Tip #2 for less wasteful meetings: Skilled facilitators
Skilled facilitators lead effective meetings
We’ve talked about the importance of having an agenda for meetings. I compared meetings to road trips to show the importance of agreeing on a destination (outcome) and route (agenda) ahead of time. Continuing this - how likely is it that you will reach your destination without a prepared driver?
Facilitators are the skilled drivers who help the group reach the desired outcomes.
Facilitation is a skill that is cultivated through a combination of training, practice, and mentorship. When done well, you hardly notice it at all. When done poorly, it can be harmful for attendees and the culture of a team or organization.
Your meetings may be suffering from poor facilitation if:
There’s no agenda - meeting topics come as a surprise to attendees
The roles are unclear - no facilitator is identified/assigned and/or attendees are unsure of their role
The same people dominate the discussion, and other attendees never speak up
The group does not reach decisions
All attendees are responsible for the outcome of a meeting. But, the facilitator holds a unique role in helping ease the way for the group to be successful. If you are a facilitator looking to develop your skills, here are a few resources we have found helpful:
Our recent article: 5 tips for facilitating more trauma-informed meetings.
Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified about our final topic (post-meeting follow-up). And if you’d like to bring in a skilled facilitator for an upcoming meeting or event, reach out to us!