For many of us the prospect of attending a meeting is an emergency situation We would rather do virtually anything than attend a meeting because we know it can be just a you know a life draining period of time Especially when they're meetings that that really could have been handled by an email or something simple like that that could have been handled Otherwise and don't require us to be in that space. So when we're in a group on especially when we're leading a group It's important that we know how to effectively facilitate a group meeting And what needs to happen what we can do to make that process as painless as possible because it can be important but we also don't want it to be a burden or or be a You know a negative force in the group so in this video We're going to talk about what we can do to facilitate effective group meetings So first it starts actually before the meeting We want to be sure that we are preparing Effectively for a meeting that we're not coming in unprepared and that we were not wasting time in that regard So the first one of the first decisions we have to make is how are we going to meet are we going to meet in person? Are we going to meet online? Do we need to have a special space for this? Or is it can we just meet in somebody's office or or you know, what do we need it? How are we going to meet in what way we're going to meet? Is it a teleconference? Is it an in-person? Is it is it a zoom meeting? Whatever we need to decide how we're going to meet And what's going to be the most effective and And also meet the needs that we're going to have during that meeting Then we need to develop an agenda We ought to have a very specific idea of what not only we want to happen at the meeting what what needs to be done What decisions need to be made and and what we need to accomplish during that meeting So we've got to develop an agenda for the forgetting us there We can't just you don't just set out on a road trip Without having a plan for how you're going to get there, right? Unless that's the purpose is to get lost You usually have a a route mapped out how you're gonna get there. That's what the agenda does force We need to develop an agenda before the meeting and and identify what we're gonna talk about when we're gonna talk about it Maybe even put some time constraints on there if we if we know where we have some of some of those issues So we can put a time constraint on on different Different items on the agenda, but we need to have something prepared on an agenda prepared for that meeting We need to then invite the participants and and you know Not only is this a procedural thing How are we going to invite people how are we gonna let people know about the meeting and that kind of thing? But also who needs to be there who do we need to invite? We need to make sure that we're getting everybody there that needs to be there But also not Forcing people to come if they don't really need to be there if they don't need to attend Then we don't necessarily need to invite them Maybe we can catch them up later by giving them a summary or some minutes or things like that But we need to decide who needs to be invited and then how are we going to invite those people and the next? We need to secure a space if we're in charge of the meeting for leading the meeting or for this is just one of our responsibilities We have to decide in what is this team going to need when we meet do we need a whiteboard? We need you know a big screen on the on the walls so we can we can all see the same Computer screen and computer monitor or watch the same thing. Do we need a shared table space? We need any special tools or whatever and then we need to secure that space We need to make sure that within our organization or whatever it is wherever it is we're at that we have You know reserved that space that we've secured the appropriate space and that we can then tell the people This is where we are meeting for sure. This is where you need to go for this meeting It's been reserved already and it's going to be handled So we all that needs to happen before the meeting ever takes place before we you know before we get too far down This road Because we want to go into these meetings prepared That's going to help us then run an effective meeting. So what does that mean though? What to run an effective meeting? What do we need to to keep in mind first and foremost? This is one of my personal things and I think it's very very important that we begin and end on time You begin when you're going to say you begin you're prepared and you're ready to start the meeting at that time and that you end At or before the time that you say that you're not running over you got to respect people's time and and just you know This is what we're going to end and if it gets to that time You're not totally done then you reschedule something else You have to schedule something else but you've got to end that meeting on time you begin on time and you end on time And this is a very westernized thing. Okay, so let me clarify that too culturally. This is very different from culture to culture So this is a very westernized thing very American thing if you're dealing with people from Another culture that's maybe different. You need to be aware of those things But that's kind of a separate discussion as far as our our meetings go here in you know western Individualized cultures like the United States. We need to begin and end on time Another thing we need to keep in mind is housekeeping housekeeping is boring the housekeeping things in a meeting like Reading the minutes and having minutes and and you know, maybe following whatever rules of order You need to start voting and things like that those housekeeping things are boring But you got to do it anyway. They're really important or not that if you're meeting on zoom How are we going to ask questions? What's the procedure for if I have something to say? How should I go about saying that? Right? How should I go about saying that? Do I need to Raise my hand in zoom or whatever it is? But you got to cover these kinds of things at the beginning These things are boring there. They're tedious, but they are so important So you've got to get them done at the start So that you and and take care of it through the meeting so that that you're not running into something Larger larger issue later on so housekeeping is boring. Do it anyway. It's really important You got to state the purpose One of the first things you ought to do when you open a meeting is say This is what we're trying to accomplish as part of this meeting let people know why they are there even beforehand As you send out the invitation really people should know what this meeting is about what you're trying to accomplish But you certainly want to state that at the start of your meeting when you run that meeting This is why we're here. This is what we're focused on And and this is where our attention needs to be for the period of time that we are here in this meeting That's really important in doing so will help you do the next thing which is stick to the agenda If people know why they're there if you state the purpose and they know why they're there That'll make it easier when you say, okay, we got to get this back around here a little bit We've gotten off track a little bit you want to stay on track Right ends the tracks here. You want to stay on track stick to the agenda stick with what you've planned If something else comes up that you feel Needs pursuing then jot that down and schedule something else pursue that at a different time Make a note of it doesn't mean it can't be discussed or pursued But but that's not why you're there in that moment for that limited time of that meeting So stick to your agenda and as the as the person running the meeting It's your responsibility to make sure that it's happening So you really got to stick to the agenda and be firm about that When you're running a meeting you want to guide not dictate you want to you know when you think about the great leaders in history line, right like yoda and gandalf and And dumbledore right these these great leaders didn't dictate to the people what they had to do what they what they were required to do They gave them choices and they helped them with information and they guided them But they didn't dictate to them, right? They never said this is what you have to do And you were required to do it was always, you know, this is what I recommend you do This is what you know some information that you might need and so our role is to guide The meeting not necessarily to dictate if we were just going to dictate We could have just told people what to do and why did you know what they're doing and and just say go do it But we're for having a meeting the Theoretically the purpose then is for us to gather information have other inputs We want to guide that and don't dictate don't totally overtake the meeting You really need to pay attention to you need to pay attention to people in terms of their They're nonverbals and not only what they're saying, but they're nonverbals. Are they engaged? Are they not engaged? Do we need to pull them in somehow? We're losing people here So we really as the person running the meeting have to pay attention To what people are doing what they're talking about how things are going so we can get in front of any potential issues And and make sure that we've got everybody engaged and involved So we are we ought to be at a high level of awareness In addition, we need to capture and assign action items any action items that come out of that meeting We ought to be you know, recording those getting them down And then assigning them as necessary to to other people in the group to to carry out and to follow up on right So we need to capture those and assign any action items that may come up Also have to where possible. We want to add some levity add some lightness give people a little A little chance to laugh and enjoy themselves And so that doesn't mean we want to totally derail things or you know We don't have to be a professional comedian or anything like that, but where possible We want to just add a little bit of lightness so that the process isn't isn't quite so unpleasant Well, so what I encourage debate debate is great. That's why you're there That's why you have these different perspectives different people different different mindsets people come from different backgrounds You want that debate you want to encourage debate And and encourage people to speak up and and share their opinion and things We want to avoid arguments though We don't want it to devolve into arguments when we debate we need to do so In a reasonable way where everybody has a chance to kind of state their thoughts and their feelings and be heard But we're not just going to devolve into straight up arguments where people are you know, people get personal They start calling names or whatever and and they they have an absolute refusal to look at the other side That's not what we want. We want a good healthy debate And but we want to try and do we can to divert or avoid arguments Because there is a difference You want to be sure you take breaks Take breaks for you know, even if this is a five minute if it's fine If you have one scheduled take it doesn't matter if you're in the middle of it Take it when you have them scheduled or if you notice that You know the people in the in the group are getting tired or or they're the energy is just really low You may need to take a quick break and let people go to the bathroom or whatever Depending on the length of the meeting that will determine when and and how long a break you need to take But certain points You've got to take breaks and let people just release for a second Just let them get up walk around use the restroom get something to drink whatever it is So be sure that you're you're factoring in breaks to any meeting that you are running Then you want to check in with participants as well Make sure that you know, you're checking in with everybody and making sure again Like I said before everybody's involved But have you and make sure they've been heard. Do you have anything to add here? Do you want to check in with the participants be intentional about about connecting with everybody And making sure that they are engaged and involved and have had a chance to To speak if and when necessary And then you at the very end you want to note any future meetings. You want to be sure that people know Okay, remember we've got this schedule that we'll meet again at this day and time or whatever You can even put it in the agenda write it down in the agenda So they have it and you'll send an invitation of course, but you also want to just mention to them Don't forget we're we're meeting at this time and and so be sure you put that on the calendar Do you want to note any future meetings that you may be having? Okay, so I know we've run the meeting we've run a great meeting right we've prepared for it Then we've run the the fantastic meeting and we got a lot a lot done But our work is not done there We've still got some things to do after the meeting some things we need to do So first of all, we need to send minutes. Hopefully you or someone else you've assigned has been Taking minutes and and noting what has been discussed and and what decisions were made and all that kind of thing So you want to send those minutes out to everybody Be sure you you get that and and you can send a thank you along with that never hurts to say Thanks for your your your participation and thanks for being a part of this But be sure you send those minutes out as soon as you can afterward right after a meeting You want to start the next agenda then again, you're making notes throughout and saying, okay We this came up didn't get discussed or this is an idea. We wanted to pursue pursue Later, but it wasn't part of the agenda for today You need to start your next agenda get your start preparing the next agenda for your for your future meetings Especially with those leftover items anything that didn't get completed in that meeting should be at the beginning of the agenda for your next meeting You want to assess your progress? How far did you get in making those decisions? How far did you get in your agenda? How far did your group move forward in their overall project? What progress are you making and just take a step back and say? This is what we've got done. This is what we still have to do And at the same time you want to also assess your process How did it go when you ran that last meeting what worked what didn't work? You know be be taking notes and making notes to yourself about what can I do better next time? The next time I run a meeting with this particular group. This is what I'll do differently This is what I need to keep an eye on or whatever it is. So assess your process as part of that as well Now in today's age, it's possible that you're going to be meeting, you know via technology So let's talk a little bit about meeting via audio only technology But usually this is going to be over the phone for example This would be you know audio only we can't see the other people But so we're on a teleconference for on a phone call or something with our with our groups So one thing we need to be quite aware of is our para language our para language And so this has to do with With the way we use our voice essentially Right so the volume at which we're speaking the the pitch that we that we have That when we're speaking the rate and and our use of pause when we're speaking And then our articulation as well, especially in an audio only format is important We need to be sure that we are articulating well and and making sure that that the other people can understand What we're saying that it's not mumbled and so those types of things So we want to be aware of our para language because people can't see the other You know things the other nonverbal signals we're sending off they they have to rely on that para language So we want to be sure that we're using para language that is appropriate for whatever it is We're discussing and and who we're discussing it with We also want to focus on our pronunciation make sure that we're pronouncing words correctly So articulation is one thing and pronunciation is another we want to be sure that we are Having correct pronunciation of words again. That's the only thing they have to go on So if we're mispronouncing a word, they may not understand it So we want to be sure that we are pronouncing words correctly to get a very clear message across And then we need to think about the setting as well. This is you know, something I think we've all You know during and post pandemic been much much more aware of But our setting matters, you know, it's our setting if you're trying to conduct a meeting Well, you've got all kinds of other things going on at the home, right? You're trying trying to care for your child. You're trying to do some other work trying You need to think about where you're at. Are you in a position to talk on the way? Are you On a crowded, you know subway car or something or in a crowd or whatever you're not in the right setting for an audio only Conference right or meeting you need to be in a place that's that's relatively quiet and where you won't be disturbed as much But so that's really crucial in an audio only technology. Of course, you want to be in an area where you can really be Focused and you can hear well and there's no background noise really for the other people to hear or that's very limited So be sure that you're thinking about your settings before you enter into these types of meetings So your pair language of pronunciation and setting those are the things that want to highlight for audio only technology But what if we have not only audio, but we add video into this that's becoming very very common, right? We've I'm sure we've you've probably been on zoom multiple times at this point I would guess and zoom meetings or other types of platforms like that or even just FaceTime Those types of things so when we have a meeting that is both audio and video technology There are a couple things we want to be sure we do and first of all we want to check the tech Make sure we know how to do these things that we can zoom like an expert right that we know Where's my mute button and where's my video button then and how am I framed and and as my microphone able to be Picked up right. We want to be sure that we're checking the tech in that regard. We also want to know the mediums I'm sorry get the kind of backwards there for the graphics But we want to know the medium we want to know everything we can about zoom What is possible for our people to do are we going to be able to use a whiteboard? Or are we going to be able to share? Documents and and show those types of things share the screen You know how to do those things are they possible and you know how to do them as the person leading the meeting That'll be important as well We need to expect issues though Again, if you've been on any kind of zoom meetings usually at all and certainly if you've been on quite a few Then you know that there will be issues. There will be technological issues Somebody's mic won't work or somebody's camera won't work or somebody can't get connected or somebody Whatever it is there's going to be issues or just expect those things roll with it as best you can And and just know that they're going to happen and it won't be the end of the world You need to really remove distractions whether you're the person running the meeting or you're just attending You want to remove distractions in not only, you know being in an environment That's that's conducive to that where there aren't a lot of other people a lot of noises and things but You know closed on your email Put your phone in a place where you're not just going to be tempted to just scroll through your Your tiktok feed or whatever while you're in this meeting especially if it's video They're going to people are going to see whether they see your camera on screen or your phone on screen or not They're going to know what you're doing right so you want to you want to just remove distractions And have an environment where you are are not tempted by other things and so that will help enhance your focus On that meeting so just get rid of as many distractions as you possibly can when you're in an audio and a video Meeting like that when you're meeting from at some sort of distance Hopefully this gives you a you know some more confidence in running a meeting and understanding what It means to run an effective meeting and how that can be important It's it's not as bad as it sounds and meetings can be of course very productive When they're run properly, they don't have to be the end of the world But we do want to carefully consider Is this the most appropriate venue for for sharing and discussing this information? And and how can I then best? facilitate that process If you have questions about facilitating meetings or leading meetings as part of your group process, please feel free to email me I'd love to hear from you there in the meantime I hope that you will take these to heart really think about these things the next time you you try and Run a meeting or have to run a meeting so that you can do so as effectively as possible