1. PC Training: Running Effective Meetings
Effective meeting principles and practices applied to the development of ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines.
Intended Audience – Open to everyone, recommended for PC Chairs, PC Secretaries, and Standards Committee Members
Required Reading – Procedures for ASHRAE Standards Actions (PASA)
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

2. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Learning Objectives
This training module provides information that will help you be more effective when you:
Schedule a meeting
Prepare an agenda
Conduct a meeting
Follow up after a meeting
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

3. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Schedule a Meeting
Schedule a meeting at an ASHRAE Winter or Annual Conference using the standards meeting request form on the ASHRAE conference website for each conference
Between conferences, schedule interim meetings as appropriate to expedite progress.
Notice of each interim meeting must be posted in Standards Actions at least 14 days before a web meeting and at least 30 days before an in-person meeting.
Information about ASHRAE-provided resources for teleconferences, web meetings and webinars is here.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

4. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Prepare an Agenda
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

5. Planning Meeting Topics Requires:
Having a clear purpose for the meeting
Select topics for constructive idea sharing and strategies for building consensus.
For example, collect proposed revisions in advance for the PC to review during the meeting. Reviewing revisions is more effective than creating revisions during a meeting.
For controversial items, prepare a document that lays out the points for presentation at the meeting.
Being prepared
Define reasonable list of issues to consider; assign time and speaker for each item
Anticipating meeting outcomes with regard to
Action items; member assignments; tracking progress; scheduling the next meeting
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

6. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Agenda Resources
If this will be your 1st PC meeting, please review the Getting Started Training Module to get an overview of the standards development processes
Otherwise, your resources include:
Work Plan (Work Plan Template)
Title, Purpose, and Scope (TPS)
Working Draft
Meeting Minutes from the previous meeting (Minutes Template)
PC Membership Roster
Action Items from the previous meeting
PC Secretary (or ask someone to record notes)
Supporting research (if applicable to your situation)
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

7. Sample Agenda for First PC Meeting
FIRST PC AGENDA
Committee Name
Meeting Date and Time
Meeting Location
CALL TO ORDER
Code of Ethics
Introduction of Members and Guests
Quorum Determination
Announcements and Immediate Goals
Liaisons
MEMBERSHIP
PC ORGANIZATION (For SSPC/SGPC)
Secretary (For SPC/GPC)
Reviewing the initial TPS
Approving a WORK PLAN
Reviewing an initial WORKING DRAFT
NEXT MEETING: Date, Time, Location
Adjourn
Tip: Secretary can use an copy of the agenda and annotate it with motions, discussion summaries, action items, etc., as they occur during the meeting to create a rough draft of the meeting minutes. 
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

8. Sample PC Agendas (After 1st Meeting)
SPC/GPC AGENDA
Committee Name
Meeting Date and Time
Meeting Location
CALL TO ORDER
Code of Ethics
Introduction of Members and Guests
Quorum Determination
Announcements and Updated Goals
Liaisons
AGENDA REVIEW
MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
WORKING DRAFT REVIEW
NEW BUSINESS (if any)
NEXT MEETING: Date, Time, Location
Adjourn
SSPC/SGPC AGENDA
Committee Name
Meeting Date and Time
Meeting Location
CALL TO ORDER
Code of Ethics
Introduction of Members and Guests
Quorum Determination
Announcements and Updated Goals
Liaisons
AGENDA REVIEW
MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
ROSTER CHANGES
PUBLICATION PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTS
RESPONSES TO COMMENTERS
CONTINUOUS MAINTENANCE PROPOSALS
INTERPRETATION REQUESTS
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
NEXT MEETING: Date, Time, Location
Adjourn
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

9. Preparing the Working Draft
Increment the revision number of the working draft that was revised during your previous meeting and update the ASHRAE copyright date to be the current date.
Distribute the working draft to PC members and request proposed revisions not later than a week before the planned meeting.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

10. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Conduct a Meeting
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

11. Conducting an Effective Meeting (1)
Be punctual: start & end on time
Pass around an attendance sheet
Expect disruptions:
Some people will arrive late. Ask them to introduce themselves when least disruptive and then bring everyone’s attention back on-topic
Ask liaisons or other “management” visitors to be brief
Focus on the purpose and expected outcomes of the meeting
Limit the time, normally to 5 minutes, for any unresolved commenter to address the committee and for any person to speak for or against a motion.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

12. Conducting an Effective Meeting (1)
Encourage participation, but require civility and control digressions
Chairs need to ensure equal participation (guard against dominance by one or a small group of the committee or guests)
Beware of “TPS Scope Creep” (suggestions that would expand the scope of the standard)
Following Robert’s Rules of Order is required whenever:
a PC meeting agenda item is intended to result in a standards action or an official interpretation of a standard; or
under other circumstances when a PC member requests that the meeting be conducted under Robert’s Rules.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

13. Robert’s Rule of Order Basics
Motions:
Must relate to the business at hand.
Must not be obstructive, frivolous, or violate PASA.
Must be seconded unless they are from a subcommittee.
Most common motions:
Main motions: (“I move that…”) are debated
Amendment motions: (“I move to amend the motion by...”) are debated and voted upon before voting on the main motion
A list of non-controversial agenda items can be proposed in a Consent Agenda motions: (“I move approval of a consent agenda which includes items a, e, g…”) are voted upon without discussion. After the motion is seconded, ask, “Does anyone want me to pull any of these consent agenda items out of this motion?”
Table motions: (“I move to table …”) delay action on a main motion
Take from the Table motions (“I move to take from the table …”) are used to resume discussion on a motion that was tabled
Adjournment motions are seconded but not debated
PASA – defines voting rules, and a voting calculation spreadsheet is located here.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

14. Typical Motions PCs vote to approve: Original TPS (first meeting)
Proposed changes to TPS
Meeting minutes
Publication Public Review Draft*
PC responses to commenters
Final Publication Draft*
Standing PCs vote to approve:
Proposed changes to TPS
Meeting minutes
Publication Public Review of addenda*
Responses to commenters
Formal Interpretations
Responses to CMPs
Code Change Submittals
Final Publication of Addenda
Note: Items with * are Standards Actions. 
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

15. Tips for Reviewing Working Drafts (1)
Review the draft prior to the meeting and make editorial revisions throughout the draft (except the TPS portions) to improve clarity and readability. Don’t consume highly valuable committee time to approving editorial changes other than those suggested during the meeting.
Reviewing revisions is more effective than creating revisions during the meeting. Accept significant new revisions that are submitted during the meeting, but delay the discussion of new revisions until after all of the pre-proposed revisions are reviewed or until the next meeting if there is no time left at the end of the meeting.
When any discussion topic does not quickly converge into consensus, assign 2 or more PC members who were actively participating in the discussion to work together to provide proposed content in time for the next meeting and record that as an action item.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

16. Tips for Reviewing Working Drafts (2)
Start the working draft review where you were in the draft at the end of the previous meeting.
Leave the Definitions section until last but add new definitions when identified during the review.
Each time you move on to the next proposed revision, provide context, if appropriate, and then ask, “Is anyone opposed to this proposed content?” If no one speaks up, say, “Great! Moving on,” and be sure to use track changes to “accept” those changes immediately after the meeting.
When someone says they don’t understand some aspects of the technical content being discussed, table the current discussion, ask for a volunteer to help them to understand before the next meeting, and record that as an action item.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

17. Tips for Reviewing Working Drafts (3)
Delay any attempts to re-open previous agreements until after all of the pre-proposed revisions have been reviewed if there is time. If there is no time left for that discussion at the end of the meeting, ask the requester to propose revisions of that portion prior to the next meeting.
Assign a PC member, or a small group, an action item to review and revise the changes approved during the meeting to meet ASHRAE’s mandatory language requirements.
After the meeting, change the font color in each portion of the draft that has been approved by the PC to a font color that contrasts with any colors used for tracking changes. This helps the PC visualize the progress and discourages rehashing of previously approved portions.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

18. Due Process and Lack of Dominance
Any person (organization, company, government agency, individual, etc.) with a direct and material interest has a right to:
a) express a position and its basis,
b) have that position considered, and
c) appeal if adversely affected
The standards development process shall not be dominated by any single interest category, individual or organization.
Dominance means a position or exercise of dominant authority, leadership, or influence by reason of superior leverage, strength, or representation to the exclusion of fair and equitable consideration of other viewpoints.
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

19. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
ASHRAE Code of Ethics
The code of conduct or behavior governing an individual or group (such as a committee)
The discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with a sense of duty or obligation
As members of ASHRAE or participants in ASHRAE committees, we pledge to act with honesty, fairness, courtesy, competence, integrity and respect for others in our conduct
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

20. Follow Up After a Meeting
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

21. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Follow Up
Chair to issue letter ballots as-required to include those absent from the meeting in the opportunity to vote
Distribute action items immediately
Distribute draft meeting minutes within 30 days, earlier if possible and include a copy to ASHRAE Headquarters
Track progress between meetings
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

22. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Standards Staff
Direct line xxxx
Standards Committee
Stephanie Reiniche, Senior Manager of Standards ext. 1143
Status of Standards/Guidelines, SPLS and SPC 201
Susan LeBlanc, Standards Administrator………… ext. 1143
SRS, PPIS, and Appeals Panel, Procedures and Forms
Tanisha Meyers-Lisle, Procedures Administrator ext. 1111
Staff Review of Drafts
Carmen Manning, Standards Analyst …… ext. 1145
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Hall Consultants, LLC

23. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Standards Staff
American Standards, including Standards 62.1 and 62.2
Mark Weber, Manager of American Standards……......ext. 1214
Codes, CIS, Standards 90.1 and 90.2
Steve Ferguson, Manager of Codes………..ext.1138
Standards 90.4 and 189.1
Bert Etheridge, Asst. Mgr. of Standards - Codes……………...…ext. 1125
International Standards, ILS, Standards 15 and 34
Nicole Jones, Asst. Mgr. of Standards – International………..ext.1209
International Standards and Standard 34
Angela McFarlin, Admin. Asst………………… ext. 1177
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Hall Consultants, LLC

24. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Standards Staff
Project Committee Membership Beverly Fulks, Standards Coordinator ext Project Committee Membership SPCs 15 and 34 Angela McFarlin, Admin. Asst…………… ext Project Committee Membership SPCs 90.1, 90.2, 90.4, and Katrina Shingles, Secretary/Admin Asst… ext
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

25. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Questions?
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

26. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
Questions and Answers
Aside from the draft minutes from the last meeting, name three resources you have as you prepare an agenda.
Aside from the introductions of all participants, name two other preliminary steps needed to set the stage for a meeting.
What should you say to delay action on a motion until next Thursday?
If you’re unsure about voting rules, where would you look for that information?
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings

27. PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings
How did you do?
If you knew the answers to all the questions
Congratulations! You have mastered the material
If you were able to answer most of the questions (70-80%)
Please review the material you may have missed
If you were unable to answer most of the questions (<70%)
Please review all the material
PC Chairs Training: Running Effective Meetings