Leadership Toolkit

TEACHING TIPS: Raising awareness and developing students' leadership

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Strategies and approaches for skill development in the classroom

The following section offers some strategies and approaches for skill development in the classroom. Much of the material on teamwork is covered in the Teamwork Toolkit. However, the emphasis here is on leadership through teamwork, because leadership can't happen in a vacuum.

Checklist for students to help them conduct effective meetings

Use this checklist to help students conduct effective and productive meetings.

Checklist for Students: Conducting Effective Meetings
Do your meetings share the following characteristics?	Yes	No
*Characteristics of effective meetings* short and to the point; well organised and structured; inclusive, to enable everyone to contribute fully; safe and comfortable, to enable disagreement and constructive and creative criticism; regularly reviewed for effectiveness; and enjoyable.
*Planning the meeting* be clear about why the meeting is necessary; list the subjects to be covered in the meeting; and be clear about the objectives for the meeting - what needs to be achieved?
*Preparing for the meeting* list items on the agenda in a logical order; circulate the agenda to team members in plenty of time; read the agenda and papers before the meeting; and allocate time for discussion on the basis of importance, not urgency.
*Conducting the meeting* appoint a chairperson, but make sure everyone leads on some topic; give each person ownership for some agenda item or topic and make sure they come prepared (otherwise too many people come to the meeting in passive mode); set time limits for agenda items - delegate unexpected developments to sub-committees; develop an explicit process for expressing and resolving disagreement to make it safe; and ask all participants to ensure that everyone has their say.
*Summarising and recording* summarise all decisions verbally for confirmation; record them immediately in the minutes; identify the person responsible for each action; and make sure everyone leaves the meeting with an action plan - what they are going to do before the next meeting.
*Evaluating effectiveness* occasionally evaluate what criteria you use for effective meetings; and periodically review how well your meeting stacks up against your own success criteria.

Source: Academic Leadership Program, AV-CC National Staff Development and Training Program, 17-21 November, 1997, Clear Mountain Lodge, Brisbane. Cited in: Johnstone, R., & Joughin, G. (1998). Developing a Good Working Environment for Change. Academic Leadership Series, Booklet No. 4. Brisbane: Griffith Institute for Higher Education, p. 50.

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