Have you ever thought about how a well-run meeting is a lot like a piece of music? The melody (or content) draws us in, the rhythm (pace) carries us along, and, as in a band or orchestra, everyone contributes to the whole. The facilitator, like the conductor, knows how to keep the group on target, how to bring out the best in each participant and how to pace the meeting to keep it lively, focused and humming along.
This metaphor came to me via a colleague when we recently participated in a meeting that was anything but well run. The meeting, composed of a group of stakeholders who had never even met much less worked together, started late and ran over the allocated time. The purpose of the meeting was never clarified. No one knew the issues behind the agenda items and worst of all, the facilitator was utterly unprepared—he had no sense of how to get things off to a good start and get people talking—and listening—to one another. He seemed unaware of the sponsoring organization’s expectations for the meeting and appeared to have no sense of the resource implications—human and financial—intrinsic to bringing 12 people together in one room for an hour and a half. After almost two hours, most of us left the room feeling like we’d just wasted our time—which, from most perspectives, we had!
As I was leaving the room, another participant said to me, “deadly, wasn’t it, sort of like being at a rehearsal in which everyone makes sound but none of it is music!”
How true, I thought. To my mind, a well-run meeting starts and ends on time. The pre-defined purpose, process and agenda are always reviewed and, as necessary, clarified with participants. Questions and comments are solicited. Right from the start each participant is made to feel valued and, throughout all are supported to contribute to the session based on their preparation, expertise, and understanding of their responsibility to others at the table.
The success of any meeting is not the sole responsibility of the facilitator, of course, any more than the performance of an orchestra is the sole responsibility of the conductor. But an effective facilitator, like an effective conductor, will plan each aspect of the meeting to ensure that each person can contribute his/her best; pace the meeting to make effective use of resources (time, money and people!) that are always limited; respect different opinions; and ultimately, support the group to achieve its purpose.
What kind of facilitator are you? What are your thoughts about meeting effectiveness? How can you avoid some of the pitfalls common to poorly run meetings? Answering these questions honestly—and addressing any gaps or limitations—can only help you to improve, as a facilitator and as a meeting participant. To no small degree the pursuit of excellence as a facilitator is The Art of People.