Facilitating a meeting is an art when done effectively. Let’s face it. We have all been in meetings that went well, and some that didn’t. Often the success lies squarely on the shoulders of the person facilitating the meeting. Let’s take a look at 5 elements that contribute to your meeting success.
PREPARATION: What happens before the meeting is just as important as what happens during the meeting. Determine what you want your ultimate outcome to be. Plan your content and activities accordingly. It is helpful to know that 70% of adults are visual learners. So make certain you have stellar visuals in the form of Powerpoint and handouts. It is essential to host your meeting in a room with state-of-the-art audio visual capabilities. And always test your A/V equipment well in advance so there are no last minute surprises. Other learners include auditory and kinesthetic which is hands-on learning. It is helpful to engage all types of learners. Keeping this in mind as you prep will contribute to learning success.
PERSONALITY: A great facilitator isn’t afraid to let their personality shine through. To be effective, you need to have a balance of the business level and the human level. What that means is you accomplish the business at hand, yet, at the same time, you can use humor and stories to make things fun in the process. This creates a comfortable environment that is productive and enjoyable.
PUNCTUALITY: Start on time even if everyone is not there. It sets the standard that punctuality is important and it honors those who are there on time. You also want to be punctual about breaks. Some facilitators are so absorbed in their agenda, they wait too long to call a break. This frustrates your participants and they will mentally check out. Make sure your meeting room is equipped with comfortable chairs as this helps folks maintain between breaks.
POISE: There are times it becomes necessary to navigate negative behavior or comments. The way to handle this is to remain poised and empathize with the person’s viewpoint if possible. You can make statements like, “I can see you feel strongly about this,” or, “I understand the situation may be frustrating.” Avoid using the word, “But,” as it cancels out the empathetic statement you just made. Follow the empathy statement with a question such as, “What are some positive steps we can take to remedy the situation?” Another question can be, “What is the best way to turn this around?” You may also defer to the group to effectively handle negative viewpoints and get some ideas.
PERSPECTIVE: One thing that is critical is to remain open-minded as people share their opinions. A masterful facilitator can take those comments and weave them directly into the content. If you don’t know an answer to the question someone poses, commit to finding out for them. You want to avoid jumping on the complaining bandwagon. I have seen this happen and it becomes a run-away train. Have answers prepared in advance for any tough questions you may anticipate arising. Practice these, “5 P’s,” and you will be a star facilitator that hits the ball out of the park!
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