Enhance Meeting Effectiveness with Our New Toolkit

Whether your next congregational meeting is focused on collaborating, relationship building, or checking in on the progress of strategic initiatives, ensuring that it effectively meets your desired outcomes is critical. Meetings allow you to communicate essential information while collaborating, thinking strategically, and envisioning your congregation's future.

One of the most important skills leaders need to hone is conducting effective meetings. Whether a board meeting, committee discussion, or task force gathering, your congregation's initiatives and volunteer engagement often hinge on the effectiveness of these meetings' management and planning.

In congregations where many leaders are volunteers, it is especially critical to make the best use of everyone's precious time and resources.

To help you in this important work, the Union for Reform Judaism has released our Effective Meeting Toolkit. This is the first of a series of toolkits which will offer resources to simplify congregational governance and help leaders grow.

What is the URJ's Effective Meeting Toolkit?

This toolkit is more than just a collection of documents, it provides a strategic approach to ensure that every meeting you lead or attend is productive, focused, and aligned with your congregation's mission, vision, and values. The URJ's Effective Meetings Toolkit includes a checklist for conducting effective meetings, a template for board meeting agendas, shared meeting agreements, and more, all designed to streamline processes, foster collaboration, and ensure that all participants are on the same page.

How Can the URJ's Effective Meeting Toolkit Help You?

1. Conduct Effective Meetings

At the heart of any successful meeting is strong planning and facilitation. Congregational leaders must be adept at guiding discussions, managing time, and ensuring that every voice is heard. This is no small feat! The URJ's Effective Meeting Toolkit provides a suggested framework to remind you of key elements to consider before, during, and after each congregational meeting. This approach ensures that nothing is overlooked, and every meeting contributes to your community's broader mission. A supplementary version, with tasks specific to board meetings, is also included.

2. Create Focused Board Meeting Agendas

Significant decisions are made during board meetings and a well-crafted agenda is crucial. Agendas should be more than lists of topics; they should be strategic guides that prioritize discussion points, allocate time appropriately, and ensure that critical issues are addressed.

A template for meeting agendas-such as the one included in the URJ's Effective Meeting Toolkit-can help maintain consistency, making it easier for board members to follow along and engage. Having a standardized format saves preparation time and helps everyone set expectations.

3. Plan Committee and Task Force Meetings

Committees and task forces play a vital role in congregations' functioning. These smaller groups often handle detailed work that informs larger board decisions. The URJ's Effective Meeting Toolkit includes templates for committee and task force meeting agendas, ensuring these meetings are as organized and focused as broader board meetings.

4. Establish Shared Meeting Agreements

Shared meeting agreements are sets of ground rules which all participants agree to follow to ensure a respectful, productive meeting. Establishing and adhering to shared meeting agreements creates a culture of accountability and respect (which often does not come organically), enhancing meeting effectiveness. The URJ's Effective Meeting Toolkit includes a framework for crafting shared meeting agreements with recommended language and principles.

The new URJ Effective Meeting Toolkit is a valuable resource for any congregational leader. Utilizing the included resources will ensure well-organized, productive meetings that are aligned with your congregation's foundational statements. This toolkit will help you manage meetings more effectively while fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability among your leadership team. With the URJ's Effective Meeting Toolkit in hand, you will have access to resources that will help you lead your congregation effectively.

Fill out the form to request access to the URJ's Effective Meeting Toolkit. 

Stay tuned for next month's toolkit, which will help leaders in all positions understand the uniqueness of their roles.