Establish rules to run a more successful meeting

Committees of any kind often include a variety of participants and viewpoints, so a set of rules for participation must be set prior to the meeting. It’s especially important for the medical staff committee members themselves to establish these rules in order to achieve consensus and ensure orderly meetings. These rules should include the following:

• Start and end on time
• Follow the agenda
• Recognize and end digressions
• Allow only one speaker at a time

The rules should be followed (and enforced) by all participants. At times, an unplanned digression may raise an important topic that requires in-depth discussion. The chair can recognize the need for further discussion at a future or separate meeting. If discussion is lacking on a particular agenda item, the chair may address a question to a member by name, asking for thoughts.