By Janice Simsohn Shaw, Exponent Philanthropy
Simply put, skillful facilitation can make your meetings more efficient, engaging, and enjoyable for all involved. Luckily, good facilitators are made, not born.
Let’s consider a meeting to be any time two or more people come together to share information, brainstorm ideas, or make a decision. As funders, you may participate in board meetings and site visits, committee meetings and funder collaboratives, grantee convenings and focus groups, staff meetings, and more.
At Exponent Philanthropy’s recent National Conference, GrantCraft’s Jen Bokoff and I offered the following facilitation tips during a lively, interactive session.
Plan, plan, plan. Most facilitation success simply comes down to good planning. If we truly take time to plan well, from considering logistics to crafting smart agendas to prepping participants in advance, we’ve won half the battle. A good rule of thumb is to commit twice as much time to planning the meeting than the meeting actually takes. Download the complimentary Meeting Facilitation Design Worksheet for help to prepare for an upcoming meeting.
Engage the right stakeholders. As you think about what you want to accomplish at a meeting, consider who needs to be at the table—and who does not. If you find that parts of your meeting require a larger or smaller group, don’t hesitate to plan accordingly.
Have a strong agenda. A thoughtful agenda is the road map for a successful meeting. Start by identifying your goals. What do you want to accomplish? Then, design your activities and discussions to serve those goals. Be realistic about what can be accomplished in the time available and prioritize those topics that will benefit most from group discussion. Agendas are not, however, set in stone. Deviating from an agenda can sometimes be the most sound course of action.
Be clear about the meeting type. Meetings take all shapes and sizes: informational meetings, brainstorming meetings, input-gathering meetings, decision-making meetings, multiday retreats, and more. As you plan—and communicate with your stakeholders—be clear about what type of meeting you are facilitating.
