Meetings
How to run a meeting that ends on time
How to run a meeting that ends on time: what to settle beforehand, what to say first, how to stop tangents and how to close with clear actions.
Leading people who chose to be there
Practical notes for volunteer team leads, small-group hosts and anyone asked to say a few words: what to do, what to say and what to try next week.
Read the huddleMost leading happens without a title or a budget. Someone has to fill Sunday's rota, keep a Thursday book group going, chair the parents' committee or stand up after announcements with ten minutes and a microphone. The Lamplit Team writes for those people: plain methods, templates you can copy, and honest notes on what goes wrong.
Start with what you are doing this week
- Hosting a small groupFirst evenings, good questions, quiet members and groups that run themselves.
- Running a volunteer teamAsking people, rotas that hold, the first month and keeping good people.
- Giving a short talkTen minutes, one idea, no script in your hand.
- Meetings that end on timeAgendas, minutes, one-on-ones and group chats.
New in the huddle
Small groups
What to do when the only bathroom fails an hour before group
A blocked drain at 6:15 pm doesn't have to cancel your small group. Set up the number, the valve and a plan B before it happens.
Volunteer teams
7 things to sort out before a volunteer work day at the hall
Plan a volunteer work day that ends on time, with the easy jobs for helpers and the cracked concrete left for a contractor.
Small groups
How to host a small group when everyone ends up in the kitchen
Guests always drift to the kitchen. Here is how to set it up for group night and then move everyone through without breaking the mood.
Meetings
How to plan transport for a team retreat when nobody wants to drive
Mountain retreat coming up and nobody wants to drive? How to compare carpools, minibuses and shuttles, and run the trip calmly.
Team health
What to do when your host's home is mid-renovation and she won't ask for a break
When a host's home is torn up by renovation work, here is how to offer a break, find a temporary venue and keep the group together.
Free templates in the toolkit
A volunteer rota layout, sign-up wording, a one-page meeting agenda, a minutes template and a ten-minute talk outline, ready to paste into whatever your team already uses. Open the team toolkit.
Got a team question?
A rota that keeps breaking, a group that went quiet, a talk next month: write in. Good questions often turn into the next piece.
Write to the team