When did I write this course?

When did I write this course?

When did I write this course?

An illustration of two people putting sticky notes on a wall

I wrote the first version of this course when I was working as an innovation coach within the Salvation Army in Switzerland.

The course was published internally in French and German. This version is English was the draft that we used to translate the course in these two languages. It hasn't been proofread but that's good news for you: I didn't spend money on proofreading, so I can give you access to this course for free. If you see any typos, don't hesitate to share them in the comments.

The Salvation is a church and social work community. That's why in this course the examples shared will be in the context of either church or social work.

But no matter the context, you'll quickly realize that meetings and people are basically the same whatever the context. They often suck, and it's pretty easy to not make them suck.

Free Facilitation Course: Simple tips for less terrible meetings

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Introduction

Meet your coach

What you won't learn

The three big meeting problems we'll tackle

The seven tricks I'll teach you

When did I write this course?

1. Setup roles and rules so that it feels like a game

Introduction

Set the time keeper role or bad cop

Set the caring parent role or good cop

Set minimal rules and make people agree to them personally

Remember this

2. Define a time limit per topic to ensure you end up on time

Introduction

Realize that you have less time than planned

Set a buffer time

Set a visible timer for each topic

Remember this

3. Use sticky notes to show where the discussion is

Introduction

Put sticky notes on a wall and use them to build clarity

Use one sticky note per idea, group it and move it

Write in an easy to read way

Remember this

4. Create a parking space for new ideas and off topic elements

Introduction

Make the parking visible and tell the story

Have time? Review the parking at the end

In a rush? Add categories in your parking

Remember this

5. Use votes to not talk for hours about what's already obvious

Introduction

Give multiple dots to vote and make it fun

Use faith or another culturally relevant voting criteria

Use multiple rounds of votes for complex decisions

Remember this

6. Make people work in smaller groups and then share the summary

Introduction

Split for discussion and join for sharing

Make groups of no more than 4

Give a clear challenge, a clear timing and a clear end result

Remember this

7. Separate the mindsets to make it less confusing

Introduction

Separate coming up with ideas and deciding

Separate the criteria when deciding

Mark the separation of mindsets

Remember this

What you learned and how to make it stick

Introduction

Review the summary and the one thing to remember

Learn by teaching

Make a plan

End notes

Introduction

Thank you note

License