Facilitation of a meeting

Meeting Facilitation

"Success is a journey, not a destination" ... Ben Sweetland

Overview	Planning for the meeting: design an agenda What specific outcomes are possible assemble the supporting material During the meeting: Leads the discussion keeps meeting on track brings group to decision when necessary closes meeting on time
Questions to ask for setting up the meeting	What decisions or actions do you want to take as a result of this meeting? What information do you need in order to make the decisions and take an action? Do you want a formal document from this meeting and, if so, what should it look like? What data collection mechanisms are needed for the meeting? Who should attend the meeting? How should the participants prepare for the meeting? Are there any personality conflicts, behavior issues, hidden agendas or political issues that may influence the meeting success?
Meeting agenda	Meeting script: each agenda item must be expanded into a script segment with the following: start/stop time, introduction to this item, instructions and procedure for the work, documentation techniques, opening and closing remarks, closing activities	Facilitation leadership: Unite the group Target the group Mobilize the group to consensus Confront problem behaviors
Document:	making the meeting results concrete.
Dialogue & Discussion Views defended, decisions made	Team learning is largely a collective phenomenon. Dialogue (pass through) is free flow of meaningful thought to pass through- a group Suspend your assumptions (look inward, be open) Be nice .. keep things professional. Facilitator: all points are reviewed , people maintain ownership
Techniques to use doing inquiry and advocacy:	When advocating your view: Make your own reasoning explicit (i.e. say how you arrived at your vie and the data upon which it is based) Encourage other to explore your view ( i.e. do you see gaps in my reasoning), encourage others to provide different views ( do you have different data or different conclusions, or both?) Actively inquiry into other views ... How did you arrive at your view?, Are you taking into account data that is different from what I have considered? When Inquiring into other views: If you are making assumptions about others views, state your assumption clearly and acknowledge that they are assumptions State the data upon which your assumptions are based Don't bother asking questions if you're not genuinely interested in the others response When you arrive at an Impasse: Ask what data or logic might change their views Ask if there is any way you might together design and experiment( or some other inquiry) that might provide new information When other or you are hesitant to express your views or to experiment with alternatives ideas: Encourage then to think out load about what might be making it difficult (i.e. what is it about this situation, and about me or others, that is making open exchange difficult?) If their is mutual desire to do so, design with other ways of overcoming these barriers