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Is Holding a Meeting Really that Hard?
What Can I Do Before the Meeting?
What Do I Do After the Meeting?
Running Effective Meetings
Is Holding a Meeting Really that Hard?
Too often meetings are held without a clear plan or purpose, wasting people’s time and accomplishing little, if anything at all. All of this can be avoided with a little planning.
Always keep in mind the three key parts to any meeting:
1. Formulate an action plan to accomplish a task
2. Resolving issues which require the presence of those attending
3. Update attendees on progress of others when needed
Monthly meet-ups are a good way to keep everyone on the same page, but there needs to be an overarching purpose for everyone to come together in the first place. You need to have a clear agenda established beforehand, including a solid action item so that members leave the meeting feeling that they have accomplished something.
When formulating your agenda before the meeting, be sure to set aside some time for people to explain what has been done since the last meeting. Keeping everyone on the same page will help people feel “in the loop” and prevent cliques from forming.
Also, you should also consider setting time aside for some small action to be completed. Something as simple as writing a few postcards to other Democrats in your area, reminding them of your next event or meeting is a good way to both grow membership and allow your members some down time to get to know one another.
Finally, meetings should be used to plan group events. Breaking into small groups -- one to work on getting a venue, one to work on getting the word out, etc. – is a great way to let your members work on things they have a particular interest in, and quickly accomplish multiple tasks at the same time.
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What Can I Do Before the Meeting?
If a meeting is the best course of action, then who needs to come? The best way to answer that question is to think of what that person’s delegated task may be during or after the meeting. If you know that folks will walk away without having accomplished or having been assigned a task, then why were they even there?
Give them something to read. Handouts, like a copy of the agenda, should be created and distributed before the meeting if possible, with extras on hand at the meeting. Also be sure to bring pens and paper.
Set an agenda. Have a clear, well-defined reason for meeting, and let everyone know what it is. Ask others if there are things they want to discuss, but always work to settle agenda items first so that you have definitively accomplished something.
Scout the venue. A good venue is vital to holding a good meeting. An open, public venue that serves food and drinks goes a long way. It makes folks more comfortable than going to someone’s house they may or may not know, and generally makes for a more enjoyable atmosphere. But be sure to get an OK from the management beforehand, and arrive early to scout out the best spot to hold your meeting and secure enough tables and chairs. Keep in mind the noise level of the area you’re setting up in, as well as the noise level you may generate and how that may disturb those around you.
Quick tip: Plan each agenda item to have a specific number of minutes to be spent on it, and print that number on the actual agenda you hand out.
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What Do I Do at the Meeting?
Start on time. Your group members have taken the time to come, be sure to respect that decision by starting on time. Also, make sure everyone who attends signs-in. Click here to download a sign-in sheet.
Establish roles for key people. Someone needs to run the meeting, but leaders shouldn’t speak throughout the entire thing. (Remember this is a meeting, not a lecture.) The meeting’s leader should guide the discussion, make sure each agenda item gets attention, and adjourns on time. Also, someone else needs to take notes and highlight delegated tasks. Taking the meeting’s minutes is a good way to keep people who couldn’t attend on the uptake, and remind people of their duties later on.
Decide something. If you’re a small group or folks generally agree on things, you may want to look for a group consensus before adjourning. If your group is large or has members strongly advocating different ideas, you’ll need to rely on majority votes more often. Just be sure that the discussion leader can manage the debate and call for a vote in a timely manner.
Quick tip: Are particular group members dominating the discussion? Call them out on it. You need to remind them and others that other items are on the agenda. For example, frame the interruption in terms of the group’s needs, like “That’s a good point, but I’d like to hear what everyone else thinks before we make a decision.”
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What Do I Do After the Meeting?
Review the plan of action. Remind everyone of their roles in upcoming events and create a timeline to make sure things are getting done one schedule.
Follow up. Minutes should be sent out as soon as possible. Also, the group leader or secretary should call or e-mail group members to make sure everything is on track for your next event or meeting.
Quick tip: Having trouble taking control of the meeting? Stand up. It lets folks know who’s in charge, and gives you a natural platform from which to guide the discussion.
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What Goes on the Agenda?
As said earlier, be sure to set aside time to recap progress made since the last meeting, a simple action item, and to plan future events. Also, it’s good to set aside a few minutes at the end to review what everyone has to do before the next meeting and maybe give folks the chance to announce other events they know going on in the area that may be of interest to your members.
Below is a sample agenda:
Howardtown DFA – July 2, 2008, 7 – 8 p.m.
Introductions (10 minutes)
Thank everyone for coming
Tell us who are you, where you’re from, and the ONE issue most important to you this election cycle
Recap last meeting (5 minutes)
Quick report of what everyone has done since the last meeting
Meet the Candidates planning (10 minutes)
Assign someone to scout a venue
Assign someone to contact the candidates running for local office
Discuss the possibility of inviting all candidates – including Republicans – or just Democrats and liberal independents
Group breakout (15 minutes)
Break into small groups
One group to discuss endorsements for upcoming elections
One group to discuss platform / plan future events
One group to discuss venue options / other details for Candidates event
Postcard writing (10 minutes)
Use postcards and mailing list to invite folks to our upcoming event / next month’s meeting
Let folks mingle / talk about their group breakout discussion and decisions
Review tonight’s meeting (5 minutes)
Quick report on decisions made tonight / reminder of what everyone is doing
Announce upcoming events in the area that might be of interest to members
Thank everyone for coming!
Recruitment and Retention
Where Do I Start?
Don’t be intimidated by your first group meeting or event. Organizing your DFA group won’t be as hard as you probably think, but where do you start?
Start close to home. Your own social network is the best place to get started. Your friends and neighbors are easily accessible and more likely to say “Yes” than anyone else. So, who do you know? Tell them what you’re doing, invite them all, and tell them to bring a friend.
If you have family, friends, or neighbors with a special interest in progressive politics, get them involved especially early. With them on board, you already have a small group of people you can trust with leadership responsibility, and who will be willing to tap their own social networks to help build membership.
Then, cast a wide net. After you’ve gotten your friends (and your friends’ friends) involved, start looking at other groups in the area that may have a mutual interest in progressive politics and policies.
Don’t be worried that people already involved in these groups will be too busy to say “Yes.” In reality, they’re probably more likely to get involved, as they already have an interest in progressive issues and, well, they must like to be busy to get involved with other organizations.
Use DFA’s online tools. With our easy-to-use online tools, you can network with dozens of progressive activists in your area. All you have to do is register an account, invite your friends, and create an event as soon as possible. There you can post all the information about your group’s first meeting – time, place, agenda items – for all the world to see.
Meet in a public place. Meeting at a member’s house may be intimidating to some people. It’s better to hold meetings in open, public places, like a coffee shop. That way, folks can come and go without any added pressure. If they like what they see, they’ll sit down and join you. If they don’t, they’ll just buy a coffee and go. Just be sure you get the OK from the owners beforehand, and make sure you bring a sign to let everyone know where you are.
Where to Look for Potential Members:
First:
• Family
• Friends
• Neighbors
• Coworkers
Then:
• Democratic Party
• Environmental groups
• Labor unions
• Minority groups
• Peace and justice groups
• Senior groups
• Student groups
• Women’s groups
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What Is DFA Online?
DemocracyForAmerica.com provides you with an arsenal of tools to network with progressive activists online, allowing you coordinate and plan offline events and hootenannies. That sounds impressive, but what exactly can you do?
Build your membership. The ultimate goal of online networking is to grow your ranks. Constant growth is important because, otherwise, your group will slowly shrink and disband as members move on to other things. Use the “Community” tools to search for other groups and members in your area and upload contacts from you e-mail address book and invite them to join DFA online.
Develop your group into a community. The most successful online organizers work hard to develop their group into a community. Use the “Message all Members” tool to keep everyone up to date on your group’s happenings and the work you all are doing, write blog posts about meetings and events you’ve had, and post pictures of you and your members working hard.
Spread your message. Writing blog posts is a great way to spread news about your group to a larger audience. Cross post your diaries at other progressive blogs, and provide links back to your group page, so you reach as many people in your area as possible.
Tips for Online Outreach
First:
Register an account on the DFA website
Search for other activists and groups in your area
Invite your friends to join DFA online
Then:
Message group members frequently
Write blog posts are past and future events
Visit other local blogs to get expand your network even further
What Do I Do?
So, now that you have folks all gathered together, you have to actually hold and run the meeting. Don’t sweat, it’s easier than it sounds, but you have to keep a few things in mind at all times.
Introduce yourselves. Take a moment so that everyone can introduce themselves, but give them a structure to do so. Say “Tell us your name, where you’re from, and issue most important to you this year.” That way, they’ll talk about just one thing instead of rattling off a list of issues for half an hour.
Look to the future. Take some time to discuss what you want out of the group both in the long term and the short term. Remember, the direction your group takes is entirely up to you and your group.
Delegate. If someone is eager to take to lead on a project, let them have it. It will help lighten your workload, grow leaders in your group, and lets group members clearly know who is accountable for each event.
Keep to a schedule. People are busy, so start and stop on time, as planned. Waiting a few minutes for people to come in late is fine, but never more than five, and never go past the hour or so that you’ve scheduled.
Have fun! This is a meeting of likeminded people with similar interests, so have fun! This will keep people coming back more than anything.
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What Now?
Getting folks to your meeting may be tough, but getting them to come back is the real challenge. Take some time to think about why you’re organizing this group, what you and your members want to get out of it, and what will keep bringing you all back.
Have fun. Really, having fun is probably the most important thing for you keep in mind. Working with your group shouldn’t be a chore. It’s an exciting time for progressives, and it should stay that way. Frequent after-work or after-event socials are easy ways to keep things friendly.
Thank them. Folks are getting involved in your group for different reasons – they’re passionate about certain issues, they have free time and want to feel useful, they’re excited about a particular candidate in your area – but no matter the motivation of the individual member, they all want to be recognized for their hard work. Thank them. Recognition is free, so give it away. You haven’t thanked your members enough unless it feels like a little too much.
Give them responsibility. Members should be growing into well-defined roles in the group, and given more responsibilities. Doing the same old thing leads to attrition. Grow your members, grow your group, and become a local politics powerhouse.
Watch out for overachievers. Watch out for members who jump into things headfirst and get burnt out early. Talk to your members, make sure they’re not being overwhelmed. Don’t be afraid to ask your members to step up, but get to know them and be mindful of their limits.
Avoid cliques. Groups can develop an “us versus them” mentality: you and your friends versus everyone else, new members versus old members, young members versus old members, etc. Friendships and networking should be encouraged, but cliques can be destructive. Try to get to know everyone, pay special attention to new members, and encourage longtime activists to do the same.
Give them a little space. As members get more involved, they spend more time away from their family and friends. Encourage them to bring those people to events, and let them know other members can help out if they need to take a break.
Leave the drama at home. No one likes office politics. Disagreements between you and your members shouldn’t keep you from working together. Discuss your problems outside the group, and away from new members.
Don’t be discouraged. It takes time to build group membership, so don’t be discouraged by small showings at first. If four or five people show up, that is a huge success! Go ahead with your meeting as planned, and never let on that you’re disappointed in turnout. There is no greater momentum-killer than asking a small group of dedicated people “So, where is everybody?” Always be thankful that even those few people turned out, and advertise better for future events and meetings.
Remember, it only takes a few dedicated individuals to make a difference!
Quick Tips for Long-term Group Building
• Have fun
• Get to know your members
• Delegate responsibility
• Have consistent meeting time and place
• Never, never, never cancel a meeting
• Always have a set agenda for meetings
• Always have a plan for your next meeting or event
Postcards
Click here to view a sample postcard. If you would like to request postcards, click here.
Instructions for Postcards
Working for a Campaign? Trying to recruit people to an Event? We have the perfect tool to help you get your message out to likeminded progressives in your area. Request your DFA postcards today and we will send you a pack of postcards and a mailing list of people in your area.
When filling out the postcards, you should include quick, handwritten messages and be sure to include contact information regarding a local candidate’s office, local Obama office, or information about your local DFA group to encourage people to volunteer and get involved locally.
When filling out postcards remember: write neatly, less is more, you can change your message or write the same over and over, it doesn’t matter. Most importantly, fill in good local contact information (phone, website addresses, etc…) so people can get start getting involved right away!
Examples of handwritten messages to go on the postcards:
We all need to come together and ensure that we don't have four more years of Bush-like policies from McCain. Please contact the local Obama campaign offices below to volunteer! Thanks, Bob from Boston
Let's move our country forward!! To volunteer for (insert local campaign/candidate) see the information below. It is incredibly important to get involved locally. Thanks! Mary
Our local DFA group, Democracy for Howardtown, will be working to ensure we defeat MCain this fall. Contact us at the information below and help us take our country back! Thanks, Pat
You have the power to bring about the change our country needs! DFA has many proven successes, so join us for victory in November! Thanks!
Tips on where to find campaign information (locations, websites, phone numbers) to fill in on postcards:
• Find a campaign in your area to get involved with: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns
• Obama's state by state information: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages
• Local candidates phone or email (make sure their information is public)
Remember to use FIRST CLASS postage, $0.42 stamps!!!
DFA Campaign Academy
What is the DFA Campaign Academy?
The DFA Campaign Academy’s mission is to focus, network, and train grassroots activists in the skills and strategies to take back our country, manage successful campaigns or run for office themselves.
DFA puts on Campaign Academy weekends in cities around the country nearly every weekend of our training season. These weekends are 16 hours of interactive workshops bringing hundreds of local activists, campaign staff and candidates together for 2 days of intensive campaign training. Experienced campaign professionals lead sessions in voter contact, fundraising, communications, on-line organizing and much more to empower progressive activists with the skills to win in November and beyond.
Attendees also meet with local progressive candidates and learn about exciting job and volunteer opportunities in their area. And of course, everyone receives their own copy of DFA's 180-page Campaign Training Manual.
What topics are covered at the training?
We offer comprehensive campaign training, meaning that we cover a wide range of campaign related topics. There is heavy emphasis on Field (voter contact, targeting, volunteer recruitment), Communications (crafting a message, working with the media) and Finance (fundraising tactics and strategies). We also offer more specialized sessions on topics such as online organizing, event planning, precinct organizing and more. We try to tailor our training topics to the needs of the activists and candidates on the ground.
Learn more at: www.democracyforamerica.com/training/curriculum
How can I find a Campaign Academy in my area and how do I register?
Go to the website www.democracyforamerica.com/training and look on the right side of the page at the “Campaign Academy Schedule.” Click on each city for details about that particular Training.
On the page of each Campaign Academy you can RSVP by clicking “RSVP and Pay Tuition Now” or “RSVP and Pay Tuition Later” in the upper right.
What if there is not a Campaign Academy in my area?
If there is not a Campaign Academy within a reasonable traveling distance, you may request a training in your area for the next training ‘season.’ This can be done at www.democracyforamerica.com/trainingrequest. DFA members’ requests for Campaign Academies in their areas play an important role in our scheduling of future Campaign Academy trainings, so we welcome your feedback!
What is the cost of attending a DFA Campaign Academy and how do I pay?
To help cover food, transportation, and printing costs, DFA charges $60 to Campaign Academy participants who register and pay online in advance. This tuition covers beverages (coffee, tea) in the morning and lunch on both days of the Training (Saturday and Sunday). If attendees wait until the day of the Training to pay, the cost increases to $70. We also offer $30 tuition to students or attendees with low incomes. There is no application process for this reduced rate; we trust you to fairly judge your ability to pay the full fee.
When you RSVP for the event, you will have the option to “RSVP and Pay Tuition Now” or “RSVP and Pay Tuition Later.” When you click “Pay tuition now” you will be brought to a contribution page into which you can input your tuition rate and credit card information. If you RSVP without paying and decide later that you would like to pay the tuition in advance, you must return to the website of the event and click on the “Make contribution now” link in the upper right part of the page.
If you do not wish to pay in advance or by credit card, you may pay tuition the day of the Training. We accept cash, check, or credit card payments at the door. However, remember that the tuition increases the day of the Training, and we strongly encourage you to pay in advance!
Can I get extra copies of the Training Manual?
Yes, we can send you extra copies of our Grassroots Training Manual for $30. Please write to training@democracyforamerica.com if you would be interested in ordering additional manuals.
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