Conference Time Management
The environment I currently work in requires at least a bi-weekly working conference where all faculty members provide an update of their current and forecasted projects. As the facilitator for these meetings, I schedule the meeting room, create and provide an agenda for all participants, prepare/update applicable power-point slides, and keep the meeting on track. I open the meeting with a brief update from the last meeting and then provide my updates. I don't allow a lot of time for divergence from the agenda or for extended inputs from participants that don't relate to the group as a whole. In these cases I suggest that they speak to the relevant individuals after the meeting concludes.
Gordon, sounds like good ideas. Do you think you could save time by distributing the minutes from the prior meeting before the current meeting? That may give you some more time at the meeting and they could already be caught up and you wouldn't have to review at the top of the meeting. They could come in with any questions and then start into new ideas.
I like the fact that you don't waste everyone's time that it doesn't involve. For example, I've been to meetings at prior jobs where they would have to address the group to negative issues rather than the individual who it involved. I hate having meetings that are so negative when the work of others is positive.
