send out an agenda ahead of time. This agenda should include the objectives of the meeting (why are we here) and the action items (what are we going to discuss and accomplish). You can solicit feedback from others who may want to add items to the agenda.
2. At the start of the meeting, reiterate this agenda. Let people know the structure of the meeting. If it’s a presentation, let people know when and how to ask questions. Sometimes questions can derail the presentation. But...
If you let people know when they can ask questions, you show that you value their feedback & concerns and have built those into the agenda. Some asks a question anyway you’re going to address? Politely say, “Great question. I am going to talk about that next if that’s alright.”
Setting the parameters of the meeting also makes it easier to jump in if things get off track. You can say things like, “That’s a great point. Can we hold off until we get to [action item]?” Or “I appreciate the comment. I think it will make more sense once I’ve explained x.”
This is reflective listening but also means that one person or comment doesn’t dominate the conversation especially if there is important information or tasks that need to be conveyed. If you establish a more fluid discussion make sure you have a sense of timing & when to move on
3. Getting feedback: ask yourself if a meeting is the best way to get feedback on something. What are the power dynamics at play? What concerns might people have of leveraging critiques and concerns? Have you created a “safe” space for criticism?
If the answer is no, do not pose certain questions in meetings where people might fear speaking truthfully. We have any number of digital platforms to provide anonymous feedback you can use. When you do so, be sure you are specific in what you want feedback on though.
And be clear about who will have access to this feedback, where it will go and how it will be used. This is a practice of transparency. Providing feedback is labor & if it seems to have no impact, participants have a right to know where that data is going.
4. Task setting: certain tasks need to be addressed in the department as part of the meeting. Consider the time commitments of each task. How quickly do they need to be accomplished. What is the presumed knowledge built into doing these tasks. How can you share that knowledge?
You can go along & ask who might be willing to take on tasks. These tasks are then assigned & documented in the notes, which will be circulated after the meeting so that there is a record. Define responsibilities & timeframe. But students are sick of taking on digital tasks. So,
Ask yourself if this is something you could learn to do yourself or if you’re assigning it to a student because you assume they are more tech savvy. The more deferral of labor happens, the more entrenched it becomes & no internal learning occurs as systems or platforms change.
Keep a record of how certain tasks have been accomplished in a shared Google doc. That way you don’t replicate the wheel each time, you have a record of the people to talk to, and that presumed knowledge becomes institutionalized.
5. At the end of the meeting, circulate notes. If there were things that need to happen as a result of the meeting, indicate in Action Items, including who will take lead. You can also include a provisional timeline (short, middle, long term) & any issues for follow up.
Thank everyone for their participation & think about which issues or tasks in the future require a meeting or whether they could be accomplished in a different way. These are facilitation skills academics do not necessarily learn & meetings & admin tasks suffer for it.
These are some of my initial thoughts but I also welcome other people to chime in with their ideas!
