Get more out of meetings!
How to do more than keep minutes…and lose hours
Photo from Photos.comI first came across the quote, “Meetings are events where minutes are kept and hours are lost,” in a Murphy’s Law calendar a number of years ago, the same calendar that spouted: “Measure with a micrometer, mark with a pencil, cut with an axe.” In many ways, both quotes apply to that phenomenon known as the parish meeting. How can we make these necessary activities energetic, productive, and, yes, faith-filled?
Timed agendas
First, be sure that all who come have received an agenda plenty of time in advance (a week ahead is timely and is also a good reminder that the meeting’s coming up!). Make the agenda as complete as possible, with supporting materials and time values allocated to the various segments. And leave a little wiggle room for extended discussion, questions and answers, and gathering time.
Participant response
Invite participants to respond to the agenda ahead of time so that the agenda can be adjusted to incorporate any additional elements. Be respectful of the members of your council or committee. If their suggestions cannot be added, at least mention them so that they’re read into the record and perhaps tabled for future discussion.
Prayer
Make your opening and closing prayers much more than a perfunctory “Our Father” or “Hail Mary.” Reflect on the Scriptures of the upcoming Sunday. Do some serious faith sharing on how the passage relates to the committee’s task at hand and to the mission of the parish. Use the closing prayer to thank the Spirit for guidance and direction.
Focus
Keep the conversation on track and respect people’s time. Stick to the agenda and keep that micrometer focus sharp.
Reporting
Issue minutes quickly so that they can be studied while the meeting is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Meetings can lead to powerful growth in a parish, if attention is paid to the details of courtesy and accountability, and if credit is given where it belongs—to the God who leads and guides so that our work can be successful.
Calculate the cost of your meetings
If your pastor or supervisor is calling too many meetings, show him or her the actual cost to the parish. Use the cost-calculator at tinyurl.com/ytklxs. If your meetings are with volunteers, estimate what their time might be valued at if they were paid staff.
Meeting etiquette
Some postponements or cancellations are unavoidable. Make sure there is an effective communication strategy in place so people can be contacted in time (check periodically for updated cell phone numbers or e-mails, and ask which is the preferred method of communication). And if you have to miss a meeting, make sure that word gets to the chair beforehand.
*This article appeared in the March 2008 issue of Today's Parish.
Deborah McCann is a pastoral associate at St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in New London, Connecticut, and the author of Lift Up Your Hearts: 50 Blessings and Prayers for Parish Meetings and Ministries (Twenty-Third Publications).
