Updated 3/20/2020 
Checklist for Success:
- Establish a phone line to dial-in. Send out the conference phone number in advance, depending on the company you use, be sure it includes the unique meeting pin number/access code.
- Be prepared with your meeting host code/pin number.
- Start the meeting 10 minutes early, so you can welcome early arrivers and take attendance.
- If you are sharing your screen for agendas/live notes, minimize or close all other windows on your desktop that are not needed.
Pro Tip: Prep a draft email to all committee members in case the meeting phone line doesn’t work, or you experience technical errors during the meeting. This will allow you to quickly email a cancellation or provide an alternate meeting phone number. You don’t want to be digging around for member emails when time is critical!
Conducting the meeting
Ready to meet? Here are some basic functions to practice on your first group call.
✓Write down the names of attendees as people come one the line.
- Include this on the screen you are sharing so that those tuning in by web can follow along.
- As people gather by phone, repeat the list of attendees, and ask for newcomers since your last report.
✓After the meeting time starts, do an official roll call.
✓For the web attendees:
- Share your screen. Show the website where the agenda is found.
- Ask an attendee to read the agenda for the group.
- Maximize the notes (formerly the agenda) you are taking during the call.
- If a separate person is taking the notes, continue with just the agenda screen and documents that are needed for discussion.
✓Go over meeting etiquette.
✓Engage in a discussion.
Pro Tip: Discussion leader calls on people by name to start the discussion.
ProTip: Try to reduce the need to share documents during the meeting, this makes it easier for members who can only attend by phone, and members who do not have the ability to have the document on their screen while engaged in the web-meeting screen.
✓Conduct a vote.
Pro Tip: Facilitator calls on members. Randomizing the vote order can be good for discussion.
✓Close the meeting formally.
Facilitators note on simultaneous speaking: If simultaneous speaking occurs, a facilitator serves an important role for speaking traffic control.
- Just like a “hand raise” facilitator can pause the conversation and ask for people to say their names if they wish to speak.
Add a few practice challenges
Assign practice roles ahead of time and make it interesting.
- Ask one person to “accidentally” participate only in instant message including: discussion items, vote by IM, off topic announcements.
This will emulate a real-world scenario when someone can hear but may not be able to participate by audio due to technology issues.
- Ask someone to speak out of turn, and interrupt.
This will help you to practice managing simultaneous speakers
- Practice requesting someone mute the phone due to sound disruptions (chewing, pets, other people in the background)
- Simulate when someone drops off the call, and hops back on the line mid-agenda item
Office of Community & Civic Life
Advisory Bodies Program
Updated 3/20/2020