Executive Overview | Meeting Design | Meeting Roles | Facilitation Techniques
The Deceptively Simple Question That should be in Every Facilitator’s Toolkit
The setting: A meeting to resolve an important issue, about which there are conflicting points of view. Scene 1: The facilitator has just explained the purpose of the meeting. WHAT [...]
Hidden Agendas in Meetings
When you hear the words “hidden agendas,” what comes to mind? Clandestine plots? Power games? Conspiracies lurking in the meeting room? What if, in the planning phase of a meeting, [...]
What to do about “conflictive” people?
In a recent workshop, “Excellent meetings at work,” this question came up: Is it valid not to invite someone because we believe s/he is conflictive or will create conflict? The [...]
How to "facilitate" a content expert
In the context of a meeting, the content experts are those who have knowledge and experience related to issues under discussion. They can be members of the group or invited [...]
How to get participants back in the room after a break?
IIFAC facilitators are firmly committed to the importance of breaks during meetings. We also recognize that getting participants back in the room after a break can be a challenge. Here [...]
The art of closing a meeting
Having focused on the human factor in meetings, we want to also reflect on a meeting moment that everyone eagerly awaits but often no one has planned for very well: [...]
To gossip is human… to evaluate is divine – and requires facilitation
We would like to highlight an element that is often neglected when thinking of ways to engage, respect and treat people well: the evaluation at the end of the session. [...]
Never compete with a smart phone
You will lose. People who are checking their email, exchanging text messages, surfing the web, tweeting or playing "Words with Friends" during a meeting are NOT fully engaged with the [...]
Three Ways To Avoid “Wheel Spinning” In A Meeting
We've all been in meetings where the discussion goes around in circles, the same issues are raised over and over again. If someone proposes a solution, it is attacked and [...]
You can prevent meeting hijacking
Here’s a touchy subject: when is it OK to interrupt a speaker? Review these guidelines and be assured that sometimes, interruption is exactly what’s called for. When he/she is Exceeding their [...]
One question an outside facilitator should never answer
Groups who are struggling to find a solution to an issue will sometimes turn to the facilitator for advice, asking, “What do you think we should do?” While their confidence in [...]