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The Perfect Meeting
- 1. The Perfect Meeting Efficient,Effective, & Empowering
- 2. Before the PerfectMeeting Before planning a meeting be sure that it is essential and the most efficient process for serving the student’s needs “Dettmer, Knackendoffel, & Thurston explain that meeting planners should be sure the issue is not best addressed with “a memo, email, phone call, or brief face-to-face conversations with individuals” (Dettmer, et al., 2013, p. 162). Initial meeting planning should identify all of the foreseen necessary components for success, including but not limited to: mission and purpose of the meeting, window of dates the meeting should take place within, necessary participants, materials, information, and equipment required, and a draft agenda. Online survey tools like doodle.com can help identify a date and time that will work for everyone and save meeting planners the hassle of back and forth communication regarding scheduling.
- 3. Before the PerfectMeeting Desired meeting participants should be contacted well in advance of the meeting (the sooner the better but no later than 2 weeks before the meeting). Giving participants a head’s up in the most personable manner (face to face, by phone, personalized email) possible helps to set a positive urgent tone, convey respect and appreciation, and create buy-in. This is also a good time to survey participants regarding the ideal location. Meeting planners should be aware if there are essential meeting participants who need the location to meet certain requirements for them to be able to attend. Flexer, Baer, Luft, & Simmons report that studies have shown “work, time, transportation, or child-care conflicts” may prevent parents from attending school-based meetings during the school day (Flexer et. al, 2013, p. 60).
- 4. Before the PerfectMeeting It is important to consider if the student and/or her/his family needs specific preparation to actively participate in the meeting Flexer, et al. (2013) cited Martin, Marshall, and Sale (2004) whose study found that students “rated their own understanding of the meeting’s purpose, role, comfort, and other key aspects lowest of the key meeting stakeholders” (Flexer, et al., 2013, p. 62). An initial investment of time and energy to build an authentic partnership with the student and his/her family is likely to save significant time and energy in the long run and to significantly increase the likelihood of successful coordination, collaboration, and positive outcomes.
- 5. Before the PerfectMeeting The formal meeting invitation should provide an overview of the meeting’s purpose, the finalized date, time, and location, a draft agenda that participants can provide feedback on, and an overview of participants’ roles and pre- and during- meeting responsibilities Dettmer, et al. (2013) note that writing agenda items in full question format can help participants ponder solutions in advance of the meeting and arrive more prepared to actively participate All meeting communication and materials should use strengths-based, solution oriented, culturally responsive language that is comprehensible and relevant to all participants. Native language translations should be provided for participants who do not communicate fluently in English
- 6. Before the PerfectMeeting Whenever possible a meeting reminder should be sent 1-3 days before the meeting. If some meeting attendees do not use email they should be contacted via phone. The reminder should include the finalized agenda, which includes the purpose, very clear, comprehensible agenda items each with a specific time allocation, and plainly reiterates roles and responsibilities. Dettmer, et al. (2013) state “meetings are more effective when participants can anticipate the task”. Meeting planners should confirm that everything is in order regarding the best set-up at the location, the functioning of any equipment/technology, and the preparation of materials.
- 7. During the PerfectMeeting The meeting should begin with a quick review of the agenda, if needed meeting agreements (ex. no cell phones, forwardfocused language), and introductions that include roles/responsibilities. It is critical that the facilitator start on time, stick to the agenda items’ timeframes, encourage productive negotiations and dissent, and guide the group in maintaining an urgent, respectful, and optimistic tone focused on the student. Having a graphic organizer/action plan that is displayed through a projector onto a wall or screen where meeting participants can watch as they complete it together is a useful strategy for keeping everyone focused, task-oriented, and literally “on the same page” If possible, it is helpful to provide participants with printed and emailed copies of the document at the end of the meeting. This allows participants to begin their tasks immediately, hold one another accountable, and sustains momentum between the meeting and follow-up.
- 8. After the PerfectMeeting Follow-up is important to ensure participants are on track with their tasks. A VERY brief simple anonymous survey monkey survey can provide helpful feedback to meeting planners. Personable, respectful, culturally responsive follow- up with the student and her/his family is essential for reinforcing and sustaining a productive, authentic partnership. Lessons learned from what worked well and what could have been better should be incorporated into how future meetings are planned and conducted.
- 9. References Dettmer, P.,Knackendoffel, A., & Thurston, L. (2013). Collaboration, consultation, and teamwork for students with special needs. Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Pearson Education, Inc. Flexer, R., Baer, R., Luft, P., & Simmons, T. (2013). Transition planning for secondary students with disabilities (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.