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What Makes Meeting Facilitation Effective?
Home » Management » Meeting Facilitation » What Makes Meeting Facilitation Effective?Meeting Facilitation takes place when a neutral person (the meeting facilitator) assists an organization in conducting productive and efficient meetings involving multiple parties, participants, and/or complex issues. The dictionary definition of “facilitate” is “to make easier.” Meeting facilitators are trained, third-party neutrals who provide leadership and expertise to help groups accomplish their meeting goals amicably. Leaders and managers report that they spend a significant percentage of time in meetings which are poorly facilitated and do not produce meaningful results. Meeting facilitators set a positive, productive tone for interaction among the meeting participants and create an active process to ensure that each person’s voice is heard, conflicts are resolved, and future action is clearly defined and owned.
Effective meeting facilitation starts with a review of the goals and/or anticipated outcomes. It assesses the needs of the group and identifies the outcome objectives of the meeting. When the format of the meeting is suited to the outcome objectives; when every participant feels valued for his/her contribution and when conflict is managed effectively, the decisions of the group are implemented with energy, commitment and accountability.
Meeting design and the agenda set the framework and the meeting facilitator helps group members stay focused and productive. An effective meeting facilitator, who keeps participants on track, ensures the accomplishment of expected, desired results from the meeting. The keys to successful meeting facilitation include: Clear objectives, reasonable time-frames, active participation, and "rules of engagement."
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