Acts of Courage to Change Meetings for Good
Half-Day Workshopfor WECC
Steve Davis, FacilitatorU.com
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Introduction Left corporate life frustrated by meetings Became life coach, taught workplace/life
skills at community college Fascinated with group dynamics Started FacilitatorU.com to support group
leaders Wrote TMS to help leaders/participants
change meeting culture
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Work Based on Book…
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Meeting Statistics
Microsoft study: 69% of meetings are ineffective
Cost of meetings per 1,000 employees = $800,000 Time spent in meetings by prog. managers = 80% Executives = 40% Middle managers = 30-55% Managers and Tech Professionals = 25-50%
$4 BILLION spent in U.S. each year on meetings
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Why You Should Care?
Survey conducted by Harrison Conference Services and Hofstra University:
87% assess people’s management abilities based on their ability to lead meetings
81% assess management ability based on how they participate in meetings
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Group Aren’t What They Seem
Most people think that groups are simply a collection of individuals.
And that they should work as well collectively as they do individually.
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Groups Are…More Complex Than We Think
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How Accountable Are Groups?
Groups of individuals are far more likely to err than individuals. Groups give reign to instincts
which individuals acting alone are forced to keep in check.
—T.B. Macaulay—
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Does Running a Meeting Ever Feels Like This?
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So What Do We Do?
Use basic facilitation skills to minimize confusion and maximize synergy.
Participants can facilitate too!
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What is Facilitation?
Skills, processes, attitudes and behaviors that help us make better
decisions in groups.
Manage Process 6) Focus It(7) Park It(8) Contain It(9) Deliver It
Manage Flow10) In It, Not of It(11) Facilitate It
(12) It’s All Good
The 12 Acts of Courage…
Pre-Meeting(1) K-no-w It(2) Ask for It
(3) Prepare for It
Manage Yourself(4) Adjust Your Attitude
(5) Say It
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Workshop Objectives
Build on what’s already working well Minimize number of meetings you have Keep meetings on track Plan meetings effectively Get full participation Shift your attitude toward meetings Intervene effectively to improve outcomes
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Agenda Simplify to 8 bullets1:00-1:30 Welcome, Agenda, Introductions1:30-2:00 Set the Context and Share Best Practices 2:00-2:30 Minimizing/Planning Meetings; Attitudes2:30-3:00 Intervention Process and Practice
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-3:45 Dealing with Dominators and Mining Conflict3:45-4:15 Full Participation and Decision Making4:15-4:30 Running Laser Meetings4:30-4:45 Closure and Future Support4:45-5:00 Knowledge Exam
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Contain It: Set the Context
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Set the Context
The context could be referred to as a container.
The container influences the form, flow, and function of our work together.
A good container (processes/environment) can help us work better together.
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How Do We Create Context?
(What) Follow an action-oriented agenda
(How) Use processes to support objectives (e.g. agenda, operating norms, decision-making process, parking lot)
(Who) Warm up participants to work(build energy and give them work to do: roles, input ideas, feedback, etc.)
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Current Best Practices?
What is working well in the meetings you attend or lead?
What could be improved?
Write down your responses on an index card, along with your name.
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Group Mingle Welcome Activity
Meet as many people as you can and share the answers on your index card.
You don’t have to read the card, let new responses bubble up in conversation.
And it’s OK to borrow other’s ideas!
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Best Practices Debrief
Note Taker Volunteer?
What are the most compelling best practices you heard?
What are the most interesting challenges you heard?
How did this activity create context?
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How…will we work together?
See Dynamic Dozen in handout
Review or define operating agreements ?
Post agreements and review them often
How could this make your meetings better?
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Dealing with Tangents
How do we redirect valid input that isn’t timely to discuss right now?
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Park It: Use a Parking Lot
Post a chart labeled, Parking Lot,that can be seen by all.
Park stray issues group agrees important. Park it in the speaker’s language. Park it and move on. Before end of meeting, take time to address
parking lot issues.
How could this make your meetings better?
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Modeled setting context for a necessary meeting
What? How? Who?
Meetings are costly What are our alternatives?
Checkpoint
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Know It: What’s Our Objective?
Confirm your meeting objective! Simply so a six-year old could get it. That paints a clear picture of the results you
hope to leave the meeting with.
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Example Objectives
To decide which project management software tool to purchase.
To define key tasks and assign actions for a new hiring plan.
To determine possible causes and potential remedies for high employee turnover rates.
To brainstorm the elements of a proposal to a potential client.
What do you notice about these statements?
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Meeting Alternative?
Avoid meetings if at all possible! Is there a viable alternative?
Hold private conversation(s) Delegate task to 1 or 2 people For info sharing, send electronically For info gathering, use online survey,
phone call, etc.
Others?
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As a Participant? What can you do as a participant at this
stage to improve meetings?
Clarify meeting objectives before accepting invitation
Help convener seek a meeting alternative
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Act lll: Prepare for It
Meetings that work take some work!
Genius is one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration. Accordingly, a genius is often merely a talented person who has done their homework.
-Thomas Alva Edison -
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Pre-Meeting Preparation Phase
Define objectives: WHAT will we do? Decide WHO should be there? Define process: HOW will we do it? Prepare participants
(agenda, prep work, etc.) Leverage time: Radically summarize
shared information!
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What’s Your Objective?
A good objective paints a clear picture of the results you hope to achieve by the end of your meeting. Here are some examples. To decide which project management
software tool to purchase. To define key tasks and assign actions for a
new hiring plan. To determine possible causes and potential
remedies for high employee turnover rates. To brainstorm the elements of a proposal to a
potential client.
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What’s on Your Agenda? CLEAR action-oriented tasks
Use action verbs, e.g. debate, decide, brainstorm, analyze, etc. (see handout)
Set time limits Assign lead for each item
Get buy-in on Agenda Ask for inputs, questions, and recommended
changes Get group consensus to follow it
You now have a meeting contract. Use it!
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Refining Your Agendas
Read guidelines for Preparing Your Agenda in handout c) through j)
Review the following agenda and identify what you would change based on these guidelines and your own good judgment.
Share your findings with group
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What’s Wrong With This Agenda?
10:00 Get consensus on changes made to program facilitator’s guide.
Review Action Item Status (Bill). Review brochures for new laptops. Discuss ideas to promote upcoming training. Retention problem. 11:00 End.
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Better Agenda 10:00-10:05 Welcome (Bill) 10:05-10:15 Confirm Action Item Status
(Bill) 10:15-10:30 Brainstorm ideas to promote
upcoming training. (Susan) 10:30-10:50 Get consensus on changes
made to program facilitator’s guide. (Steve) 10:50-11:00 Close: Assign new action items,
clear parking lot, acknowledge. (Bill)(Plus order and omissions)
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Nicely Humming Group
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A Not So Non-Ordinary Reality
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To Stay the Course
At times you’ll need to intervene. To do so, you need…
A Process
A Direction
An Attitude
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Act IV: Adjust Your Attitude
Be curious, observant and patient
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
- Winston Churchill - -
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First Adjustment…
Lighten Up!
Meetings are more complex than we think…remember?
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Second Adjustment…
Be Curious Relate from an attitude of curiosity.Focus on what is desired rather than
what’s not working or what or who is wrong.
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Third Adjustment…
Check your assumptions
It’s a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.
- Sherlock Holmes -
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Fourth Adjustment…
Be Patient and Persistent
Hold the grandest vision you can imagine and stay open to it.
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Curiosity Navigation Practice
In dyads, person with smallest feet takes 3 minutes to…
Share a recent time when you were frustrated at a meeting. What happened, how did you feel, what did you do?
Partners Pretend you’re a six-year old Be VERY curious…ask lots of questions…keep
asking “Why?” Listen and inquire, seek full understanding by
checking perceptions and assumptions!
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Curiosity Navigation Debrief
How was it being curious? Did any resistance show up? Were there questions you wanted to
ask but didn’t? What did it feel like being interrupted
this way?
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Act VI: Focus It
Focus your group on a common vision
No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated and disciplined.
- Anonymous
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A Simple Intervention Process
Kindly Interrupt Excuse me, can I stop us for a second? Can I call for a time out? I’m sorry to interrupt but…
Check your Perception It seems to me that we’ve drifted off topic,
what do others think? Are we following the process we agreed to?
When you check your perception, you can’t be wrong!
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Intervention Process (Cont’d)
Make request (if necessary) Can we return to talking about x? Why don’t we park that topic and get back
to X? Can we return to our process or agree to
change it? Didn’t we agree to no texting? Is this still an
operating norm we want to keep?
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Intervention Practice Intervention Process Review:
1. Kindly Interrupt2. Check your perception3. Make Request (if necessary)
In Triads, practice these intervention scenarios or recall past challenges Edgar keeps texting on his blackberry. Latisha and Jasmine are talking about some
unrelated, unimportant topic. Santiago is frowning, arms crossed and silent. Jacob is the only one talking at this meeting! Margarita is rambling.
Refer to Intervention Speak in Handout
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Intervention Debrief
How did the process work for you? How was it being intervened on in this
way? How will you use this tool to improve
your meetings? Other questions or issues?
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Act V: Say It
Express Your Truth in Service to the Group
When in doubt, tell the truth.- Mark Twain -
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Practice Saying It
Consider a time when you wanted to speak out and say something to someone in a meeting but you didn’t.
Partner A, (longest hair) practice saying what you were afraid to say (5 min). Partner B, simply listen without responding. Partner A continue repeating, rephrasing, and reiterating what you have to say until you feel complete.
Change roles. Now repeat the exercise with partner A listening to partner B.
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Debrief
What did you notice about your experience in each of these roles?
How did it feel to say it? What did you learn about expressing
yourself clearly and honestly? Is there a commitment you’d like to
make as a result of this experience?
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Please Return at 3:15 pm
synchronize watches
BREAK
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Dealing with Dominators
What happens inside when you encounter a dominator?
What are they really looking for? How can you embrace everyone yet let
no one steer the group of course? How can you take control for the group’s
highest good? The Wedging Technique
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Wedging Triads Listen very carefully using listening tools Empathize with the speaker Interject filler words like, Uh-ha, ah, hmm, I see Jump in at the next short pause, paraphrase, and
prize what you heard. Redirect to another participant, point, or make
request. Now let’s continue talking about … Let’s review where we are on the agenda. Calling on someone who hasn’t spoken,
Bill what are your thoughts on …? What do others think about this issue?
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Wedging Intervention Debrief
How did this technique work for you? How did you feel about interrupting? How did you feel about being
interrupted? How does this change your view of
interrupting to influence the flow of conversation?
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It’s All Good: Mining conflict
Be Present View conflict as a gift of authenticity Attend to your Operating Agreements Curb unhealthy conflict Separate people from their behavior Separate Interests from Positions
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Revealing Interests
Positions reflect what I want Interests reflect why I want it
Interest-Based Negotiation focuses on the deeper needs of the parties and seeks to integrate those needs to reach agreements
Examples?
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Conflict Resolution Activity
Break into triads Shortest person assumes the Manager role Tallest person assumes the Staff Member
role The 3rd person facilitates Playing your role, you have ten minutes
using Interest-Based negotiation to resolve the issue.
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Facilitate It: Get Full Participation
Add full participation to operating norms Ask participants to assess participation Ask for a round robin Suggest silent brainstorming Meet in small groups Share contrarian ideas or perspectives Conduct anonymous polling Intervene on dominant group members
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Full Participation Brainstorm
Pick a strategy that resonates with you. Think for a couple minutes about how you
could use it in your meetings. Write this idea down in a sentence or two. Take a minute to share with the person
next to you. Share with the class (ball toss).
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Deliver It: Getting Results
Make a recording request, when your group is about to move on
Assign action items to specific parties with deadlines
Ask for quick review of action items before the meeting adjourns
Ask questions to help your group converge
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Decision-Making Process
Discuss and decide how decisions will be made.
If you don’t know the process, decisions may never be made!
Authority rule, expert, minority, majority, averaging, consensus, default (non-decision)
Each process has its pros and cons.
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Follow-Up Strategies
How do we maximize the fruits of our labor? Publish action holder’s name in bold in minutes
within 24 hours. Personalize actions and decisions. Don’t finalize
action items or decisions without assigning an accountable party.
Hold accountable. Place action status updates on next agenda to be led by responsible party.
Be positive versus punitive. Check in regularly with action holders to support and offer needed help and coaching.
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Follow-Up Strategy
Write answers to following questions on an index card. What is working well with follow up in
your group? Would could be done to improve it?
Take one minute to Share it with a partner. If there’s time, share with another partner. Debrief with large group.
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Running Laser Meetings
Clear and focused purpose Facilitator keeps it crisp; no
tangents allowed Tactical vs. strategic Use Diagnostic approach
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Meeting Type?
Thinking Activity Part I: Take 2 minutes as a group to
come up with as many words as you can using only the letters “a through g”. (e.g. bag, cad, etc.)
Part II: Take 2 minutes creating the elements of your perfect vacation if you were to travel together.
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Debrief
What did you notice about the two parts of the exercise?
How did one feel different that the other. How did it feel making the transition from one
activity to the other?
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Tactical: Quick exchange of information, data, and handling items of immediate concern. (linear, convergent thinking)
Strategic. More interactive exchange of ideas and strategies for the near and long term. (divergent, creative thinking)
Don’t mix them. They required different modes of thinking modes of thinking and skills. “Death by Meeting,” Patrick Lencioni.
Tactical vs. Strategic Meetings
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What’s Up Doc?
Has anyone been to a doctor lately?
What were the key themes of the conversation? What kind of information was shared?
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Diagnostic Info-Sharing Model Use Diagnostic Model when info needs to be shared
1. Here’s the problem we’re facing.2. Under these conditions, here are your options.3. My recommendation is this.
Facilitate information sharing meetings: Share detailed information prior to meeting Advise participants to prepare/share using model Confine info sharing during meeting to 1 pg.
summary
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Integration & Close
Clear Parking Lot Meeting Evaluation Round: What I’m taking away today is … Handout review Future support
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Handout Review
12 Acts Summary Preparing your Agenda Dynamic Dozen Full Participation Inventory Meetings can be as easy as 1-2-3, A-B-C Effective Meeting Checklist Get a copy of these slides at:
www.ThisMeetingSux.com/wecc
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Further Resources
FacilitatorU.com: resources, tools, and training for group leaders.
Free weekly ezine for group leaderswww.MasterFacilitatorJournal.com
www.ThisMeetingSux.com: 12 Acts of Courage to Change Meetings for Good. A guide for meeting participants.
www.JourneyofCollaboration: 5-day course on Facilitative Leadership
Meeting Coaching and Consultation. I’ll listen in on your meetings to provide feedback and coaching to help you improve.
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Exam
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