Do This, Not That: A Principal’s Guide to Effective Staff Meetings

Ah, meetings! The bane of every principal’s existence, right? Wrong! We’re about to turn your dreaded meetings into productivity powerhouses with —dare I say it—a side of laughter. 

Dad jokes and cringeworthy puns aside, staff morale is at an all-time low. Drastic times call for drastic measures. Below are three pro tips for effective staff meetings and getting standing ovations after (and not just because it’s over), as well as a handy checklist, and bonus section for incorporating tech and interactivity into meetings. 

Pro Tip #1: You Know They’re Thinking It: How to Avoid the “What Are We Doing Here” Grumbling

Picture this: You walk into a meeting room, and everyone looks like they’ve just been asked to solve quantum physics while juggling flaming torches. The “What Are We Doing Here?” syndrome is curable with a straightforward remedy: a well-structured agenda. 

You might be saying to yourself, “duh,” that is not enlightening. Well read on because not all agendas are created equally.

Why an Agenda Matters:

• Focus: It’s like a GPS for your meeting. Without it, you could discuss the comments on the school’s Facebook feed instead of the purpose of the meeting.
• Preparation: Gives participants time to prepare their thoughts (and let’s be honest, excuses for why they haven’t done their assigned tasks).
• Efficiency: Keeps the meeting from turning into a time suck.

Creating an Effective Meeting Agenda:

1. Define Objectives: “By the end of this meeting, we will have decided on a new school mascot that is NOT a fighting broccoli.”
   • Do This: Look at your next meeting agenda and list the specific objectives for each agenda item.
2. Prioritize Topics: Before everyone’s after school brain kicks in, put the important stuff first.
   • Do This: Review your next agenda and fix it because you probably put the low-hanging fruit at the top.
3. Allocate Time: “Budget discussion: 20 minutes. Debating whether a hot dog is a sandwich: 0 minutes.” Pro tip: Always pad your time estimates—if you think something will take 5 minutes, budget 10. Everyone loves a meeting that ends early; nobody loves one that runs long.
   • Do This:  Add estimated time to each agenda item.
4. Set Clear Expectations: “I didn’t know I was supposed to bring that” stops being an excuse when it’s right there on the agenda.
   • Do This: Add a “Please Prepare” section to your agenda template that clearly states who needs to bring or do what. List required materials or pre-work clearly, specify who’s presenting what (and for how long), and include any data or reports people need to review.
5.  Distribute in Advance: Give people time to read it (or at least pretend they’ve read it). Avoid the awkward silence of everyone waiting for someone else to answer your question.
   • Do This: Add a calendar reminder to share the agenda.  No one likes to get blindsided in a meeting.

Pro Tip #2: From Snoozefest to In-Sync: How to Keep Your Staff Awake Without Resorting to Air Horns

Want your meetings to be less “Bueller… Bueller…” and more “I volunteer as tribute!”? Here’s how to transform your staff from meeting zombies into engaged participants.

Strategies to Boost Engagement:

1. Interactive Sessions:
   • Use a strategy from the professional development you attended with your teachers. If you didn’t attend, that is not good. (do yourself a favor and check out our events lineup here)
   • Try  an engagement strategy like Think-Pair-share activities (yes, just like we tell teachers to do!)
   • Break into smaller groups for focused discussion
   • Do This: Pick one interactive element to try at your next meeting
2. Create an Inclusive Environment:
   • Draw out quiet participants with written response options
   • Use anonymous polling for sensitive topics
   • Celebrate good ideas (even if they come from, you know who)
   • Do This: Create a participation tracking sheet to ensure everyone gets heard.
3. Rotate Roles:
   • Assign different meeting roles weekly (timekeeper, note-taker, tech support)
   • Let staff lead portions of the meeting
   • Share the spotlight and the responsibility
   • Do This: Create a role rotation schedule for next month’s meetings.

Facilitation Tips:

1. Set Ground Rules: “No eye-rolling unless accompanied by a constructive suggestion and a cartwheel.”
   • Do This: Review your meeting norms – are you following them, or was it something you copied and pasted because someone else suggested it?
2. Stay Neutral:  As a facilitator, you’re Switzerland—neutral territory with excellent chocolate and impeccable timing.
   • Do This: Review the agenda and make sure you want input. Unlike Switzerland, don’t ask for ideas if you have already chosen a side. Ask them to evaluate your decision.
3. Summarize and Clarify: “So, I’m hearing that we should replace all textbooks with interpretive dance videos. Did I get that right?”  If you keep looking at your phone or laptop, this is hard to do. Everyone is watching your actions. (interpretive dance videos have not caught on as a high-yeld instructional strategy yet, but you never know)
   • Do This: Focus on listening and collecting ideas.  Determine how you will collect and record ideas before you start the meeting.

Pro-Tip #3: A Little Less Conversation, A Lot More Action: Making Sure Things Actually Happen After the Meeting 

Just because everyone sprinted for the door doesn’t mean we’re done! The real magic happens after the meeting (and no, hiding in your office doesn’t count as follow-up).

Defining Clear Outcomes:

• Action Items: “John will investigate why the science lab smells like burnt popcorn and wet dog by next Tuesday.”  While having a meeting feels like an action step, it is like reading the back cover of a novel – You have an idea, but you still need to read the book.
  • Do This: Create an action item template with Who/What/When columns. Name responsible parties (no more “someone should…”).
• Decisions Made: “We have unanimously decided that Taco Tuesday will now include a vegetarian option that is NOT just a sad pile of lettuce.”
  • Do This: Send a summary email with the Decisions made during the meeting.  This ensures that the people in the back grading papers see what they missed out on. 
• Next Steps: Outline what’s next, preferably without using the phrase “circle back.”
  • Do This: On your agenda, make sure you list what your next steps should be.  Don’t be the leader who doesn’t follow through with an item you said to 30 people; they are like elephants, and they will not forget.

Follow-up Strategies:

1. Documentation: Distribute them quickly before everyone’s selective amnesia kicks in.
   • Do This: Plan to stay after the meeting to create your summary and review meeting minutes so you can send them before you leave.
2. Tracking Progress: Use a system to check in. The difference between having a meeting and getting the meeting stuff done is follow-up.  Everyone is busy, but you are the one who called the meeting, so it falls on you to keep track.
   • Do This: Use your calendar to track at first, and then if you have a better idea, implement it.
3. Regular Check-ins: “Nothing motivates us like the thought of explaining why you haven’t done your tasks in front of everyone.”
   • Do This: Don’t file your agenda away. Keep it visible to help remind you of who to check in with. Use “traffic light” status reports (Green = On track, Yellow = Needs help, Red = Stuck)

Cue the Slow Golf Clap! You’ve Made It to the End (Without Falling Asleep!)

You’re now armed with the tools to transform your meetings from “Oh no, not another one” to “Is it time for our meeting yet?” (Okay, maybe that’s ambitious, but we can aim high!)

Your Effective School Staff Meeting Revolution Checklist:

• Before the Meeting:
  • Create that crystal-clear agenda
  • Set realistic time blocks (remember the padding!)
  • Share materials early (like, really early)
  • Do This: Schedule 15 minutes tomorrow to revamp your next meeting agenda.
• During the Meeting:
  • Keep energy high (without resorting to sugar bribes)
  • Stay on track (like a GPS, but more determined)
  • Document decisions in real-time
  • Do This: Pick one engagement strategy to try at your next meeting.
• After the Meeting:
  • Follow up faster than a teacher heading to lunch duty
  • Track those action items like it’s your job 
  • Celebrate progress (yes, even small wins count!)

Do This: Block 15 minutes post-meeting for immediate follow-up

Remember: A great meeting is like a well-oiled machine—except instead of oil, it runs on clear expectations, active participation, and maybe just a hint of friendly coercion (kidding!).

Your First Step: This week, schedule a 30-minute calendar block to implement your top three takeaways from this guide. Your future self (and your staff) will thank you!

P.S. If you’re reading this during a meeting… maybe start with the section on engagement!

Bonus Tip: Leverage Technology for Effective Meetings 

Since everyone’s already glued to their devices (we see you playing Wordle, Ms. Martinez), let’s channel that screen time productively.

Benefits of Technology in Meetings:

• Enhanced Communication: You can see what everyone thinks when you mention a new procedure for testing.
  • Do This: Try one digital feedback tool in your next meeting, like
    real-time polling (watch those honest opinions roll in!) or digital discussion boards (Padlet).
• Collaboration Tools: Nothing says “teamwork,” like 15 people editing the same document simultaneously.
  • Do This: Create a shared document for your next agenda. Use digital sticky notes or virtual whiteboards.
• Recording and Transcription: For those moments when you need to prove that, yes, someone did suggest a field trip to Mars.
  • Do This: Set up a system to digitally archive meeting notes.

Implementing Technology:

1. Choose the Right Tools: Pick tools that pass the “Coach Johnson Test”—if your most tech-resistant staff member can use them, you’re golden.
   • Do This: Test one new tool before your meeting, have a backup plan, and introduce it gradually. Remember: Murphy’s Law loves technology!
2. Provide Training: Because watching Ms. Thompson try to unmute herself for the 47th time isn’t funny anymore. (Okay, it’s still a little funny.)
   • Do This: Share a quick tutorial video with your agenda, and designate a tech-savvy staff member as your “tool expert.”
3. Integrate Seamlessly: Technology should feel like a helpful assistant, not that one student who always derails your lesson.
   • Do This: Time yourself using the tool before the meeting. If a Post-it Note would be faster, go analog. (Pro tip: There are apps that digitize Post-it Notes – best of both worlds!)

Want more support for awesomely effective meetings? (Or just someone to commiserate with?)

Let’s connect! Because sometimes you need a meeting guru, a sympathetic ear, or just someone to validate that yes, that one staff member really does need to stop bringing up the parking situation at every. single. meeting.

Do This: Email me at don@learningfocused.com for:

• Meeting makeover consultations
• Emergency agenda interventions
• Virtual high-fives when you nail that difficult discussion
• A shoulder to cry on when your perfectly planned meeting goes sideways
• Stories about that time I accidentally left my mic on… (Actually, maybe not that one)

Remember: Even Superman had the Justice League. You don’t have to transform your meetings alone!

P.P.S. If you’ve read this far, you definitely deserve a cookie. Bring one to your next meeting – but don’t share it. That’ll teach them to pay attention!