We often spend time meeting just to meet, and sometimes it turns into social hour rather than a business time. Part of being a volunteer is the social aspect, but if we run productive meetings, we can have social time later. This respects the time of all involved, and allows those who have extra time to chat and to socialize on their own time.
One of VolunteerFD.org’s readers recently asked about how to run an effective meeting, and how to improve business meetings. He made a good point that “all volunteer departments spend a lot of time in these meetings and quite frankly, in many cases, it is time that is not very productive.”
So if we want to be productive in meetings, and use our time as best we can, we need to have a chairperson. But in truth, the term ringleader could be used instead as meetings often turn into a three-ring circus.
It doesn’t matter if it is your monthly meeting or a committee meeting, there needs to be someone in charge. That person’s responsibility will be to set the format of the meeting and its content, rules and goals. Their job also is to make sure everything runs smoothly and is planned in advance.
Once we have a chairperson, we need to decide on the format. The format and the goal of the meeting go hand in hand. If we’re looking for options, we can hold a brainstorming or work session. If looking for decisions, then a formal meeting format should be used. In this case, we’ll use the example of fundraising as an example.
The first thing we should do is set a goal. The goal can be as simple as to raise $5,000 for new gear. Next, we need to pick a group to come up with options. A committee should be no more then five to seven members, and have a distinct timeline for it to work within. This doesn’t mean the project needs to be done within the timeline, only that the options need to be available within this set period. Realistically, a committee in a volunteer organization should have options within one to three months. That said, scheduling can be difficult with volunteers, so this needs to be taken into consideration.
Preparation time
The chairperson should be chosen before the first meeting. This gives them time to prepare, do research, set the format and agenda, and set the meeting time. Often committees choose their chairperson at their first meeting, but this just means the first meeting will only get one thing done — selecting that person.
The chairperson should start by understanding the goals and the strengths of the members of the committee. Ideally, each member should be given a task to research beforehand. This means coordinating tasks before the meeting to bring information to the meeting. One member should use online resources such as VolunteerFD.org, one should look at the department’s past fundraisers, and one should look at what other local departments have done successfully.
If you have done your research beforehand, the first meeting can weigh the pros and cons of different programs. Committee meetings tend to be fluid and go wherever the discussion leads — but that’s not to say it should just be set free to run wild. Care needs to be taken to limit discussion when it gets to a point where you are beating a dead horse or becomes circular.
Having a brainstorming session can often be good for a first meeting, and they have a simple format. Set aside an amount of time for people to just throw out ideas. Every idea, no matter how crazy, should be written down as members need to be encouraged to think outside the box. The “odd” ideas may not end up being used, but they may spark other ideas. Once the brainstorm period is over, the ideas produced should be debated.
To debate these ideas, I favor a “one up, one down” format. In this format, each member has to offer one good point for the idea and one bad. I usually use the one up, one down system during training, but it works well in debates, too. It limits discussion and gets all members involved. Care should be given by the ringleader to ensure the entire committee takes part, not just its most vocal members. Everyone has something to add and they should be treated equally, regardless of rank, time in department or the person’s personality.
Once all of the ideas have been looked at, they should be narrowed down to about half a dozen that need to be researched. Each committee member should be given one idea to research and present more details about at the next committee meeting. A great tool is to set up an outline of the information needed so that members have a guide to provide all of the information needed. This should include pros and cons, needs assessments, timelines and any other specific details required.
The next committee meeting should be set up with a specific agenda to go through the six choices, so members can narrow them down to two to three ideas that can be presented to the whole organization,
Unified front
The committee should present a unified front to the body, and be able to outline the pros and cons of each idea. Beforehand, it may be necessary to meet again to flesh out ideas before they are presented.
It should be prepared to answer questions and have recommendations. You must anticipate the potential questions — be prepared. The success of this meeting will depend on the original committee’s preparation.
When it comes to the weekly, monthly or quarterly business meetings, things need to be a bit more formal. An adopted set of guidelines and rules should already be in place. Many departments use Roberts Rules of Order or a version of it, in order to run their department.
It doesn’t matter what the format is, as long as it is strictly adhered to.
Some basics include:
• Have an outline agenda for each meeting.
• All debate and comments should be addressed to the ringleader, which reduces bickering and allows the ringleader to keep control.
• Each member should be limited in the amount of time they are allowed to speak and debate.
These types of meetings should be held with the goal of making decisions rather then discussing different ideas or brainstorming. When you have anything up to 100 people in a meeting, discussion should be limited to pertinent points and only to the vote on the table.
The process should be as follows:
• The committee should make a detailed report to the meeting.
• The chair should address questions to the committee, and the committee should make a recommendation.
• The body should then make a motion, and have it seconded to either go with or against the recommendation.
• Once the motion is made, there should be discussion on the motion and the motion only — if the topic is a raffle, there should be no discussion about a BBQ. There can be time set aside in the meeting for open forum discussion, but it shouldn’t be while there is a motion on the floor.
Voting systems
All motions need to be voted on unless withdrawn by the maker and the person who seconded it. Votes can be a simple voice vote or by ballot, though a ballot should usually be reserved for large decisions or ones that may be controversial.
The vote may be either by simple majority (51 percent wins), by the larger consensus (66 percent) or require a unanimous vote. The types of votes required should be based upon the importance of the decision. For instance, a fundraiser would probably be decided by simple majority while a bylaw change might require a larger consensus. Unanimous votes should be reserved for situations such as to close the department.
Another question that has been posed to me is about meeting minutes, which are your legal record of the meeting. They should at a minimum have the motions made and the votes. Some departments also include highlights of the discussion, but realistically all you need are motions and votes.
I am an advocate of posting minutes for other members to read, but some departments consider them to be private documents — what your department does will depend on its environment and organization. Some departments that are organized by the local government may have to follow Freedom of Information (FOI) guidelines, which I would suggest checking with your local counsel about.
Meetings can be a challenge, but with a good chairperson they can be productive. Remember to plan in advance and tailor your meeting to your goals. There will be good meetings and bad, but you should always respect your members’ time.
We are all volunteers and have families we would like to be with. So hold meetings to get something done — and hold get-togethers when you want to socialize.