Write a post to accompany it (250 words) that reflects on what you need to learn about leading meetings (based on your observations of the meeting you attended. Another way to put this is - answer the question "What do I now know I need to learn about leading meetings in order to lead meeting effectively and well?"
The meeting that I observed was a church committee meeting. The caveat as I begin this post is that I attended a single committee meeting. It would be interesting to attend several meetings of the same committee over time to see if there are patterns, trends or variances in the way that the committee meetings are conducted and their outcomes.
As I completed the analysis and synopsis of the meeting, I began to think about the differences between “work” meetings and “church” meetings and wondered about the differences. Church committees are comprised of volunteers – does this make a difference in how the meeting is structured or conducted? Most church meetings occur in the evenings and most attendees are coming to the meeting after a full day of activities. How can the meetings best be structure to minimize the amount of time required, accomplish what is needed to be accomplished and make it an enjoyable experience for the committee members?
The meeting I observed was not facilitated as formally as a Session meeting is typically conducted. Is this okay? It seemed to work? As a church leader, should you be focused more on process for the sake of process or using the right amount of process to ensure the committee accomplishes its work? As a church leader or a committee chairperson, to what degree should I be concerned with the interpersonal dynamics particularly if the committee seems to be functioning satisfactorily? In my meeting observation, I noticed several “groupings” of individuals within the meeting. Is that okay or should the chairperson attempt to create opportunities to “blend” the groups? What about the use of technology? This committee uses email as a form of communication outside of meetings and projects meeting materials during the meeting. As a church leader/committee chairperson, how much technology should be introduced?