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 in a meeting and a decision has to be made. Anna makes an argument which is pretty smart. What happens? Does everybody shut up and applaud? No. Bob for example might say: "I totally agree with you Anna..." and then he'll say the exact same thing in other words with a tiny addition to it. Once Bob expressed his opinion, then comes Marc. And what does Marc say? "Bob, I really like your idea! ..." And then he continues and expresses the same stuff than Anna and Bob, but this time in his own words.
Instead of doing it like this, imagine that Bob, Anna, Marc and all my other ficitional friends, would have first voted on the options. In a few seconds they would have seen that everybody agrees that the first opion is the best one.
This story shows that when it comes to decision making in meetings, we spend often a lot of time speaking about what's obvious and that voting can cut that time down.
So here are three things you can do to take decisions in a meeting in a matter of minutes instead of hours:
Give multiple dots to vote and make it fun
Use faith or other culturally relevant voting criteria
Use multiple rounds of votes for complex decisions