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Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California

The Leader

  1. Start on time to indicate the importance of the meeting and show respect for those who make the effort to be there on time.

  2. Create a cordial, yet businesslike atmosphere by clarifying meeting roles and setting up ground rules for the meeting. Ground rules, such as not interrupting other speakers, everyone participates, stick to the agenda, complaints must be accompanied by solutions, no judgments on brainstormed ideas—whatever you think the group needs to do to create an orderly meeting. Create ground rules ahead of time or have participants create them at the beginning of the meeting.

  3. Use the agenda throughout the meeting. Start by going over the meeting objective and reviewing the steps of the meeting.

  4. Participate as a group member by stating your thoughts during the discussion. Wait to voice yours until after others' statements.

  5. Change the format of the meeting if you feel the meeting process is not accomplishing your objective.

  6. Summarize key decisions and actions. When Participants arrive at a point or a decision, paraphrase what has transpired.

  7. Tell the Recorder what to write on the board or the overhead transparency to record the "group memory."

  8. End the meeting on time.

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