EDAD 696: The Importance of Meeting Norms

Staff meeting norms—and the habit of briefly reviewing them—are what turn “another meeting” into focused work for students. Clear agreements (start/end on time, one voice at a time, equity of voice, evidence before opinion, student-focused talk) create psychological safety and keep the group on task. A 60-second refresh at the start reminds everyone of expectations, sets tone, and gives the facilitator a neutral way to redirect when we drift. Revisiting norms also surfaces needed tweaks (e.g., add “decide & document: who/when/what evidence”) so the process improves over time. In short, agreed-upon and regularly reviewed norms protect time, elevate thinking, and translate discussion into actionable next steps. Below are my observational notes after observing a staff meeting.

Meeting Norms A:  Ask Questions E:  Engage fully I:  Integrate new information O:  Open your mind to diverse views U:  Utilize what you learn

Meeting norms were not reviewed or mentioned at the beginning or end of the meeting. Research shows that meeting norms should be reviewed prior to every meeting.  In addition they should be reflected upon at the end of the meeting to insure that the staff abided by them.  In addition, they should be part of the agenda twice a year to see if any changes can be made to ensure the faculty meetings are as productive as possible.  In my personal opinion, we need to create meeting norms as a staff that we can all abide by. By creating norms together, there would be more staff buy-in and the meetings would run more smoothly.