How to plan and run group meetings

1. (optional) Determine the necessity of meeting. Looks something like this:

Group Member A: So, do we need to meet soon?

Group Member B: Well… (attempting to walk the fine line between being a team player and “I’d rather have an asshole on my elbow”) …I’m not sure there’s anything we need to discuss.

Group Member A: But we have a professor meeting next week.

Group Member B: Oh, um… (decides suggesting that everyone BS the meeting is out)… ok.

Group Member C: I’ll bake cookies!


2. Determine a meeting time. Looks something like this:

Group Member A: When’s everyone free?

Group Member B: I have some time tomorrow.

Group Member C: Tomorrow’s no good, I’ve got meetings all day--oh, except for a break between 1 and 3. Can we do between 1 and 3?

Group Member B: I have class from 1 to 3.

Group Member A: What about the day after?

Group Member B: Can’t do it, have class in the morning and an interview in the afternoon.

Group Member C: Thursday?

Group Member A: I’m free Thursday morning. I have yoga in the afternoon.

Group Member B: Can’t do Thursday morning, I have ballet. I’m free Thursday afternoon, though.

Group Member C: Huh. Uh, when are you done in the afternoon?

Group Member B: 5.

Group Member A: Meet from 5 to 8?

Group Member B: Dude, I hate meeting at night.

Group Member C: Yeah, nights suck.

Group Member A: Well what about Friday?

Group Member C: Friday?

Group Member B: Yeah, ew.

Group Member A: Well we need to meet sometime!

Group Member B: Ok ok ok. I’m free all day next Wednesday.

Group Member C: I have an interview in New York that day.

Group Member B: I have a couple hours break two Thursdays from now.

Group Member C: Rock climbing at the gym. The following Tuesday?

Group Member B: Stress relief seminar. How about--

Group Member A: Look, whatever. We’ll just do our work and then email each other.

Group Members B & C: Sweet!


3. Meet. Looks something like this.

Group Member A: So... what's up?

Group Member B: I'm so tired.

Group Member C: Me too.

Group Member A: Does anyone remember what we're supposed to be working on?

Group Member B: Um, didn't someone write up a list last time?

Group Member C: I thought you were doing that.

Group Member B: Oh yeah. Hold on, I have to find it.

Group Member A: So how was your weekend?

Group Member C: Good. Saw Garden State--that's a great movie.

Group Member B: Oh, I've really been wanting to see that! I suggested it Friday but the guy I was with wanted to go to an improv show instead.

Group Member C: Omigod, did you have a date?!

Group Member B: Yeah, it was that guy I told you about last week.

Group Member C: Ooh, how'd it go?

:::::::::::: insert lots more gossip here ::::::::::::

Group Member B: Ok, I found the list. Ugh, I hate this assignment.

Group Member A: I know, it's so frustrating. I mean, it's like we have no guidance in actually getting things done.

Group Member C: Yeah, I feel like we haven't really learned anything yet, so how are we supposed to do this?

Group Member B: This is what I hate about group projects, we're expected to come back with something great but we never know what it's supposed to look like and so anything you present will just get criticized, and it's like, if you'd told us what we were supposed to do maybe we would have done it!

:::::::::::: insert lots more assignment/professor/class-bashing here ::::::::::::

Group Member C: Ok, seriously, let's just do this and get out of here.

Group Member A: Yeah. What was it we were supposed to have done for today?

Group Member B: Umm... you were supposed to research competition, you were supposed to research best practices, and I was supposed to start putting together a survey.

Group Member A: Ok, I started my part but didn't really get that far.

Group Member C: Oh thank God, me neither, I felt so bad. Did you get any work done on the survey?

Group Member B: Well, I kind of needed suggestions from you guys from your research to do it.

Group Member A: Ok, maybe we should all just split up and do some more work on our own, and we'll discuss next time we meet.

Group Member C: Cool.

Group Member B: So, are we going to meet soon?

Group Member C: Uh... when?