The FireFly Whiteboard - Effective Meeting Facilitation Strategies, Team-Building Tools, and Training Techniques from Kimberly Douglas, President of FireFly Facilitation.

Ask your team “Why are we here today?”

According to a Microsoft survey of over 38,000 employees, almost 70% felt that the average 5.6 hours they spend each week in meetings are unproductive.*        

What an incredible waste of talent, time, and energy – not to mention lost opportunities – for a company to have!  Since I’m willing to bet that a good number of these meetings are with their immediate team, I believe that we can change these meetings from being called unproductive to the most exciting time of the week with ease.    

Over the next few posts, we’ll make available a few simple tips to make your meetings become the most engaging and thought- provoking time of the day, whether you’re the team leader or a team member.   

So, what can you do to enhance your meetings to increase your team’s effectiveness?  Start right away – simply ask this question at the beginning of your next team meeting… and see what dialog it sparks!

“Why are we here today?”

I would love to hear what responses you get – and what others can learn from your experiences.  Post a comment () below with your results or your questions. I would welcome the opportunity to reply to you! 

*According to the Microsoft Office Personal Productivity Challenge – a 2005 survey of 38,000+ people in 200 countries. 

Part 3: What To Do When Holding a Meeting with Silent Introverts & Overbearing Extroverts - Meeting Effectiveness Tips from FireFly Facilitation

The Mastering Meetings for Introverts webinar will be held this Wednesday, May 7^th. You won’t want to miss Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler, President of AboutYOU, Inc., an Atlanta-based consulting firm, as she gives you insight on how to make your meetings more effective.

Remaining tips from Kimberly Douglas if you are the introvert…

1.   Get prepared to participate. Hopefully you know why you were invited – if not, ask the meeting leader. Make sure you know the key points you want to make in the meeting regarding the topics to be discussed. Jot these down on the agenda to be sure they get addressed. Review the pre-reading so that you are well-versed on the topic and can thus more fully participate.

2.   Sit in a strategic seat – see top item #2.

3.   Suggest the facilitator or meeting leader use ground rules and ask everyone to help the group live by them. See top item #3 for additional information on ground rules.

4.   When there is an opportunity to speak – take it. Start talking early in the meeting if possible, so that it won’t be so hard to do it after the meeting has already been going for awhile.

5.   Speak in a quieter tone – often people will become quiet to hear what you have to say.

     Remember, post a comment or question by clicking on Comments ( ) below…and I look forward to answering it an upcoming blog!

FireFly Facilitation Answers a Blogger’s Meeting Effectiveness Question

Have a tough question or issue you’re dealing with? We love receiving comments from our readers and are happy to respond to specific questions!  Here is another question from a recent blog visitor…

I manage a team of 10 student staff members and we meet on a weekly basis. As a student myself, I understand that they have other things going on and are often disengaged during our meetings. After meetings, they come to me asking the same questions that I already went over. It's very frustrating. How do you recommend leaders engage team members in this type of situation and help them retain the important information?

My top 4 recommendations for situations like these are:

1) Keep a targeted agenda in front of everyone at all times. Be sure it shows time allotted for discussion of each item. If time runs out, quickly decide how to deal with it – e.g. postpone further discussion until the next meeting (perhaps with prep work in between); allow X amount of additional time now; pick up the discussion at the end of the meeting, time permitting.

2) Be clear on the expected deliverable for each agenda item. For example, is it for idea generation, evaluation, decision, or planning? Limit the number of items that are for information only. Use handouts for these items with clear bullet points of facts they need to know; everyone has a very limited attention span for these kinds of topics.

3) Restate the outcome of the discussion before moving on. This gives people a sense of accomplishment and clarity about what was decided. Best practice tip: Flip chart decisions and actions throughout the meeting. Capture – for all to see – who is to do what by when. It amazes me how much more seriously people take their accountabilities when you write it up for all to see!

4) Make time for a 5-minute wrap up at the end. Do a round robin, with everyone recapping what they are accountable for delivering. Good questions for the leader to ask to get people thinking about the impact of the meeting: “Who needs to know what we decided today? How are we going to communicate this to them?

These 4 simple steps will keep everyone on point and engaged!

Part 2: What To Do When Holding a Meeting with Silent Introverts & Overbearing Extroverts - Meeting Effectiveness Tips from FireFly Facilitation

Part 2 of the series from Kimberly's interview with Dr. Jennifer Kahnweiler for Jennifer's teleseminar on Mastering Meetings for Introverts. Click here to view the first post in the series. 

The Top 8 things to do if you are the meeting leader or facilitator… 

 5.  Conduct quick process checks during the meeting to see if people are satisfied with the level of participation and adherence to the ground rules. A simple thumbs up for “good” and thumbs down for “not good” will suffice. Then solicit their suggestions (after individual think time – see below) for improving the interaction and participation in the group.   

6.  Always give them time to think. Everyone needs time to think before speaking in order to be effective – whether we take the time to do it or not. Before expecting a free-wheeling, productive discussion on a topic, pose the question – and then give them 2 to 3 minutes to jot down their thoughts. This allows introverts a chance to gather their thoughts before they speak – which they like to do – and forces extroverts to do the same – which they hate (I should know!)

7.  Mix up the facilitation processes to maximize interaction. Instead of always discussing things in a large group, first give them individual thinking time (see above), then have them discuss it in small groups. The smaller the number (3-5 is best), the more the interaction. You can also use round robins as a tool for ensuring that everyone weighs in on a topic. Mix up where you start each round robin to keep people on their toes. This is especially effective for keeping participation high in virtual meetings.

8.  Call on introverts to respond to direct questions – but use this tactic sparingly and carefully. Make sure that they can answer the question effectively – you might need to make clear why you are calling on them in particular (e.g. because of their expertise or experience with this issue). Must be careful not to appear to label them as introverts and someone in need of your help or protection from the extroverts – they can speak for themselves if they are given the opportunity.

Look for Part 3 - What to do if you are the introvert - coming soon! 

FireFly Facilitation Answers a Blogger’s Meeting Effectiveness Question

Recently, one of our blog readers commented on the Introverts/Extroverts post by asking the following question: “No matter what, you always have at least one team member that doesn't play fair. As a leader, how can you encourage overbearing personalities to play by the ground rules without ridiculing them at the same time?”

To answer that question, there are several things you can do as a leader:

First, tell the group you want to spend a few minutes talking about some "conversational ground rules" we can adopt to make sure that our time together is as effective as possible. Ask for some suggestions for some ground rules that they have used before or seen others use that they think might work really well for this group. One that I have seen groups adopt is "Everyone participates" (and then ask people to police their own level of participation - am I participating enough? Too much?).

"Speak in headlines" is a good one for groups that have people who take the floor and then expound too long on a topic. Discuss with the group the ground rules list you developed – and then select only the top 3 to 5 that everyone can agree to live up to. Be sure not to make a list of 10 things we will never do – you want rules that will stick and be effective.

Next, as the leader you have to make sure and keep these ground rules front and center. Many of the teams we work with actually include them as part of the agenda, so it is right in front of people during the meeting. Better yet, especially early on, write them on a flip chart piece of paper and post them in the room. Challenge people to courageously acknowledge when they have broken a rule – and just as courageously to (gently) point out when others have too.

Finally, if this individual is still causing a problem in meetings, then you need to deal with him/her one on one. Help them to understand how you perceive their behavior and the negative impact you see it having on their relationship with other team members. Ask how you can help him/her to alter their behavior – and then make clear that you expect a change. Be sure to watch for – and recognize, privately or in the meeting, as appropriate – positive changes to their behavior. And get ready for more engaging and productive meetings in the future!

What To Do When Holding a Meeting with Silent Introverts & Overbearing Extroverts - Meeting Effectiveness Tips from FireFly Facilitation

Recently, Jennifer Kahnweiler (PhD and President of AboutYOU, Inc. a consulting firm based in Atlanta, GA) interviewed me for information for her teleseminar on Mastering Meetings for Introverts on May 7. In a 3-part series of postings, I will be listing the tips that I gave her. As always, feel free to leave a comment and I will be glad to respond. Happy reading! 

To see more information about or to register for the teleseminar, go to: http://aboutyouinc.com    

The Top 8 things to do if you are the meeting leader or facilitator…

1. Prep invitees to make them better participants. Make sure each participant knows why they were invited. Do they have particular expertise or experience with the topic to be discussed or a decision to be made? Make sure you let them know you want them to share it – and you will make sure everyone will be heard. Also, send out the agenda and any necessary pre-reading in advance in enough time to actually be read. Introverts like to be fully prepared and dislike surprises and being put on the spot, while extroverts love spontaneity.

2. Use “strategic seating”. Use name tents if possible, and place introverts in the more seats in the room – in a middle seat at the base of the U, at a middle seat on the side if using a board room table. Place dominant players in the less visible seats – at a corner of the U, at a far end from the meeting leader, surrounded on both sides by neutral or quieter participants.

3. Have good ground rules – and get participants to police themselves. Two great ground rules that I recommend to groups with an unequal level of participation between introverts and extroverts is “Everyone participates” and “Speak in Headlines”. Remind them that everyone was invited because they have unique information or point of view to share (see above). In order to make sure everyone gets the benefit of hearing these diverse perspectives (which leads to better decisions), ask people to police themselves throughout the meeting to ensure they are not “over or under participating”.

Tips 4-8 coming next!

The Top Pitfalls of Pitiful Meetings…that have to be dealt with real-time, during the meeting! ...Meeting Effectiveness Tips from FireFly Facilitation

In the last post, I dealt with pitfalls that can be avoided or corrected before the meeting even starts. Here, I will give you some tools and tips for dealing with the pitfalls that occur real-time.

–     Not using ground rules – also known as a meeting free for all. You don’t have to act like a sergeant-at-arms when using them – you can think of these as “conversational ground rules”. Conversational ground rules are ways that we are going to act in this meeting to ensure everyone’s time is well used.

–     Allowing some participants to dominate – You know the ones I mean…those people who love to let everyone know they are the most important person in the room…have the best ideas…have something to add on every subject. First tip, don’t let them sit at the front of the room – this definitely gives them a feeling of being on stage. Use name tents to arrange seating if you can, or try to stack the deck and ask the introverts to sit towards the front. If you are the leader, try not to sit near them – they will be very distracting to you.

–     Not capturing and distributing outcomes – Simple solution...post a flip chart piece of paper and track real-time actions to be taken using this format --- WHO, WHAT, and BY WHEN.  At the end of every discussion, be clear about what decision was made – then ask, “Who's not in this meeting that needs to know what we just decided?”, and figure out how you will inform them.  If you keep the format for capturing what went on in the meeting simple, you have a much greater likelihood of getting it done and getting it distributed quickly.

The Top Pitfalls of Pitiful Meetings…that can be corrected before the meeting even starts! ...Meeting Effectiveness Tips from FireFly Facilitation

The following pitfalls below are all points that can be avoided or corrected before the meeting even starts. For each pitfall, I share with you my expert tips on how to run a meeting like a pro!  To see the entire list, refer to the previous post, The Top Ten Pitfalls of Pitiful Meetings.

– No clear reason for meeting – Look back to the earlier post that talks about “When NOT to have a meeting”. The very first thing I discussed is being clear on the meeting deliverables – what do you hope to walk out of this meeting with. Being clear about this one thing will ensure a greater likelihood of an effective meeting than anything else you can do.

– No agenda sent out in advance – Remember the last time you actually received an agenda in advance of a meeting? Likely, you immediately had a higher perception of whether this meeting was going to be a waste of time or not. Of course, if you don’t have an agenda planned to begin with, then you can’t send it in advance - which reinforces the top point of no clear reason for meeting. Be sure in knowing why you are having the meeting, create a draft agenda, and then let the participants know about the meeting. Finalize the agenda once you know who will be attending. 

– Not getting the right people to attend – Would you attend a meeting (if you could get out of it) if you didn’t know why the meeting was being held and why you in particular were invited? Too many times we invite too many people and don’t make clear what role we want them to play – do we want them to be an expert, the influencer, or a decider? Be strategic.

FireFly Facilitation Answers a Blogger’s Meeting Effectiveness Question: “When is it okay to do online meetings?”

Regular team or project meetings are one example of when it is okay to have people participating virtually. With the time and cost involved in travel today, this is a business reality to be expected.

Since each company may have their own unique meetings that are well-suited to an online format, I think I can provide greater value by telling you when NOT to conduct a meeting virtually.

• First, when the key purpose of the meeting is to deal with a high-conflict situation. You need to have all of the key stakeholders in the room together to be able to read each other’s body language – since this is how we know if the words being said are being confirmed or refuted. No online meeting can replace face-to-face in these situations.
• Second, when the meeting purpose is to brainstorm solutions and action steps for a very tough problem. While virtual meeting technology has come a long way, it still can’t hold a candle to the creative energy that arises when you have a group of people in a room – with a skilled facilitator, of course! – collaborating to solve a critical business issue.

To help you decide on virtual or not, seriously weigh the pros and cons of each option. I know it’s not always under your control whether the meeting will be in person or online, but at least think about it.

Remember, post a comment or question by clicking on Comments ( ) below…and I look forward to answering it an upcoming blog!

The Top Ten Pitfalls of Pitiful Meetings...Meeting Effectiveness Tips from FireFly Facilitation

What’s your personal meeting pet peeve? Is it…no clear agenda for the meeting…not starting and/or ending on time…one person dominating the meeting…or something else altogether?

Having sat through countless meetings myself, I am here to share with you that while some were truly great, unfortunately many more really just missed the mark – and could have been so much better with just a little bit more effort.

To set the stage, I want to let you in on what my 15 years of experience have taught me by listing what I have found to be        The Top Pitfalls of Pitiful Meetings:

1. No clear reason for the meeting

2. No agenda sent out in advance

3. Not getting the right people to attend

4. No agreed upon decision-making process

5. Not starting and ending on time

6. Not using ground rules

7. Ineffectively dealing with conflict

8. Disengaged participants

9. Allowing certain participants to dominate

10.Not capturing or following through on meeting decisions

In the upcoming posts, I will start addressing the pitfalls above (or others!) that get the most feedback. I would love to hear which meeting pet peeves are most important to you, so please leave a comment by clicking on the Comment () link below, and I promise to give you useful, practical tips for solving them.