Effective Meeting Facilitation

Meetings can be powerful tools for collaboration and decision-making, or they can be significant time wasters. Effective facilitation ensures meetings achieve their purpose efficiently. **Before the Meeting** - Define clear purpose and desired outcomes - Create and share an agenda - Invite only necessary participants - Prepare materials in advance - Set appropriate duration **During the Meeting** - Start on time and state the purpose - Review the agenda and time allocation - Keep discussion focused on objectives - Ensure balanced participation - Capture decisions and action items - Manage time actively - Summarize conclusions and next steps **Facilitation Techniques** - **Parking lot**: Note off-topic items for later - **Round robin**: Give everyone a turn to speak - **Timeboxing**: Allocate specific time for each topic - **Breakout groups**: Small groups for deeper discussion - **Silent brainstorming**: Written ideas before discussion **Managing Difficult Dynamics** - **Dominant participants**: Thank them and invite others - **Silent participants**: Ask directly for input - **Tangents**: Acknowledge and redirect to agenda - **Conflict**: Name it, explore it, or defer if needed **After the Meeting** - Send notes within 24 hours - Include decisions, action items, and owners - Follow up on commitments - Evaluate what worked and what to improve