How to Facilitate and Manage Team Meetings
We are gathered here today …
- Types of meetings
- When is a meeting the best approach?
- What effective meetings have that others don’t
What to do before the meeting to ensure its success
- Determining if the meeting is really needed
- Defining the purpose and expected outcomes for the meeting
- Matching the meeting logistics to the needs of the group
- Preparing a checklist of items needed for the group meeting
- Developing a list of thought-provoking questions to ask
- Ingredients of a well-planned meeting agenda
- What and when to communicate with your group prior to the meeting
Guidelines that help the group work towards the meeting goals
- Identifying the charter for the group and the meeting
- Establishing group meeting roles, responsibilities, and ground rules
- Determining how to keep track of and record the discussion
- Finding the balance between meeting goals and individual needs
- Getting agreement on important terms
- Adopting an objective, problem-solving approach
- Considerations for the long-term concerns of the group
During the meeting
- The benefits of starting and ending on time
- Addressing group members’ social needs
- Taking care of administrative details
- Time saving tips for better meetings
- Techniques for increasing participation and involvement
- When to use subgroups and task groups
- Monitoring meeting progress and taking appropriate action
- Applying quality management tools to solve problems
- Making sure all the important points are covered
- What to do when conflict arises
- Critical elements in closing the meeting
- Deciding on action steps, follow-up, and future meetings
- Evaluating what the meeting accomplished
- Closing on a positive note
Effective techniques for facilitating the meeting
- Knowing the role of the meeting facilitator
- Core competencies of an effective facilitator
- Getting started on a positive note: introductions and warm up
- Using questions effectively to stimulate discussion
- Observing group processes and keeping group dynamics positive
- Things that effective facilitators say to help the group
- How to guide the group towards collaboration and consensus
- Reducing tensions and exploring differences within the group
- Helping the group stay on-task and on-target
Handling typical meeting problems
- What to do when the meeting doesn’t go as planned
- Dealing with problems about meeting formats, logistics, and structure
- How to handle problems with challenging individuals
- When the unexpected occurs