When a group of people gets together, some guidelines are necessary for how to work best. There are different ways to organize group meetings to make the time useful and meaningful.
An effective meeting is one in which participants feel comfortable with themselves and the group, willing and open to sharing their ideas and concepts, working together constructively and positively, and leaving the meeting feeling they have done something useful and are part of the group.
Facilitating is the key to success
The facilitator plays a crucial role in directing the flow of the discussion, removing obstacles, summarizing points, and keeping the dialogue on track; capturing ideas and digressions, calming the emotions of the moment, and maintaining a positive and productive spirit.
The facilitator is not the leader of the meeting, but rather a "tool" of the group, responsible for guiding the process so that participants can focus on the content. The facilitator should remain neutral regardless of the topic being discussed.
A good facilitator keeps the discussion moving and summarizes key elements, capturing participants' emotions and using positive reinforcement to keep them at their peak productivity.
Checklist for facilitators
Before the meeting:
- Make a plan. Think about how to approach each agenda item. Will any of them require a special form of discussion or resolution? Will any evoke strong emotions or feelings? Brainstorm some possible scenarios.
- Review the space and its general conditions.
- Check the items. Is everything you need present?
- Write the agenda for everyone to see, using action verbs (in the infinitive) to describe the expected outcomes.
- Review the conclusions from previous meetings. Do any points require follow-up?
- Propose a goal for the meeting and write it down for everyone to see.
- Assign volunteers for different tasks such as taking notes, serving coffee, etc.
At the beginning of the meeting:
- Observe people's body language as they enter. Is there tension? Does anyone require special attention before starting?
- Explain the group's goal for today's meeting.
- Review the agenda with everyone: prioritize, consult on changes, assign time for discussions and a responsible person for each item, and ensure the topics are appropriate for the meeting.
- Start with some activity that motivates the group.
During the meeting:
- For each agenda item, summarize previous discussions or decisions to keep everyone up to date.
- Observe whether there are dominant attitudes in the speeches and encourage those who remain silent.
- Summarize points and clarify discussions. If you're looking for agreement, take the elements that emerge and test them. Help by writing down the topic so everyone can see and refer to it.
- Take each item that has not been resolved and ask the group what to do.
- Observe disagreements and remind members to stay on topic. Write them down and resolve them before closing.
- Observe body language to detect tension or discomfort.
- Be alert to comments that create a negative atmosphere and bring them to the attention of the group.
- Help talkative members summarize.
- Take breaks when you feel they are necessary.
- Make sure each point has been assigned to a person or group.
When the meeting ends:
- Go through each point and list the decisions to clear up any misunderstandings before closing.
- Analyze the meeting with the group to capture the good and bad experiences gained.
- Set the date, time and place of the next meeting.
- Finish on time.
What happens to absent people?
Members aren't always able to attend every meeting. Informing everyone in advance about the topics to be discussed and the decisions that will be made will help those invited prioritize their needs.
If applicable, establish how many people must be present to form a quorum.
Maintaining the group's memory
Document all decisions. Meeting notes are the group's memory. It's a good resource to read over decisions and next steps at the end of the meeting. This way, corrections can be made while the issues are still fresh.
Meetings are common in all group activities, but most of them are frustrating and time-consuming.
Despite this, they are the best way to conduct discussions, solve problems, introduce new topics, and generally stay up-to-date with what's happening.
If you learn to plan, structure, and participate effectively in meetings, you'll improve your time management and increase your productivity, as well as that of other participants.
