Enhance Your Meeting Facilitation [Yes! And Blog 154]

“Be absolutely clear on the outcome (s) wanted and stay out of content. These are my two top tips.” John Brooker If you want to enhance your meeting facilitation, here are some tips I provide people on my courses. This week I had a note from a reader. He has several meetings to facilitate and asked if I could send him a copy of my “top ten tips for facilitation” that he had accidentally erased from his computer. I thought this might be the trigger for a new blog.  Unable to find a previous article on this topic, it is with thanks to Tariq that I provide you with those top ten tips and a few more. I trust you will find them useful. Know your outcome and output Be absolutely clear on the required outcome, (e.g. “The Group will have created clear options for improved service in key areas”) and output of the meeting, (e.g. a report detailing those options). Be clear overall and for every session in it. This is the first tip, as everything flows from this. Focus on process not content Your role as a facilitator is to focus on the process. If you get involved in the content, you become a participant and that makes life difficult. If you have a stake in the content, if this project is your baby, ask someone to baby-sit for you! Think PACE Maintain pace As a facilitator you should consider PACE when designing and facilitating a meeting. Process – Attendees – Content – Environment Maintaining pace is important too! Your meeting should pulse with energy like a...