Meetings. Unless you’ve locked down that mythical job of making money without needing to interact with any humans, chances are they’re a required part of doing business. But too many meetings drag on and on without any clear point or goals. If you’ve ever been tasked with running a meeting and you want to make the experience awesome (or at least not bad), then this presentation on facilitation might be for you. Yvonne Chen shares her experience and insight around what it takes to facilitate a good meeting. What should you prep when you’ll be facilitating? What techniques and tools can you deploy during a meeting to make sure it stays on track? How do you wrangle someone who’s sucking all the oxygen out of the room? Come learn about how you as a facilitator can own a meeting and really mean it when you say, “Thanks, everyone - good meeting!”

1. The Art of Facilitation
how to make meetings not suck

2. A Quick Introduction

3. What is Facilitation?
This is you. And me!
Meow.

4. images from The Agile Samurai by Jonathan Rasmusson
the shared pool of understanding

5. Before Your Meeting

6. Agenda, yo
✅
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Prepare!
The purpose of this meeting is…
The goal of this meeting is...
Know the room layout
Know the facilities
to
Choose your meeting size,
wisely

8. During Your Meeting

9. Here are the basics I assume you’re already doing:
● Starting on time
● Setting some ground rules
● Explaining what your meeting is going to cover
● Sticking to your agenda
● Recording as you go
● Finishing on time or even early
● Using a facilitator (haaay!)
So, let’s talk about your meeting

10. You are The Facilitator:
● You don’t need to find a solution
● Know the arc
● State the obvious
● Be crisp
● Let the group work it out
● Speak or speak not
Know Thyself

11. Read the people in the room:
or not?

12. Part One: Bring the Politeness
● “Can you guys take this offline?”
● “Do we have to find a solution for this right now?”
— (alternate) “Are we solutioning?”
● “Is this something you two / three / guys can talk about later?”
● (finger in the air)
● (volleyball sideout)
● (draw circles)
● “Ok, time check. We have n minutes left.”
● Use humor and/or self-deprecation
Don’t be afraid to keep things moving along

13. Part Two: Bring the Heavy
i.e., what you can do when someone’s sucking all the oxygen out of the room
● Use the physical space
● Use yourself: be The Heavy
● Use a deadline
● Use your team
— Secret signals
— The Nod / The Blink
● Artificial deadline
● Use props
Don’t be afraid to keep things moving along
— Soccer cards
— Group chat on your phones
● Use humor

14. ● It’s not about you - no ego!
● Watch the clock
● End on a positive note
Other Things to Remember

15. Tools!

19. the rambler
the thin-skinned
the catalyst
the creative
the team
player
the
peacemaker
the visionary
the superstar
the latecomer
the negator
the
interruptor the-Steve-Jobs:
you-are-dismissed
the meeting hog
the gorilla in the room
the social
networker
the unprepared
the quiet one
the multitasker
the leader

20. learn to type fast
learn to write fast (and legibly)
learn your keyboard shortcuts
amp it up a little
nice to have’s

21. After Your Meeting

22. What do I do now?
● Publish your decisions
— For clarity
— CYA
● Schedule follow-ups
● Rinse and repeat
— Develop a reputation as someone who can own a meeting
— and people will want to work with you
● and...

23. ● If it was helpful, say so
● Thank people for their time
● Keep it positive
End on a positive note