To help your meeting stay respectful, it is helpful to set expectations at the beginning of a meeting.
As a group, determine what a respectful meeting looks like. Once everyone agrees with that list, you can use it as a reminder of agreed behavior.
In case you don’t have time to determine expectations, here are a few examples.
To have a respectful meeting, we will:
- Listen attentively
- Respect the opinions of others
- Keep an open mind
- Give constructive comments, suggestions & feedback
- Avoid personal attacks
- Remember the things we have in common
- Value people, the process, and the results
PDF versions to handout at a meeting:
- 7 Keys to a Respectful Meeting – Participant version
- 7 Keys to a Respectful Meeting – Moderator version
For you to consider:
- In what other meetings could you use these expectations?
- Are people in leadership positions being good role models of respectful behavior?
- Are there any additional expectations that would be beneficial for your group to add?