In coalition work we are leading lots of meetings and it can be really easy to forget what happens in between those meetings. If we are struggling to remember and we helped lead the meetings, how likely is it that our coalition members are remembering? 🙂 When you begin each meeting as if it’s a brand new meeting, you miss an opportunity to support accountability, maintain momentum and encourage continued engagement. Join me this week as I highlight three reasons it makes sense to start your meetings with action items from the previous meeting.
Creates a culture of accountability
When you begin each meeting with action items from the previous meeting, the attendees expect to report on their progress. If each meeting is structured in a similar way, then the coalition’s culture becomes accountability-focused. Your coalition members, leaders and staff will not want to appear unprepared and will be ready! While this may take several months to become “normal,” when you consistently practice starting your meetings with action items, you will positively impact your coalition culture.
Simplifies agenda planning
If you always include action items from the beginning of your meetings, it minimizes the planning needed for each meeting agenda. Consider structuring other aspects of your agenda to meet the meeting purpose so that you can review and slightly tweak before each meeting. Also, this will help you be able to actually send the meeting agenda out a week in advance (check out more about that tip here).
Maintains momentum
One of the biggest challenges in coalition work is maintaining momentum. How many times have you been part of a productive meeting and then a few months later, you find that you haven’t really made much more progress? Although coalition work takes time, it can be really discouraging and difficult to re-engage members when you lose momentum. When you begin your meetings with action items from the previous meeting, you maintain momentum. When you maintain momentum, you support active participation and engagement.
What can you do to include action items from your previous meeting in the next meeting agenda?
If you would like more ideas like this one, check out my Masterclass recording from “The Thing No One Wants to Talk About Part 2”
Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash
