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Meeting Facilitator’s Guide

Introductory note: I found that it was helpful to have a short summaary in digital or printed form for attendees to take with them who attended Meeting Facilitation Workshops that I hosted. This blog post summarizes the contents of that short guide.

Before you get there

Before you set foot in the virtual or physical space where the meeting will take place:

• Ensure it is clear to attendees what is to be discussed, what decision(s) is/are to be made, and what outcomes are expected
• Ensure that everyone who truly needs to be there has been invited (conversely, only invite people who really need to be there in order to achieve the desired outcomes)
• If it’s going to be a lengthy meeting or deal with complex topics, consider coordinating with one or more people in advance to assist with activities such as note taking (acting as a “Scribe”)
• For in-person meetings, make sure you have everything you need. It’s a good idea to have a “facilitator kit” with you.

Handy things to carry in a facilitator kit include:

• Dongles/adaptors
• Network cable
• Power cable
• White board markers
• Sharpies
• Post-it notes/note cards

When you get there

• Arrive before all other meeting attendees if at all possible
• Make sure the equipment that you need is ready and functioning properly
• Consider writing what is to be accomplished during the meeting on a white board, flip chart, or electronic media (if not before the meeting, then at the beginning)

And for in-person meetings:

• If the space has a door, close it so you don’t disturb people in the vicinity as you’re setting up
• If the room has windows and it’s particularly bright or dark, adjust the window blinds and/or overhead lights
• Change the arrangement of the furniture, as necessary (if you’ll be using a display, make sure there are no chairs facing away from the display)

While you’re there

• (If there are remote attendees) Verify that anyone attending remotely can see and hear what is being said/being shared; and remind attendees in the meeting space to sit reasonably close to an audio device
• Make sure everyone has the same understanding about what is to be accomplished’; Try to boil it down to “What is the single most important outcome we need from this meeting?”
• Check for consensus on what question or questions need to be answered to achieve the desired outcome(s)
• Only stay as long as you need to in order to accomplish the objective(s)
• Provide periodic reminders to make sure discussions stay on topic
• Use a Parking Lot to capture topics that might need discussion at some point, but don’t need to be discussed during the meeting

For longer meetings:

• Watch for signs that people might need a break (whether one is scheduled or not)
• Look for opportunities for attendees to move around the room, by engaging people in activities or standing together in front of a white board

Before you leave

• Make sure the desired outcome(s) were achieved
• Check for shared understanding on what outcomes were achieved
• Identify any follow-up steps that are needed, and who the owner(s) is/are
• Thank everyone for attending

As you leave

For in-person meetings:

• Make sure everybody has the items they brought with them
• Return the room to at least as good a state as you found it in (return chairs to their original positions, discard trash, etc.)