Masterful MeetingsSeptember 26, 2007

LEARNERS

=

LEADERS

Like Me!1. The meetings I attend are predominantly

effective.2. I have attended an ineffective meeting

within the last two weeks.3. I have personally facilitated an effective

meeting.4. I have personally facilitated an ineffective

meeting.5. When I am in charge of a meeting, I spend

an equal amount of time planning and preparing as I do attending and facilitating.

Meeting success is influenced more by the collaborative norms of the group than by the knowledge and skill of a meeting facilitator.

Garmston & Wellman

PURPOSE

To provide experiences, tools, strategies, and resources that will enhance participants’ effectiveness as facilitators of adult learning.

FEEDBACK FROM SESSION FEEDBACK FROM SESSION ONEONE

9 Responses

VALUE Average: 4.9 Range: 1X4, 8X5

FOUND USEFUL Dimensions of Success pyramid

Group activities

Information/perspectives on adult learners

IMPROVEMENTS Continue group interaction As a visual learner, materials to

write on help!

APPLICATIONS Be more aware of my audience Provide time for reflection &

problem-solving I will use the triangle to plan my next meeting.

Desired Outcomes

Understanding of structures that support productive meetings

Tools and strategies for increasing meeting productivity

Insights gained from shared experiences and application activitiesConfidence and enthusiasm!

Today’s Agenda

Who are we and why are we here? What does a productive meeting look and feel like? What gets in the way? How can we plan for success? Reflections & Next Steps

In order to know what

I think,

I have to write and

see what I say.

Roland Barth

Reflection

• What questions do I hope to answer?

• How confident am I as a meeting participant and/or facilitator?

Please share …

• Your name, role, and work location.

• Your relationship to today’s topic.

Getting Acquainted!

FALL BUDDIES 

Autumn Leaves

Football

Pumpkin

NORMS FOR OUR LEARNING

• Share experiences to enrich others.

• Listen through the filter of a question.

• Pay attention to your “feathers”.• Learn by doing – apply to your

own work.• Postpone distractions.

What

is

a

meeting?

A meeting is . . .A meeting is . . .

. . . A milestone along a group’s pathway to action.

. . . A microcosm of a team or organization’s culture.

. . . Any time 2 or more people work together to:

give and/or gather information. take action: plan, problem-solve, decide.

In successful meetings, a maximum amount of work is done in minimum time with a maximum amount of participation.

Must Meetings be Deadly?

Take a moment to write down your greatest irritations with meetings.

This is your chance.

Whine away!

MEETING ROLES

Facilitator - Keep the group on task.

Timekeeper - Keep the group on time.

Recorder - Record key ideas on flip chart.

Note Taker - Keep official record of the meeting decisions and actions.

AGENDAS

• purpose• meeting outcomes• topics• time estimates• designated roles• tools & processes

SAMPLE AGENDA

Time Topic Outcome Lead5 min. Check In / Review

AgendaFocus Charlie

20 min. Research findings Learning Scott

30 min. Discuss strategy options Select 1-2strategies

Sam

10 min.* Update from subgroups Sharedunderstanding

Beth

5 min. Check out / Evaluation Improvement Ginger

*FLEX ItemThe Handbook for SMART School Teams, page 70

PURPOSE: To select strategies for achieving our SMART goal.

MEETING NORMSStandards of behavior by

which we agree to operate while we are in this group

Suggested Topics:•Attendance

•Promptness

•Equal Opportunity to Participate

•Interruptions

• Assignments

• Decision Making

• Confidentiality

• Managing Conflict

Standards of Excellence

1. Groups should address only one topic at a time.

2. Groups should use only one process at a time.

3. Meetings should be interactive and engage balanced participation.

4. Decision-making meetings should engage cognitive conflict.

5. All parties should understand and agree on meeting roles.

DIMENSIONS of SUCCESS

RESULTS

PROCESS RELATIONSHIP

Interaction Associates, LLC

With your Autumn Leaves Buddy:

  Which meeting structures are most needed to improve meetings you attend? 

 

  What might you do to encourage improvement?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Placemat Collaboration

1. What are 3 critical skills used by effective meeting facilitators?

2. What are 3 challenges that meeting facilitators face?

3. Which challenge do you believe interferes most with effective meetings?

4. What suggestions do you have to address this challenge?

With your group . . .

Share your thoughts.Record your “feathers” from this activity in the center circle.What is your next step as a meeting facilitator?

Just Do It!

Consider an upcoming meeting, and select a team to assist with planning.

Create an agenda for the meeting and chart it on your table easel.

Adhere to the Success Criteria and Rule.

Think, Pair Share . . .

What are you thinking now that you weren’t thinking at the beginning of the evening?How might you implement what you have learned?

The power of the group to produce results is rooted in the quality of the relationships among the participants.

Predict the rough waters and provide

time to learn, reflect and shape. Get the people to

say, “I helped build it. I feel safe

here.”Patrick Dolan