Meeting Effectiveness: 4 Different Types of Meetings & Why It Matters [VIDEO]

Have you ever been sitting in a meeting wondering why you are there? This can be a common feeling and often has to do with the meeting type not being communicated beforehand. So here are four meeting types that you should clarify before you begin any meeting.

1. Inform

If this meeting is just information, tell people, “This is an informational meeting.” That means you are giving an FYI or you are receiving an FYI. The purpose of the meeting is for information only.

If you are the person giving the information, be clear: who, what, when, where, and why. Tell them everything that you need to. This is not the appropriate time to say, “What do you guys think?” or “Does anyone agree or disagree?” These questions violate the concept that this meeting is for information only.

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2. Input

If you are invited to the meeting to give input, then give input! In an information meeting, you are not there to give input, only to receive information. But in the input meeting, why did they even invite you if you are just going to be a bump on a log? They don’t want you to have a lot of silent feelings that you are not getting out. The leader needs you to give information to teach from your expertise. Your job is to upload information so that the decider can make a good decision.

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3. Approval

These are meetings where you are invited because your approval is needed for the leader/director/CEO to move forward with the decision. When you give your approval, you share the accountability and responsibility. So, if you are there to approve, you have to weigh out the decision, and you will be asked to use signals (thumbs up or down, cards that say approve or disapprove, etc.) or to vote to give that person the approval to move forward.

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4. Mandate

The final meeting is what we call a mandate meeting. It’s not for information. It’s not for input. It’s not for approval. You as the leader are being given a directive. It’s not an option. This group, whether it is your board or others assembled with the right to supervise you, is giving you a responsibility with authority to act. Sometimes, we enter into meetings where we think we are getting approval that we have to evaluate. But in a mandate meeting, we are being told. When you walk away, you have a mandate to enact.

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So, the next time you are going to call a meeting, be clear. Is this meeting for information, for input, or for approval, or is this a mandate where directives are going to be given?

Check out this video on how to build consensus in group decision-making.

Contact us for more information on how our consultants can help you create a culture of more effective meetings.

Dave Marks is a Senior Consultant at The Center Consulting Group and has over 35 years of church ministry experience including 23 years as a senior pastor. His consulting experience includes ministry assessment, leadership coaching, and strategic planning. Dave’s degrees include a B.S. in Bible, an M.S. in Organizational Leadership and a D.Min. in Leadership.