C O L L A B O R A T I O N M O D U L E # 2

Assigning RolesIn Meetings

An online module developed by Pivot Learning Partners for the

West Contra Costa Unified School District

This module is one of a series of six that focus on the foundational skills and tools for collaboration:• Setting and Using Norms• Assigning Roles in Meetings• Planning Good Meetings• Making Decisions Collaboratively• Establishing Goals and Milestones• Giving and Receiving Feedback

ABOUT THIS MODULE2

More about this moduleEach module includes• a PowerPoint presentation • a Quick Guide on the topic• one or more tools or templates• videos of teams at work (not included in some modules).

Individuals or groups can use these modules in flexible ways, and depending on the group’s choices, they can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

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In many organizations, much work happens in meetings• In many organizations, though, meetings can be messy, frustrating, and ineffective.• That’s not uncommon, but it’s fixable!

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ScenarioRole play:  Assign roles.  Everybody should take on a role that is different than who they actually are.   

What happens next?  (five minutes)Stop:   Now, discuss.  

What should happen next?  Who needs to change to get there?

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Meetings go more smoothly and are more effective when people play clear roles:• Roles that help meetings succeed include

• facilitator• timekeeper• note taker or recorder• process observer• reporter (optional)

Which roles exist in your school or on your team? Which other roles do you think you need? Why? If you are working on this module as a team, you may want to stop a moment to discuss these questions.

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Being explicit about roles• makes group work go more smoothly:

• The facilitator develops the agenda (with input as needed).

• The recorder keeps a record of agreements and next steps.• helps people take on difficult issues:

• The process observer reflects on “how we are doing and what we’re doing” and notes whether norms are observed.• raises the quality of the work the team can accomplish:

• The timekeeper makes sure the meeting stays on track.

More detailed descriptions of these roles can be found in the Quick Guide included in this module.

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Each role involves unique challenges• The facilitator must develop the agenda, including defining the right outcome for each agenda item and allocating the right amount of time. The facilitator also must keep the meeting on track and call serious norms violations when they occur.• The recorder listens carefully, captures key points, and clarifies agreements and next steps. The recorder also maintains a list of “parking lot” issues to take up later.• The timekeeper watches the clock and negotiates more time for items if needed.• The process observer keeps track of how well people follow norms and leads a discussion at the end about how the meeting went and what needs to change in order to do even better.• The reporter listens carefully and reports out for the group.

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Each role calls on different skills• Take a moment to make a quick list of the skills required for each of the key roles.• Which role would come most easily to you? Which one would you most like to get good at? Which one might be a stretch?

You may want to use the worksheet in this module to record your thoughts.

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Facilitator Recorder

Timekeeper Process Observer

Beginning teams may play to strengths• Sharing leadership roles in meetings should be something teams aspire to, but teams that are just beginning to work together may opt to assign roles that come naturally to people and not rotate these very often.• More advanced teams may seek to build capacity by rotating roles and encouraging people to take on roles that may be a stretch for them.

If you are working on this module as a group, take some time to consider which approach will work best for your team at this time.

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Questions to think about:• Is your team as effective and efficient as you wish it were? If not, how could you use defined roles to help with this?• Do roles on your team need to be defined more clearly? Does everyone know their role and do it well? Do they do all of it? If your team skips some steps, how can you do better?• When things go wrong in your meeting, what is the problem? Could defining roles more clearly or differently help? How could you find out?

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Thank You!