3-22-12 Facilitating a productive meeting

As a professional facilitator, it drives me crazy to be a participant in a poorly planned and facilitated meeting.  Here is what I expect when I go to a meeting:

• There are clear goals for what the meeting is intended to accomplish;
• There is a simple agenda that has been created and is followed as much as possible; some deviations may occur as long as these contribute to the goals of the meeting;
• The meeting is set for no more than an hour and a half;
• The leader of the meeting keeps everyone focused on the agenda and assures that no single voice dominates;

I am a great believer in the value of creating small group discussions where people are asked to laundry-list ideas, concerns or responses to some stated questions.  Small groups make it easier for each participant to share.  Allowing people to prioritize by selecting three to five of the listed items is an excellent way to see the consensus views. 

My overall goal is to have everyone leave a meeting smiling and feeling confident and comfortable that they were able to share their responses and hear what others had to say.