Here is a collection of helpful Meeting - Agenda Tips as compiled by Rae Stonehouse.

Terms of Reference: 

• Have them in writing.
• Review them regularly to ensure that they are still valid.
• Decision-making process.  If you want participants to be engaged in and committed to the meeting, the decision-making process should be clearly understood. Doing this will ensure that peoples' decision-making behavior is consistent with expectations. There are three basic decision-making processes:

More Tips & Techniques for Serving as a Meeting Chairperson 

Terms of Reference 

Includes:

• What is the purpose/mandate of the committee/meeting?
• How often will meeting occur?
• Who will be on the committee?
• How will decisions be made?
• What is a quorum?
• Does this committee have any authority?
• Who will chair the committee and for what term?
• What is the role of the chair? Neutral or facilitative leader?
• Terms of conduct i.e. interpersonal communication, respect
• Committee member’s responsibilities

 * Agenda & minutes should be prepared by a secretary if committee size permits. 

Nominal Group Technique

The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a five-step process for generating and prioritizing ideas, concerns and tasks relevant to a situation or challenge. It is an expansion on the brainstorming of ideas process, adding procedures to rank them.

Why use it? The nominal group technique provides structure so that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute and to influence the outcome of a decision. It allows members to remain anonymous during the voting process. Members are given time to brainstorm individual lists and to select their own preferred items. Using this technique reduces the time it takes to reach consensus by discussion. It is versatile and can be used in several phases of problem solving or decision making.

Multi-Voting

What is it? Multi-voting allows a group to select the most important or preferred items from a list with a minimum of discussion. Those items that move to the top of the list can then be explored in depth. Multi-voting is done though a series of votes, with low ranking items eliminated after each round.

Why use it? Many issues are so complex and broad that long lists of items emerge during a brainstorming session. Multi-voting is a quick way to eliminate items and determine those on which the group members want to focus.

When to use it? Multi-voting is used after a brainstorming session or to narrow down any long list.

How to use it? After a brainstorming session, post all the flip charts for the group to see and follow the process below:

Responsibilities of the Chairman

Ground Rules & Agreements:

The rules for the meeting attender give them great freedom and they are looking at the chairman to set and enforce the meeting rules and to enforce them with respect to all participants and in the best interest of the meeting itself.

What is Consensus?

Consensus is a group process where the input of everyone is carefully considered and an outcome is crafted that best meets the needs of the group. It is a process of synthesizing the wisdom of all the participants into the best decision possible at the time. The root of consensus is the word consent, which means to give permission to. When you consent to a decision, you are giving your permission to the group to go ahead with the decision. You may disagree with the decision, but based on listening to everyone else’s input, all the individuals agree to let the decision go forward, because the decision is the best one the entire group can achieve at the current time.

What is it?  The Brainstorming (Brainstorm) method is a semi-structured process of generating a large amount of ideas in a short time. The idea behind it is that a group of people can achieve a higher (synergy) level of creativity than the sum of the participants separately.

When to use it: Use brainstorming to look at all aspects of a problem, to list possible solutions or alternatives, to imagine the impact of a decision, and to explore possible goals.

A brainstorming session should be used to generate lots of new ideas or options. It should not be used for analysis or for decision making.

How can introverted people who dislike networking do so for their business goals?

This question focuses on introverted business owners who dislike networking.

I believe the focus is being placed in the wrong area. It isn’t a matter of being introverted that makes one dislike networking. The real culprit is shyness.

Shyness and introversion are often lumped together as being the same thing, but they’re not.

Introversion versus extroversion is where you get your energy from. What recharges your energy?