3 Steps To Facilitate With Power

Far too many working hours are spent in meetings that are painfully unproductive. Today it is easy for people to zone out and become disinterested. The facilitator of any meeting must be on time, on point and to the point. The last thing you want to be known as is someone who wastes other people's time. Every facilitator should strive to be the one who has meetings that people want to attend. People love to contribute to engaging and meaningful discussions that result in actions actually implemented or leads to the measurable greater good. Here are the 3 steps that will help you win at every meeting you facilitate.

1. PREPARATION PAYS OFF

• Clearly define the purpose and objective of the meeting in the invitation.

• Understand and communicate the desired outcome.

• Invitations should be sent to those who can add value. Value comes from their knowledge regarding the topic, their ability to make decisions, establish direction and sign-off on recommendations developed during the meeting.

• Clearly identify and communicate Start Time,  End Time and Location.

• Start the meeting with a quality overview of the purpose and objectives.

• Prior to the meeting, inform all key participants and speakers specifically what you want them cover or do in the meeting.

• Arrive early to set up to ensure that everything is working as planned so not to make the participants wait.

2. SET THE STAGE & MANAGE THE ENVIRONMENT

• Greet and acknowledge each person as they arrive. 

• Introduce all participants with name, title and their role in the meeting.

• Review the purpose, objectives and ground rules for the meeting.

• Encourage collaboration during the meeting.

• Encourage each person to participate.

• Draw into the conversation those who are quieter than others during the meeting to make sure everyone has an opportunity to be heard. You can direct questions to those individuals or make specific requests.

•  Influence and Negotiate when necessary during the meeting to ensure that the group achieves the meeting objectives.

• Take notes and encourage others to do the same so everyone knows and understands any take-a-way items, decisions, risks, assumptions, dependencies and next steps.

• Recap meeting outcomes at the end of the meeting including assignments given to or taken by others with expected time frame for follow up. Make sure the group agrees.

3. WRAP IT UP WITH WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

• Document the meeting results including the following:

• Critical points made/discussed during the meeting

• Assumptions, Risks, Dependencies

• Decisions made

• Next Steps, who is accountable for each one and when is each step expected to be completed

• Send the recap of the meeting out to all who where invited to the meeting, not just those who attended.

• Respond to any follow questions.

• Send any corrections or changes to the recap out to all meeting invitees.

• Recap should be sent out to invitees within 2 days so those with next step assignments have the opportunity to complete their task(s) prior to the due date.

Your meetings will be powerfully productive and efficient. You will find that people will even shift their schedules to attend your meetings all because you were well prepared and thoughtful of their time and ability to contribute.