What makes a great staff meeting? We follow several principles:
Have a regular time and place (and don’t cancel!). This builds a pattern that reaps long-term benefits. Most staff teams find it best to meet early in the week. We expect all staff to be there.
Start (and end) on time. Starting late is disrespectful to those who have made it a priority to be on time. The discipline of the end time moves the meeting along and allows people to plan the rest of their day with confidence.
Have an agenda and stick to it (most of the time). Most meetings fail when adequate thought has not been put into what the group should discuss. Place priority items at the top of the agenda.
Be prepared. Those with assignments must come prepared. If this discipline breaks down, participants begin to consider preparation optional.
Have an established leader. Consistent leadership enhances the effectiveness of the meeting. If the senior pastor doesn’t lead the staff meeting, some churches delegate it to another pastor skilled at meeting management.
If possible, decide. Meetings lose their usefulness if the participants discover that process, not action, is the primary activity.
Maintain task orientation (with human sensitivity). The meeting must move briskly through the agenda, but with sensitivity to the relational dynamics. Build a sense of team around the task of ministry.
Be realistic. Groups generally have energy for one or two significant issues in any one meeting. It is best to avoid the temptation to add too many agenda items besides the routine business.
Set aside additional time for experiences and long-term thinking. Weekly meetings alone will not be sufficient to address all the issues. On occasion, time must be set aside for brainstorming, planning, and for experiences designed to build community, perspective, and skills.
Keep confidentiality. When discussing volatile issues, particularly related to people within the church, the conversation must not leave the room. When a difficult issue surfaces, it’s often wise to table the discussion until later and include only those directly involved.
Be unified. At times it’s impossible to have complete agreement, but it is important that, once a decision is reached, the staff not air any differences elsewhere.
Excerpted from an article in Secrets of Effective Communication; originally appeared in Leadership journal.
