How to be a good chair

A good Chairperson ensures that meetings run smoothly and efficiently. They will make sure that:

1. All business is discussed
2. Everyone’s views are heard
3. Clear decisions are reached
4. The meeting starts and finishes on time

Qualities of a Good Chairperson

A good Chairperson will also:

1. Focus on the overall meeting, not just the topic under discussion, which can make it harder to participate actively in discussions.
2. Balance between hearing everyone’s views and progressing through the agenda.
3. Avoid using their position to dominate the meeting or push their views to the exclusion of others.

Achieving this requires the cooperation and agreement of all meeting participants – the Chairperson cannot do it alone!

Learning to Chair

Everyone can learn to chair effectively with thought and practice. Confidence grows with experience. Observe how others chair meetings to see what works and what doesn’t.

DO YOU NEED A CHAIRPERSON?

Some groups do not have a formal Chair role. Even small or informal meetings need some direction and organization, and rotating the role of Chair can spread responsibility and involve everyone in running the group.

However, rotating the Chair can lead to issues if no one takes responsibility or if the same person always ends up chairing. If you choose a rotating Chair, collectively agree on the role’s expectations and decide at the end of each meeting who will chair the next one. This allows the new Chair time to prepare.

Example Role Description

We also provide an example role description of a Chairperson, which you may find useful.

By fostering strong leadership and clear guidelines, your meetings can be more effective and enjoyable for all participants.