Quick Pit Stops: How to Effectively Hold an Officer Meeting

As State Officers, we at Indiana Collegiate DECA are no strangers to team meetings.  In fact, we meet every Thursday night; whether the meeting is an hour, or four, we always follow the same rules to keep our meetings effective, efficient, and brief.  No one likes to waste their time, and as college students, we understand this.  An effective meeting occurs before, during, and after every meeting.

Before-

Set a Clear Agenda

A good agenda starts by establishing key goals for the meeting.  It may be easiest to ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish?” or “What needs to be completed?”  Then, as you answer these questions, you have established your key goals.  We also recommend rating goals by priority.  Those tasks that must be completed get highlighted in red.  Those tasks that should be completed get highlighted in yellow.  And finally, those tasks that are least important get highlighted in green.  This system allows your team to set your priorities before the meeting starts.

Prepare Organizational Documents

Before your meeting starts, make sure you have all of your supporting documents in order.  Whether you are working on Sheets, Drive, Docs, or another software, create your documents beforehand.  This allows your group not to spend your meeting doing housekeeping chores.

Send Out Meeting Reminders

As aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs, we all get busy.  It is for this reason that I recommend sending reminders to your group members about the meeting.  By ensuring that all members of your group will be present at the meeting, the session will progress quickly and efficiently.

During-

Review The Last Meeting’s Minutes

Reviewing your last meeting minutes will allow you to gauge your team's progress.  We often take turns going through the minutes, allowing for each group member to provide feedback on their completed goals.  This not only helps move the meeting along but also holds your team accountable.

Take Good Notes/Minutes

Taking good minutes during a DECA meeting is important because they provide an accurate record of what you discussed.  The notes help keep everyone on the same page, hold officers accountable for tasks, and prevent confusion or miscommunication.  These minutes will often be revisited, so it is important to make sure that the information is there.

Follow The Agenda

By avoiding unnecessary tangents, your team will be able to host shorter meetings.  This allows you to reduce fatigue among your team members, as well as keep engagement high.

After-

Review Minutes

Minutes often have tasks associated with them.  It is important to review your minutes to make sure that all tasks are completed before their assigned due dates.

Set Important Dates in Calendar

Whether you do this during or after the meeting, it is imperative that you put all important times and dates into your calendar.  To be an effective leader, you must keep your calendar updated to avoid missing important conversations and deadlines.

Finish Tasks Promptly

While due dates are an important part of business, it is always nice to get your tasks completed before their assigned dates.  Avoiding procrastination assures that you are always putting out your best work.  As a future professional, it is important to present yourself professionally. 

Written by Vice President - Peyton Wormer