A Workshop on Creating Useful, Effective and Energizing Meetings
Most of us spend a LOT of time in meetings. Some of us enjoy it, and some of us don’t, but nobody likes meetings when:
- They are scattered or bogged down/don’t feel like we are accomplishing anything,
- We are not clear about the purpose of the meeting/conversation,
- We don’t know the rules for participating, or
- We don’t feel like anything we say matters.
These are all dynamics that can be avoided through the use of some fairly straightforward tools.
In this participatory 3-8 hour workshop, we will explore:
- What makes meetings difficult
- What makes meetings work well
- How to cultivate engagement and productivity in meetings and decision-making processes
We will start with asking participants to identify what makes them crazy in meetings, and what they want to be different. Building on participant observations, questions, and examples, we will dig into some combination of:
- The differences between participatory and conventional decision-making processes and how that choice impacts your meetings
- What to do before the meeting to get good results in the meeting, including agenda design tools and tips
- Clarifying roles in decision-making and by doing so avoiding confusion, frustration, and post-meeting sabotage of decisions
- The roles of the leader and the facilitator (and how they might differ)
- Some basic and powerful facilitation tools, including a list of powerful questions you can use in many settings to move meetings forward in good ways
- Working with difficult meeting behaviors and dynamics
Formats and Costs
Running Meetings That Work can be done as a single, 3 hour session, a longer session with a break in the middle (more tools, more practicing), a pair of workshops — one basic, and one on deeper facilitation skills — and a short series of trainings. The cost varies based on the number of sessions/hours, the number of participants, the amount of customization needed, and whether it is part of a larger organizational development package. The cost for the stand-alone, three-hour version with no outline customization starts at $425. (If you are a small/start-up nonprofit, please inquire about discounts.)
Call or email me if you are interested in knowing more or discussing a workshop or training. I look forward to talking with you.
