Tips for running meetings with your team?

[diswed0226]

What tips have you learned that help make a meeting successful for your team?

Here are mine from the perspective of an alumni/mentor of 6 years:
• Schedule meetings around the key leaders and mentors, not everyone
• Set clear expectations for the meeting (start/end times, objectives)
○ Objectives are best if clear to everyone before meeting, but should be stated at the beginning of the meeting
• Have at least a vague plan of the steps that the meeting will go through
○ This will probably change as the meeting progresses but it can help you know when to move the meeting along
• Empower the students to be at the front
○ You may not always have a student that is prepared to lead the whole meeting but for parts you can have one that’s at the front writing on the board, leading the discussion while you sit at the back
• Ask individual students questions, especially the ones that aren’t adding much on their own, they’re definitely still thinking
• Schedule the next meeting while everyone is still in the room

[jaunvie]

Letting students jump from sub-team to sub-team is OK for a bit, but try to dial them in as quickly as possible. It will be more enjoyable for them to know what their supposed to be doing and feeling like they are a part of the team. And it will be less chaotic for the mentors to be able to set them on specific tasks so they are less likely to wander off and cause even more chaos.

[Ry3512]

I highly reccomend this, new students especially. Also letting your entire team communicate as a team. Just make sure everyone is included and involved.

[AJohnson342]

We always end a meeting with the full team standing in a circle. Each group/sub-team briefly explains what they’ve accomplished. Mentors also contribute to the “Team Meeting”.
We do this so that no sub team is lost in the shuffle and everyone has an idea of what the entire team is doing.