This month we’ve taken a different twist on your workplace meetings by focusing on our individual contributions to a successful meeting. Simply put, this month is centered on how you can make sure meetings are productive, regardless of your role and title. 

We featured three primary roles that successfully change the dynamic of any meeting. The first was The Moderator, who guarantees the meeting stays on track. The second was The Examiner, who creates the right environment to vet ideas. And the third was The Closer, who makes sure ideas are followed up on and assigned to someone. Without these key roles, your meetings are boring and likely a waste of time.

How productive are your meetings? Remember, regardless of whether you lead them or are there to participate in them, you can have a tremendous impact. 

Self-Assessment: 

1. Are the meetings organized well with a clear focus?

Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Much

2. Are ideas systematically reviewed to determine their value?

Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Much

3. Are ideas followed up on and assigned to someone?

Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Very Much

Great Leaders Are Avid Readers

Review: In our #readthisseries we featured practical books that offer actionable information to improve your contribution as a teammate.

Our first recommendation is Jamy Bechler’s The leadership playbook: Become your team’s most valuable leader. As a former coach and athletic director, Jamy has great insight on teams and how to be a great teammate.

Our second recommendation is also from Jamy, The Bus Trip: The story of a team, a challenging season, and the lessons learned on a bus ride. Every day we can learn from life; Jamy captures quite a bit of our daily life lessons in this book.
The last book is by us and our good friend, Principal EL,  Building a winning team: The power of a magnetic reputation and the need to recruit top talent in every school. This book is filled with great stories and practical ways that any leader can implement today.
Who should I follow…

What does an expert have to say about being a great teammate? With a tremendous amount of educational experience, combined with being a certified John Maxwell coach, Jamy Bechler has a unique way of turning everyday life experiences into leadership lessons.

Check out his interview here. The one critical takeaway that we always have to remember is our perspective. In any situation, we need to maintain a proper perspective to be effective. If we find ourselves emotionally hijacked or mentally disrupted, we need to create space between us and the situation.

What Next…

Every month we challenge our readers to take action with our Three Minute Challenges.

To wrap up the month, our call to action is for you to take responsibility for the success within your part of the organization by being the best teammate you can be. Be a productive part of every meeting, don’t contribute to the negativity, and willingly try be The Moderator, The Examiner, or The Closer.

Let us know how it works for you, #TheThreeMinuteChallenge.

TheSchoolHouse302 is about getting to simple and maximizing effective research-based strategies that empower individuals to lead better and grow faster.

Please let us know how our leadership posts are working for you, what you are reading to improve yourself, and your thoughts on leadership and growth here on our blog and Twitter. Follow our #onethingseries podcast on iTunes and our #readthisseries on YouTube.

Joe & T.J.