Doing stuff before meetings - Revision history

Mkille at 21:27, 18 April 2013

2013-04-18T21:27:01Z

Caitlin: /* If you can't prepare for a meeting */

2010-07-06T20:16:54Z

If you can't prepare for a meeting

Ideath: refinement!

2008-07-16T05:56:00Z

refinement!

Rfs at 23:55, 31 May 2008

2008-05-31T23:55:21Z

Stillflame: initial import

2008-04-17T02:31:55Z

initial import

New page

meetings can suck if everyone comes to them without preparation or
forethought.
you can feel overwhelmed by the discussion,
not knowing the history and being embarassed to ask.
you should be!
democracy only works amoung educated groups,
so do your homework.
(don't feel too embarassed -
there is so much going on here that it would be a full-time position
just to keep track of it all.
rather,
make sure you find out how to keep advised of areas you are concerned
about,
and be willing to accept that you can't monitor everything and will
have to find ways to trust the various subcommittees and work groups.)

as a participant,
what should you do before a meeting?
* re-read the last meeting's minutes a week or so before the meeting (thankfully, our meeting minder helps remind us to do this)
* make sure you have done all the commitments you had made
* pay attention to the meeting agenda as it develops
* if there is an item that you are interested in, make sure you have researched your opinion, or discuss it with someone you know to be close to the item
* if someone puts an item on you are unclear about, ask them, if possible on the email list, for available background information
* if you post an agenda item, be sure to provide links to relevant previous discussions, have an introduction ready that summarizes the history of the topic, and be ready to show which issues have already been considered and addressed
* don't post agenda items too late, or you prevent serious consideration by those members who can't have been at all the sub-meetings you get to attend

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:27, 18 April 2013
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	{{Delete}}
		+
	Meetings can suck if everyone comes to them without preparation or forethought. You can feel overwhelmed by the discussion, not knowing the history and being embarrassed to ask. The discussion can be derailed by people explaining background or people expressing uninformed opinions.		Meetings can suck if everyone comes to them without preparation or forethought. You can feel overwhelmed by the discussion, not knowing the history and being embarrassed to ask. The discussion can be derailed by people explaining background or people expressing uninformed opinions.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:16, 6 July 2010
Line 16:		Line 16:

	[[Category:Meetings]]		[[Category:Meetings]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Procedures]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-meetings can suck if everyone comes to them without preparation or
+Meetings can suck if everyone comes to them without preparation or forethought. You can feel overwhelmed by the discussion, not knowing the history and being embarrassed to ask. The discussion can be derailed by people explaining background or people expressing uninformed opinions.
-as a participant,
+Democracy only works among educated groups, so do your homework. But don't feel like you have to know everything - there is so much going on here that it would be a full-time position just to keep track of it all. Rather, make sure you find out how to keep advised of areas you are concerned about, and be willing to accept that you can't monitor everything and will have to find ways to trust the various subcommittees and work groups.
 what should you do before a meeting?
-* re-read the last meeting's minutes a week or so before the meeting (thankfully, our meeting minder helps remind us to do this)
+==As a participant, what should you do before a meeting?==
-* make sure you have done all the commitments you had made
+* Re-read the last meeting's minutes a week or so before the meeting. Meeting minutes are usually posted to the group's email list and to the [http://lists.freegeek.org/listinfo/minutes minutes list]. Our meeting minder helps remind us to do this for council and some other group meetings.
-* pay attention to the meeting agenda as it develops
+* Make sure you have done all the commitments you had made. If you can't complete them, try to have a plan for completing them.
-* if there is an item that you are interested in, make sure you have researched your opinion, or discuss it with someone you know to be close to the item
+* Pay attention to the meeting agenda as it develops (on the email list). Posting the agenda may well cause people to clarify their positions, and this will be useful background to have.
-* if someone puts an item on you are unclear about, ask them, if possible on the email list, for available background information
+* If there is an item that you are interested in, make sure you have researched your opinion, possibly discussing it with someone you know to be close to the item.
-* if you post an agenda item, be sure to provide links to relevant previous discussions, have an introduction ready that summarizes the history of the topic, and be ready to show which issues have already been considered and addressed
+* If someone puts an item on the agenda that you are unclear about, ask them for available background information. Ideally, this should be on the email list so that others can benefit from your question.
-* don't post agenda items too late, or you prevent serious consideration by those members who can't have been at all the sub-meetings you get to attend
+* If you add an agenda item, be sure to provide links to relevant previous discussions, have an introduction ready that summarizes the history of the topic (if any), and be ready to show which issues have already been considered and addressed. This may sound intimidating, but it's worth doing - and you can ask people in person or on the council list to help you.
 [[Category:Meetings]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:55, 31 May 2008
Line 24:		Line 24:
	* if you post an agenda item, be sure to provide links to relevant previous discussions, have an introduction ready that summarizes the history of the topic, and be ready to show which issues have already been considered and addressed		* if you post an agenda item, be sure to provide links to relevant previous discussions, have an introduction ready that summarizes the history of the topic, and be ready to show which issues have already been considered and addressed
	* don't post agenda items too late, or you prevent serious consideration by those members who can't have been at all the sub-meetings you get to attend		* don't post agenda items too late, or you prevent serious consideration by those members who can't have been at all the sub-meetings you get to attend
		+
		+	[[Category:Meetings]]