Facilitating Awesome Meetings

Transcript

1. Facilitating Awesome Meetings larahogan.me/meeting-facilitation/

2. Think about the worst meetings you’ve been in.

3. Think about the BEST meeting you’ve been in.

4. (I LOVE FACILITATING MEETINGS)

5. • • • Folks are happiest in meetings when:

6. Facilitating ≠ leading. Separate those roles.

7. Facilitator Leader Both

8. facilitators

9. AS A FACILITATOR: Optimize for efficiency. Optimize for fairness. Read

   the room.

10. As a facilitator: Make meetings efficient.

11. Typical meeting objectives: • Disseminate information • Gain alignment/surface issues

    • Make decisions

12. MAKE MEETINGS EFFICIENT: • progress •

13. MAKE MEETINGS EFFICIENT: • progress • decisions important content

14. MAKE MEETINGS EFFICIENT: • progress • decisions important content asynchronous

15. MAKE MEETINGS EFFICIENT: • progress • decisions important content asynchronous

    synchronous

16. overestimate https://hbr.org/2015/04/no-that-meeting-could-not-have-been-an-email

17. Objective Sync exam ples Disseminate information • Share context-heavy updates

    Gain alignment/ surface issues • Resolve open questions • Name blockers, assign owners Make decisions • Identify and make decisions

18. Objective Make progress outside of the meeting Sy nc examples

    Disseminate information • Gather feedback • Gather more data • Share context-heavy updates Gain alignment/ surface issues • Brainstorm • Write talking points • Resolve open questions • Name blockers, assign owners Make decisions • Schedule deadlines, meetings, etc. • Identify and make decisions

19. Objective Make progress outside of the meeting Make decisions, share

    context in the mtg Disseminate information • Gather feedback • Gather more data • Share context-heavy updates Gain alignment/ surface issues • Brainstorm • Write talking points • Resolve open questions • Name blockers, assign owners Make decisions • Schedule deadlines, meetings, etc. • Identify and make decisions
20. None

21. Objective Async Sync Disseminate information Gain alignment/ surface issues Make

    decisions Decide on ~3 principles

22. Objective Async Sync Disseminate information Share language updates w/ teams

    Share ideas Gain alignment/ surface issues Gather feedback from teams Surface teams’ disagreements Make decisions Draft ideas

23. • homework assigned • sharing • make decisions/iterate

24. MAKE MEETINGS EFFICIENT: Who • What • How Long

25. 2/9/2021 Meeting Agenda • • •

26. Sarah Max Ben WHO

27. • FYI: • Discussion: • Decision:

28. FYI Discussion Decision WHO WHAT

29. (2 min) (20 min) (2 min) WHO WHAT HOW LONG

30. None

31. MAKE MEETINGS EFFICIENT: Intentionally choose attendees

32. For our working group, we need attendees who: • personal

    preference

33. For our working group, we need attendees who: • personal

    preference • influencing others

34. For our working group, we need attendees who: • personal

    preference • influencing others • communicators

35. For our working group, we need attendees who: • personal

    preference • influencing others • communicators • subject matter experts

36. For our working group, we need attendees who: • personal

    preference • influencing others • communicators • subject matter experts • diverse

37. Don’t just choose based on seniority

38. For our working group, we need attendees who: • personal

    preference • influencing others • communicators • subject matter experts • diverse

39. As a facilitator: Make meetings fair.

40. You’ll have to take charge.

41. predictable

42. MAKE MEETINGS FAIR: Introduce ground rules

43. implicit explicit

44. Example ground rules: •

45. Example ground rules: • •

46. Example ground rules: • • •

47. Example ground rules: • • • •

48. Example ground rules: • • • • •

49. Remote-inclusive behaviors • • •

50. MAKE MEETINGS FAIR: Balance steamrollers & silent participants

51. start/pause poker chips hand signals

52. steamrollers trying to get a word in 1

53. poker chips paper clips • • • 2

54. hand signals 3

55. As a facilitator: Read the room and improvise.

56. READ THE ROOM: Actively listen

57. Level 1:

58. Level 2:

59. Level 3:

60. silence

61. READ THE ROOM: Routinely take temperature checks

62. None

63. Acknowledge

64. taking charge

65. changing it up

66. IMPROVISE: Use a variety of tools to move the group

    towards its goal.
67. None

68. HOMEWORK: Add one new tool or technique to a recurring

    meeting.

69. Meeting facilitation is a distinct leadership skill.