Meeting

This is a checklist for use in scheduling, conducting, and following up on meetings.

Preparation

1. Provide nametags. This facilitates discussion
2. Write meeting agenda (template here)
3. Purpose
4. Information to distribute
5. Questions to resolve
6. Section for action items
7. Section for notes
8. Share/Print hard copy for each participant

Running the meeting

1. Distribute agenda
2. Convey information
3. Resolve all open questions
4. Record all action items and deliverables offered or assigned
5. If topics of discussion arise that are outside of the scope of the meeting, schedule additional meetings for these topics if needed, and redirect the meeting back to the task at hand

Follow up

1. Prepare meeting summary
2. Resolved questions
3. Action items / deliverables
4. Send meeting summary to all participants
5. Complete action items and deliverables
6. Schedule follow-up contact or meeting

How to Sabotage a Meeting

(From the Office of Strategic Services “Simple Sabotage Field Manual”)

“(11) General Interference with Organizations and Production

(a) Organizations and Conferences

(1) Insist on doing everything through “channels.” Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.

(2) Make “speeches.” Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your “points” by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate “patriotic” comments.

(3) When possible, refer all matters to committees, for “further study and consideration.” Attempt to make the committees as large as possible-never less than five.

(4) Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.

(5) Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.

(6) Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.

(7) Advocate “caution.” Be “reasonable” and urge your fellow-conferees to be “reasonable” and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.

(8) Be worried about the propriety of any decision-raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.”