Effective and Creative Meetings

Clear objectives and meeting formats increase the effectiveness of the meeting. Before calling a meeting, consider if the meeting is necessary or if the information can be conveyed in another manner. If there is a need for a meeting, select one of the following types of meetings based on the purpose of the meeting. Some meetings, such as decision-making meetings, are regulated by the Government Agencies Ordinance and the Administrative Procedure Act and are therefore exempt from the university's meeting policy.

Information meeting
An information meeting is used when you wish to inform many people simultaneously about an important topic or subject. It is primarily one-way communication.

Working Meeting
A working meeting is where attendees work towards a shared goal, for example, to complete a task, write a collective document, or collaborate in another manner. It could also be a check-in between a manager and an employee or a workshop.

Informal Meeting
An informal meeting is generally not planned in advance and typically takes place in a neutral setting, such as a break room or in the corridor. No decisions are made during informal meetings.

All meetings and travel should be as cost-effective as possible, taking into account a safe and secure working environment, minimal environmental impact, and improved health. The location of the meeting can be digital, physical, hybrid, or over the phone. Before you schedule the meeting, consider which format is most suitable.

Physical Meeting
Physical meetings take place when participants meet at the same location. A physical meeting is suitable, among other things, for certain types of working meetings, sensitive conversations, and team-building activities.

Digital Meeting
Digital meetings are conducted on digital platforms, such as Zoom or Teams. These meetings allow anyone to participate, regardless of their location. Digital meetings are suitable for informational meetings and some types of working meetings that don't require physical presence.

Hybrid Meeting
A hybrid meeting is one that takes place both physically and digitally. This format is suitable if one or more participants' presence is essential, but for various reasons, they cannot be there in person.

Telephone Meeting
Telephone meetings are held between two people over the phone. This can be suitable if two people need to share information quickly, also allowing for a "walk and talk".

The meeting invitation is a crucial tool for participants to prepare for the meeting's content and what is expected of them. Describe the purpose and objectives of the meeting, as well as any required preparations. The invitation should be short and concise.

Example of a meeting invitation:

Meeting on meeting policy

Date and time: 10 January 2022 – at 2:15–3pm

Location and venue: Zoom (digital meeting)

Purpose and objectives of the meeting: Initial meeting for the development of a new meeting policy. The objective is to start a discussion about the policy's content.

Type of meeting: Working Meeting

Participants: Therése Iveby Gardell, Emma Ebintra, Amanda Niklasson, Marianne Johansson-Hellström, Joakim Karlsson, and Ulrika Bengtsson-Verde

Preparations for the meeting: Please read the approved travel policy.

Agenda

The agenda should be sent out well in advance of the meeting, preferably five working days, and then be added to the meeting booking. This makes it easier for participants to prepare and know what is expected of them during the meeting.

• Prioritise the most crucial points first.
• Tailor the agenda to the meeting's purpose, objectives, and duration.
• Clearly outline your expectations of the participants by specifying the nature of the meeting (information, discussion, or decision).
• Allocate specific times to agenda items if needed.
• Include a break as an item on the agenda for longer meetings.

Example of an agenda:

Meeting on meeting policy

Item 1: Information: Why do we need a meeting policy?
2:15pm
Led by: Therése

Item 2: Discussion: What should the meeting policy contain?
2:20pm
Led by: All participants

Item 3: Decision: What are the next steps?
2:45pm
Led by: Therése

It's crucial to invite the right people to the meeting based on competence, and if possible, strive for an even gender distribution. Therefore, it should be clear to each participant why their specific expertise is vital for the meeting.

• Who needs to attend the meeting?
• Is there an equal gender distribution at the meeting? If not, can anything be done about it?
• Have you made clear why participants have been invited to the meeting?
• Have you forgotten to invite someone essential to the topic being discussed?

You can alternate roles here. One meeting leader, a timekeeper, and someone to take notes. Varying roles keeps the brain more alert. Everyone also has the responsibility to help the roles achieve their objectives.

Meeting Leader: Ensures the agenda is followed and distributes the floor for speaking, tunes in, and shows interest in the participants' reactions and opinions. A meeting leader does not necessarily have to be a manager.

Meeting Participant: Attends the meeting and contributes with their expertise.

Secretary: Takes notes.

Hybrid Coordinator: For larger hybrid meetings, there's a need for someone responsible for monitoring digital participants' questions and participation.

Timekeeper: This meeting role assists the leader with the time spent on each item on the agenda.

Meeting Times

Meeting times need to be adapted to be as accessible and time-efficient as possible. This means considering those who have to drop off/pick up from nursery and outside of teaching hours if teaching staff are to participate.

• Start meetings at a quarter past the hour.
• Try to keep the meeting within the time frame of 9:15 am to 3:00 pm.
• For physical meetings where staff need to travel between Kalmar and Växjö, times should be adapted according to the train timetable. By adjusting meeting times to public transport schedules, sustainable and collective travel can be facilitated.

Be meticulous with breaks and recovery before, during, and after meetings. A rule of thumb is that for every hour of meeting, a 15-minute break is needed.

Meeting times need to be adapted to be as accessible and time-efficient as possible. This means considering those who have to drop off/pick up from nursery and outside of teaching hours if teaching staff are to participate.

• Start meetings at a quarter past the hour.
• Try to keep the meeting within the time frame of 9:15 am to 3:00 pm.
• For physical meetings where staff need to travel between Kalmar and Växjö, times should be adapted according to the train timetable. By adjusting meeting times to public transport schedules, sustainable and collective travel can be facilitated.
• Be meticulous with breaks and recovery before, during, and after meetings. A rule of thumb is that for every hour of meeting, a 15-minute break is needed.

The start of the meeting has a significant impact on how the rest of the meeting will develop. Therefore, begin your meetings in a way that makes the participants feel welcome, valued, and understand the purpose of the meeting.

• Review the agenda, purpose, and objectives of the meeting.
• Introduction of participants if they do not know each other.

Conclude the meeting in a clear manner. It's a good idea to summarise the main points of the meeting, especially if the meeting has resulted in concrete tasks or assignments, or if the purpose of the meeting was to gather feedback.

• Have you achieved the objectives and purpose of the meeting?
• What are the next steps after the meeting?
• Always thank presenters and participants.

We sometimes unknowingly treat men, women, non-binary individuals, and people in various roles within the academic hierarchy differently. Ensure that everyone is treated equally, giving all participants an equal opportunity to voice their opinions and be heard.

• Pay attention so that everyone who wants to speak gets a chance.
• Distribute speaking time fairly and try not to favour anyone.
• Ensure that the discussion follows the agenda and be alert if someone "hijacks" the conversation.
• Ask specific questions so that as many participants as possible can share their views. With vague questioning, not everyone will find it easy to speak freely.
• See differing opinions as a constructive way to gather various perspectives, rather than as a hindrance.
• If abbreviations or terms are used that are only known to a small group, or if someone refers to a specific person, ensure all participants understand what is meant.

Some things you should consider for physical meetings.

• During physical meetings, the meeting leader should consider the environment/climate, where the participants are located (Kalmar/Växjö), and accessibility.
• As the meeting leader, are you familiar with the technical equipment required, and can you use it easily? If not, is there someone else who can assist?
• For larger meetings, consider using a microphone.
• Ensure the venue has even lighting that doesn’t cause glare.
• Use only black pens on whiteboards for optimal visibility.
• During PowerPoint presentations, the presenter should read aloud everything displayed.
• Can someone using a wheelchair or who has a visual impairment easily access the meeting venue, toilets, podium, audience area, and potential group workspaces?
• Is there a need for other hearing technical equipment in the room (for example, a telecoil/induction loop)?

Some things that you should consider for digital meetings.

• Make sure you’re familiar with the technology. Test the technology well in advance and encourage those who feel uncertain to log in earlier to the meeting to ensure that the technology works.
• All meeting participants should have their cameras turned on to create a greater sense of presence. Just as in a physical meeting, other participants want to see your face and get a sense of who you are and how you react to what others say. Remember that faces are more visible if you avoid having strong light sources, such as windows or a lamp, behind you.
• To ensure a good sound environment, test the audio to make sure it's functioning properly. It's also beneficial for participants to mute their microphones when they are not speaking.
• It might be helpful to establish speaking rules from the beginning, or have a meeting leader who manages speaking turns, perhaps through a hand-raising mechanism, to avoid confusion about who should speak and when.

Some things that you should consider for hybrid meetings.

• At hybrid meetings, it's crucial to involve those participating remotely.
• As a meeting leader, you should start by welcoming and involving those who are joining remotely.
• All participants connect to the meeting via digital meeting platforms so that those joining remotely can see all participants. To avoid feedback loops, only one computer's audio should be active in the physical room.
• To give all participants equal opportunities to participate in the meeting, speaking turns can be managed through a hand-raising mechanism on the digital meeting platform.

In the Service Portal, you can read more about the various e-meeting services the university offers:

• Zoom
• Teams

Book startup support for e-meetings in Self-service.

Relevant Documentation

Documentation from the meeting clarifies what has been said and possibly decided; it also gives others who couldn't attend an insight into what the meeting was about. Meeting participants are expected to read through the documentation.

• Publish or send relevant documentation and any presentation images or recordings in an accessible form to participants.
• Summarise what has been concluded at the meeting.

Realise Decisions

Meeting participants should actively work to ensure that what's decided in the meeting is also implemented in practice. Check who does what and when, especially if tasks have been distributed during the meeting.