GSA
Running An Effective Meeting
Running a GSA meeting can be intimidating! Not to worry, with GLSEN’s tips, you will be an awesome facilitator in no time!
BEFORE SCHEDULING A MEETING, ASK YOURSELF...
- Is the meeting necessary?
- Are the time and location selected appropriate?
- Who should attend this meeting?
- Who should facilitate this meeting?
- What are the expected outcomes?
- How can I make sure all attendees participate actively?
TIPS FOR RUNNING A GREAT MEETING
- Be prepared! Create an agenda and review it with the group at the beginning of the meeting.
- Set guidelines and community agreements as to how the meeting will operate.
- Always start and end on time.
- Provide snacks, if possible.
- Introduce people who have not been to a meeting before to the group.
- Be specific about meeting outcomes and expectations.
- Assign tasks to participants, such as timekeeper and note taker.
- Schedule the next meeting!
- Follow up on conversations from previous meetings.
- E-mail and post meeting reminders on Facebook.
GUIDELINES FOR FACILITATORS
- Let the discussion flow, but do not lose control of the conversation.
- Remain neutral. If issues arise, try to not take them personally.
- Actively listen to what participants are saying.
- Be prepared to improvise if needed.
- Make decisions, recommendations and assign tasks to move the group forward!
Do you have tips for hosting a great GSA meeting? Let us know!