Meeting Agreements

At in-person and virtual meetings, we aim to bring our Society-wide ideals to the table:

• Commit to bringing all voices to the table through a collaborative, productive
  conversation.
• Respect the structure and format of the gathering as presented by the facilitator.
• Care about each other’s experiences, perspectives, and reactions to what is being discussed.
• Trust that everyone brings positive intent and a willingness to learn.

To do this, we will:

• Be self-aware:
  • Commit to learning from other people and be willing to change your opinion
    based on the conversation.
  • Acknowledge visible and invisible imbalances of influence and bring others into the conversation accordingly.
  • Seek to affirm the contributions of others.
  • Step up if you have an opinion or want to participate, step back if you have
    shared your thoughts repeatedly.
• Acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes and aim to learn from them:
  • Say oops and/or acknowledge when you may have unintentionally said
    something and wish you had not.
  • Say ouch when someone’s words or actions may have hurt you.
  • Pause the conversation to address discomfort when appropriate.
  • Be specific when acknowledging harm and be open to constructive feedback.
• Honor the format of the meeting:
  • Assume that everyone is new to the rules and explain them at the outset.
  • Follow the rules even if they seem strict (e.g., speaking time limits).

We all want this organization to succeed and for its members to have a positive experience. We are all core contributors to this outcome