I appreciate your comments! Yes, the 6-step structure is indeed a very natural model. Yet if we leave any stage out, we risk losing a “healthy flow” in our group meetings.

People not showing up can definitely be a problem, and I think you can implement some simple strategies to make this work for the entire group.

1. At an initial meeting, where everyone is present, suggest that the group agrees to a common understanding. Say something like: “I’d like to make another suggestion before we wind this up. We all have quite full scheudles now that the term papers are soon due, but I’d like to schedule our group meetings in advance so we can have as few as possible and get the work done. I think we should agree on four dates that everyone pledges to definitely attend, and we might need no more than that if everyone keeps their promise. Is that an idea you guys would be comfortable with?”

2. Keep constant communication. Ask everyone what’s the best way to reach them (many don’t check their Uni e-mail IDs often enough). Always ask for confirmation. Use Doodle .

3. Make it easy to attend the meetings. Keep it after a class you know everyone in your group attends, or maybe go to lunch together before the meeting. If your campus facilities are a pain to travel to, schedule the meeting in a different place, if available.

I did find that the biggest problem was actually GETTING people to come to meetings. On a group of 6, there were always 1 or 2 people who wouldn’t show up, even if the time had been agreed on by e-mail or at the previous meeting. They wouldn’t even text us to let us know they weren’t coming! Any idea how to solve that?