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1. Always start on time. Have your meeting place open at least 15
minutes early for neighbors to arrive, socialize, and prepare for the
meeting.
2. Introduce any public officials, your Neighborhood Coordinator,
and speakers, etc., at the beginning of each meeting.
3. Recognize newcomers at the beginning of each meeting. You may ask
them to state what street they live on.
4. State the purpose of the meeting clearly on the agenda. Restate
the purpose in an opening statement at the beginning of the meeting.
Be careful about getting caught up in the meeting trap of having a "monthly" meeting
just for the sake of meeting. Nothing causes more frustration or dampens
enthusiasm than unproductive meetings.
5. Be brief and keep comments relevant to each concern that is discussed.
Watch the pacing so that the meeting does not last too long.
6. Do research ahead of time for additional information that may be
needed. If necessary, invite resource people to a meeting to give a
presentation.
7. Use visual aids as much as possible. Residents can relate to something
that they can see.
8. Allow everyone to contribute. After a concern or project is presented,
open the discussion. However, set a time limit for discussion, especially
if the agenda is long.
9. Make frequent summaries during the discussion so that everyone
clearly understands what is being stated.
10. Stress cooperation, not conflict. If conflict occurs, appoint
a committee to research the concern and report the findings at the
next meeting. Encourage those individuals who are voicing their concerns
to be on the committee.
11. Assign tasks and delegate responsibility as the meeting proceeds.
This gives your neighbors a feeling of belonging instead of just listening.
12. Guide the meeting from concerns to solutions. Always ask your
neighbors how they would solve or approach a concern. Keep in mind
that some solutions may take time.
13. Wrap up the meeting. Go over the agenda, giving an overview of
each concern discussed or raised.
14. Before adjourning, state the next meeting date, time and place.
Thank everyone for attending.
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