Your Career: How to Build a Better Meeting

So many meetings in higher ed are boring, unproductive, and contentious. It doesn't have to be that way. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. So many meetings in higher ed are boring, unproductive, and contentious. It doesn’t have to be that way. You’ve probably seen the “[that could have been an email]( meme, or maybe even sent it to colleagues after an especially unproductive session. Since you do not want anyone to feel that way about a meeting you’ve organized, think hard about what you are hoping to accomplish. Is bringing people together — physically or virtually — the only or best way to achieve the results you seek? Don’t hold a meeting every first Tuesday at 3 p.m., simply because your department has always held a meeting every first Tuesday at 3 p.m. Schedule one only when you are clear on its purpose and convinced that a meeting is the superior path toward your desired goals. Consciously or unconsciously, we schedule meetings to achieve one or more of the following: - Build identity. There is value in bringing people together to solidify a sense of belonging. But be careful: That can’t be the only reason to meet or people will get frustrated. Make sure your meeting has tangible aims as well. - Share information. This is a common reason to gather the troops yet often leads to the dullest meetings. It’s almost always better to share information digitally — except of course when it’s sensitive, surprising, or complex. - Collect information. While this type of meeting can seem efficient to the person collecting the data, it tends to be tedious for everyone else. - Coordination. Meetings can provide valuable connection points that enable colleagues to check in on progress, troubleshoot issues, and plan next steps. - Generate ideas. Do you need a strategy to increase success rates in introductory math courses? Do you want input on how to manage a pending budget reduction? Meetings can be effective venues for collecting new ideas. - Make decisions. Hold a meeting if you have to make a choice among two or more alternatives, and you need a group’s blessing to move forward. Continue reading: “[How to Run a Good Meeting]( by Allison Vaillancourt Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here](. ADVERTISEMENT SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS 'EXTRAORDINARILY DANGEROUS' [Some States Want to Reshape Tenure. This Time, They Might Succeed.]( By Eva Surovell [STORY IMAGE]( In three states, powerful Republican politicians are backing proposed changes to lifetime job security for public-college professors. SPONSOR CONTENT | University of Wisconsin-Madison [Great Minds Converge Here]( ADVERTISEMENT ADVICE [How to Make Room for Neurodivergent Professors]( By Bradley J. Irish [STORY IMAGE]( Seventeen years into his career, a faculty member finds out he is autistic. It explains a lot, he says. 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[Order your copy]( to explore how higher education can better manage a crucial part of its work force. SPONSOR CONTENT | Salesforce [How One University is Creating Career Pathways for 55,000 Students]( According the Salesforce Connected Student Report, nearly half of the students reported selecting the institution they attended for career prospects. See how one university system are setting up their students for career readiness. What we’re reading. Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - In Roxanne Gay’s [Work Friend column]( in The New York Times, she offers advice on dealing with a boss who micromanages and behaves inappropriately. - An [essay]( in the Harvard Business Review looks at leadership-development programs for women, and “where they fall short.” - And in the work/life realm, new research, described in [a Salon article]( suggests that exercise “might work better than therapy or medications for treating mental-health issues.” MORE CAREER RESOURCES [Lessons Learned From Re-engaging Students]( [STORY IMAGE]( UPCOMING: March 14, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET. Classroom disengagement hurts student performance and faculty morale alike. Join us to hear from experts on what strategies you can use to prevent it from happening. With Support From Perlego. [Register here.]( DATA [How Much Has Noninstructional-Employee Pay Changed Over Time?]( [STORY IMAGE]( A sector-by-sector look at changes in average annual pay for workers in noninstructional jobs from 2012-13 to 2020-21. PACKAGE [The Trends Report 2023]( [STORY IMAGE]( For more analyses that will help you anticipate and respond to key developments in higher education, read on. [The New Faculty Retirement Landscape]( [STORY IMAGE]( ON DEMAND: More and more faculty members are pushing retirement plans down the road. Register now to learn about new career trends in higher ed, and how colleges can prepare. With Support From TIAA. [Watch on demand.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Clinical Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership]( Georgia State University [Search other jobs.]( CAREER RESOURCES [Man sitting at a laptop computer.] Explore [Career Resources]( a new online destination to find career-related articles, advice, reports, events, and more designed to help you advance in your career. 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