Running Meetings That Actually Work: A Guide for Health and Community Organisations

If you’ve ever left a meeting wondering what was accomplished (or whether it needed to happen at all) you’re not alone. Across health and community organisations, meetings can be energising… or exhausting. Productive… or painfully unproductive.

The difference usually comes down to two things: structure and intent. While every organisation is different, the most effective meetings share a few key traits: they’re purposeful, well-structured, and easy to action.

Here’s how to make sure yours are too.

 

1. Design Your Meeting Schedule with Purpose

Not all meetings need to be weekly, and not everyone needs to attend every time. Some of the most effective organisations use a layered structure:

• Daily huddles for operational coordination
• Weekly team meetings for focus areas
• Monthly or quarterly full-team meetings for culture, strategy, and system updates
• Quarterly governance and board meetings for oversight and alignment

Match the frequency and format to the function and be flexible enough to adapt when things shift.

 

2. Have an Agenda, even a Simple One

The fastest way for a meeting to lose its value is to wing it. A basic agenda (even just 3 standing questions) creates clarity. It sets expectations, gives people space to prepare, and keeps the discussion focused.

For example:

• What’s going well?
• What’s getting in our way?
• What do we need to decide or follow up?

For clinical teams, agendas might also include:

• Cultural or individual patient needs
• Ethical dilemmas or incidents
• Collaborative care and handovers
• CPD and new guidelines

 

3. Use Your Minutes as a Tool, Not Just a Record

Meeting minutes aren’t just about compliance (though they certainly help!). They’re also a practical tool for tracking actions, building accountability, and evidencing improvement. Especially if you’re heading toward accreditation, minutes can help show your approach to:

• Risk management
• Staff training and safety
• Feedback and complaints
• Cultural responsiveness
• Incident management

Keep it simple: who attended, what was discussed, what was decided, who will follow up, and by when.

Hot Tip: Consolidated To Do Lists sent directly to team members outside of formal meeting minutes help keep actionable requirements at the front of mind for attendees.

 

4. Make Space for the Human Stuff

Meetings aren’t just task lists. They’re culture-setters. Even in operational meetings, build in space to:

• Celebrate small wins
• Check in on wellbeing
• Share stories or insights

This is especially valuable in trauma-informed, community-led, or client-facing work where emotional load is high and cross-team understanding matters.

 

QIP Consulting helps health and community organisations design meeting systems that are strategic, sustainable, and evidence-informed. Whether you’re building a new meeting structure, strengthening your clinical governance, or preparing for accreditation, we can help you turn everyday interactions into powerful drivers of improvement.

Want help aligning your meetings to your governance and improvement goals? Let’s make your meetings work for you.