Running an Effective Planning Meeting

PRE-PLAN (What you should do prior to the Planning Meeting.)

Review the Previous Year’s STAR report.

• Note the goals achieved and goals yet to be achieved.
• Make a list of successes and things needing improvement.

• The spring or summer Regional Conference Call (held by your Regional Manager) is a great opportunity to share ideas and success stories with other chapters in your region. This call will provide key information to help prepare you for your upcoming planning meetings. You can start brainstorming on the upcoming year.
• Determine what you want to accomplish during the upcoming chapter year.
• Make a list of the chapter’s goals/objectives using a draft STAR report.
• The STAR report provides a place for you to list major objectives in each of the major categories and use it as:
  • a brainstorming tool.
  • an effective planning tool.
  • a guide throughout your chapter year.
• Identify the most critical success factors and build on these factors.
• Identify the weakest factors and work to strengthen them.

Look at Board Structure and the Needs of Board Members.

• Provide participants with a Planning Meeting Book (sometimes called a Board Binder – see below) that includes such things as: meeting agenda, draft of the Planning Report, STAR goals, highlights from the RMA Leadership Conference, job descriptions, Leadership Toolbox, and related materials/tips to assist them in carrying out their assigned chapter duties.
• Consider appointing co-chairs to time-consuming positions, or if individuals are new or inexperienced. This is also a great way to build board succession and also will serve as a training tool for key positions.
• Start planning early (before the Leadership Conference) and think about both short- and long-term goals, especially leadership succession (complete the Planning Report).

Schedule a Planning Meeting/Consider forming a Planning Committee.

• The Planning Committee is formed from key chapter positions and should include members of the chapter’s Long Range Planning Committee. The committee’s purpose is to finalize the goals/objectives for presentation to the full chapter board at the Planning Meeting.
• To develop a strong agenda, this pre-planning group should include the VP, secretary, and treasurer. If you need to, get your RMA Regional Manager’s input and guidance.
• Your agenda should include: time and place of meeting, time allotted to each agenda item, major objectives, and brainstorming sessions for each section of the STAR.
• Schedule a date for the Planning Meeting.
• Inject some fun into the meeting. Make it rewarding by combining your Planning Meeting with a nice meal; e.g., breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
• Get each past and incoming committee chair to prepare goals and objectives for their respective sections of the STAR. Find out what they expect to accomplish in the upcoming year, and whether it’s an improvement from the previous year’s performance. 

PLAN

The Planning Meeting is critical to a chapter’s success in reaching its goals and objectives in the upcoming year. That’s why all board members need to be involved.

Conduct the Planning Meeting. All board members should be present, including representatives of the YP group and other affinity groups.

• Follow the agenda and keep the board on schedule by making the most effective use of time (see agenda below).
• Set goals for this meeting.
• Hold a prompt board discussion of issues/goals.

Use the Planning Meeting in a Box

• This kit will help the chapter president organize and run a successful planning meeting.
• A Presidents Guide, along with board guides for each board member, can be ordered from HQ.  Please use the order form found in the back of the Leadership Toolbox to order your Planning Meeting in a Box.

Incorporate Brainstorming Sessions

• Leadership training
• Recap the Chapter’s Leaders Conference.  (If this is a pre-planning meeting conducted before the Chapters Leaders Conference, decide who will be going to the conference and list specific objectives for the person or persons to meet by attending the conference.)

Start your Planning Calendar and make every effort to schedule the entire year’s activities.

• All board meeting dates, times, locations.
• All general membership meeting dates, times, locations, topics, chairs.
• All educational events: dates, times, locations, topics, chairs (including chapter-developed formal educational events and seminars.) It also includes the Open Enrollment classes that are cosponsored with RMA HQ.  These should have already been decided upon before this meeting, however it's always a good idea to think out one more year or to decide on when to conduct an educational survey for the members.
• All affinity group meeting dates, times, locations, chairs.
• Discuss the Planning Committee’s vision for the upcoming year and establish the chapter’s mission statement.
• Invite the Regional Manager (RM) and have your RM hold a board orientation session about RMA products and services.
• Get the full board’s buy-in to the goals and objectives set out for the upcoming year.
• Ask for formal adoption of the plan.
• Complete a draft STAR report for the upcoming year (especially at a pre-Chapters Leaders Conference meeting) and then agree to finalize the Planning STAR report during the Planning Meeting in order to turn in the final plan for the chapter to your Regional Manager.

The Agenda.

• Identify members willing to get involved and secure their commitment prior to the meeting (i.e., ask for their ideas and plans for the upcoming year).
• List each meeting participant on the agenda. Place the name next to their discussion topic or area of responsibility.
• Discuss and brainstorm (relate to the Planning Report and STAR):
• Education (e.g., Mentor, “Lending To” series (Open Enrollments), round tables, jointly sponsored programs, and audioconferences).
• Programming – general membership meeting programs (e.g., topics, timing, cosponsored events, paid speakers).
• Membership (e.g., database, various levels of member recruitment, running a membership campaign).
• Communications/newsletter – reaching out to the members.
• Treasurer report/financial status (establish budget for year, set expense guidelines).
• Regional Manager and RMA HQ involvement (e.g., updates, support, product development, visits, sharing ideas from other chapters in the region, provide guidance).
• Leadership Conference (e.g., share information and new ideas).

Stay focused and follow the agenda (stay within the allotted time scheduled for the meeting). Promote team sharing and team commitment to goals/objectives, but keep it on track. 

• Send a letter, e-mail, or hold a conference call to announce the meeting (two to four weeks before its scheduled date). Attach a copy of the preliminary agenda. Ask for questions, additions, and comments, along with a participant’s commitment.
• Call or e-mail, a reminder a few days prior to the meeting and confirm attendance/commitment.

GET MEMBERS INVOLVED

• Ensure that all board members and committee members have a role to play.
• Have each past and incoming committee chair prepare a plan for the upcoming year or at least a set of topics for the group to brainstorm. Have each incoming chair conduct the brainstorming session during their committee’s presentation.
• If every board member does their part and can effectively ask for help when needed, the chapter will have a successful year.

FOLLOW THROUGH

• Create and finalize the calendar of events (e.g., board meetings, general membership meetings, educational meetings, etc.) for the entire year, showing date and time/location/topic/event chair.
• Send detailed minutes for the Planning Meeting within a week after the meeting so all board members are clear on their responsibilities. Also send the minutes to your Regional Manager. (Specify who is securing the speaker for a certain event and the confirmed date.)
• Ask for feedback about the meeting and find out if there are any other issues that need to be discussed.
• Make assignments and spell out expectations for upcoming meetings.

BOARD BINDERS

Board binders should include:

• Table of contents, tabs separating the sections, and a binder that has enough room to add pages as the year progresses.
• Chapter calendar, a board roster, membership database or roster, nonmember database, highlight senior management as key contacts.
• Star report, both current year and prior year for comparison purposes, a list of programs and educational classes held in the prior year, and those to be held this year.
• Treasury report, expense forms, by-laws, diversity assessment, minutes of meetings, committee reports, tax forms, articles of incorporation, where the board’s main file is housed and with whom. Budget for the chapter and for the various groups.
• Include any Affinity programs and Young Professionals group efforts.
• Tool Box CDROM.
• All important RMA HQ contact information.
• Possibly have separate tabs for each section of the STAR report, with the respective sheet of the STAR placed in the front.  Make sure the tip sheets that are available through HQ are included in their respective sections.
• All chapter position descriptions.
• All assignments.
• RMA HQ Product information.
• Membership section that holds the rosters,
• Mission statement, and list of goals and objectives.
• Communications and newsletter.

HOW TO ORIENT NEW BOARD MEMBERS

If the first meeting a new board member attends is the chapter’s Planning Meeting it can be overwhelming. Take time to orient new board members prior to the Planning Meeting so that they can feel more comfortable as well as be more productive. Send out:

• A welcoming letter with names and addresses of other board members.
• Information on last year’s chapter activities (e.g., meeting notices, newsletters, etc.).
• Your preliminary STAR plan for the year.
• A calendar of key dates for board meetings and chapter events.
• Take new board members to breakfast or lunch and talk to them one-on-one about the board and its objectives. Bring along other board members or officers to introduce them and then recruit them to be a mentor.
• Consider holding an orientation session for new board members before your first meeting, either by phone or in person.
• You could also have new board members arrive an hour early for your first meeting so you can review general information and answer any questions they have.
• Have the Regional Manager call the board member for introductions and to extend a warm welcome.

RESOURCES:
RMA’s Web site has a wealth of information that could be useful, including tip sheets, job descriptions, and sample materials. Additionally, RMA HQ holds a Board Orientation Call at the beginning of the chapter year that would be very helpful for a new board member. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact your Regional Manager.