Introduction
Introduction
Free Facilitation Course: Simple tips for less terrible meetings
1. Setup roles and rules so that it feels like a game
1. Setup roles and rules so that it feels like a game
2. Define a time limit per topic to ensure you end up on time
2. Define a time limit per topic to ensure you end up on time
3. Use sticky notes to show where the discussion is
3. Use sticky notes to show where the discussion is
4. Create a parking space for new ideas and off topic elements
4. Create a parking space for new ideas and off topic elements
5. Use votes to not talk for hours about what's already obvious
5. Use votes to not talk for hours about what's already obvious
6. Make people work in smaller groups and then share the summary
6. Make people work in smaller groups and then share the summary
7. Separate the mindsets to make it less confusing
7. Separate the mindsets to make it less confusing
What you learned and how to make it stick
What you learned and how to make it stick
Imagine this, you are working in a nuclear plant. Yeah that's serious stuff. And in the weekly meeting two topics have to be discussed. What type of screws need to be changed in the nuclear core. And the creation of a bike shed. What happens? Everyone has an opinion, and idea for the bike shed. Bob shares a story he read in a newspaper about how pink makes inmates nicer, so should the bike shed be pink? Then Anna shares how it's painful to have your bike wet when you finish work. And so on. At the end of meeting, there are 5 minutes left to discuss the screws that have to be changed in the nuclear reactor. That's not enough time, so Bob proposes that you'll discuss that next time. And that's how you just created the next Chernobyl accident.
This story shows that we have a tendency to speak for ages about what we know best and fear less. Even if that thing is not important at all right now. Even if it would be much better to fix first the nuclear reactor and let a small team work on the bike shed on their own or keep the topic for later.
So here are three things you can do to help people focus more about the nuclear reactor topics and less about the less important bike shed topics during your next meeting:
Make the parking visible and tell the story
Have time? Review the parking at the end
In a rush? Add categories in your parking