BUS603: Managing People

Rounds

In a group meeting, go around the circle giving everyone the chance to speak in turn.

Rounds are a group facilitation technique to maintain equivalence and support effective dialogue.

Be clear on the purpose and intended outcome of each round.

Sit in a circle, begin each round with a different person, and change direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) to bring variation to who speaks first and last, and to the order of contributions.

Facilitate Meetings

Choose someone to facilitate a meeting to help the group maintain focus, keep the meeting on track and draw out the participant's creativity and wisdom.

Before each meeting, prepare an agenda of topics, and select a facilitator to:

• hold the space, keep the time and navigate the agenda during the meeting
• facilitate a suitable activity for each topic
• facilitate an evaluation at the end of the meeting
  

Consider selecting a facilitator for a specific term. Even an inexperienced facilitator can make a positive difference.

Prepare For Meetings

Prepare in advance to make meetings more effective.

Some considerations for successfully preparing a meeting:

• clarify and communicate the driver for, and intended outcome of the meeting
• decide who to invite
• create an agenda
• schedule the meeting enough in advance, so people have time to prepare
• choose an appropriate duration for the meeting
• be clear who will facilitate the meeting, who will take minutes and who will take care of any follow-up
  

Preparing an Agenda

Involve people in preparing and prioritizing an agenda and send it out in advance
For each agenda item agree on:

• the driver
• the intended outcome
• the process
• the time you want to spend on it
• what people need to do to prepare
  

Support the Participants' Preparation

• consider what can be done in advance to prepare for the meeting
• notify people about any expectations and prerequisites
• make any resources available that people may need for preparation
  

As a participant

• consider the pattern Artful Participation
• review the agenda and consider how you can contribute to each item
• bring up objections to an agenda, and if possible resolve them before the meeting
• review improvement suggestions from the last meeting's evaluation and consider how you might act on them

Check In

Help people to become aware of themselves and others, and to focus, be present and engage.

To check in, briefly disclose something about what's up for you and how you are, revealing thoughts, feelings, distractions or needs.

Checking in may take the form of an opening or closing round in a group meeting, or just a brief exchange in a 1:1 meeting.

You can also call for a group check-in during a meeting, or even choose to individually check in whenever you think this is valuable for the group.

In a group check-in, allow people to pass if they choose.

When checking in, in a new setting, people can also say their name and where they are coming from, as a way to introduce themselves. (Tip: Avoid talking about function, rank etc unless there is a reason to do so).

Evaluate Meetings

Take time for learning at the end of each meeting or workshop.

Reflect on interactions, celebrate successes and share suggestions for improvement before closing the meeting.

• reserve 5 minutes for 1 hour, and 15 minutes for a full-day workshop
• record learning and review it before the next meeting
  

Short formats you can use:

• more of/less of/start/stop/keep
• positive/critical/suggested improvements

Evaluate Meetings: Long Format

Ask everyone in a round to reflect on any or all of the following topics in a brief sharing, and report key points you'd like to remember for next time:

• effectiveness and format
• facilitation and participation
• emotional tone
• appreciations and achievements (I liked…)
• growing edges and improvement suggestions (I wish…)
• wild ideas and radical suggestions (What if…)

Meeting Host

Select someone to take responsibility for the preparation and follow-up of meetings, workshops or other events.

A person may take on the role of meeting host for a specific event or for several events over a period of time.

Responsibilities Of A Meeting Host

Preparation:

• identify goals and deliverables
• prepare and distribute agenda
• identify and invite the participants
• estimate the time required and schedule the meeting/workshop
• book the location (and transportation if required)
• set up the space and provide required materials and information
• ensure selection of a facilitator and a notetaker to record minutes, if appropriate
  

After the meeting: clean up location, return keys, tie up all the loose ends, and ensure minutes are distributed.

Governance Facilitator

Select someone to facilitate governance meetings.

A governance facilitator:

• ensures governance meetings stay on track and are evaluated
• is (usually) selected by a team from among it members (and for a specific term)
• familiarizes themselves with the Governance Backlog
• often invites others to facilitate some agenda items
  

As a governance facilitator, consider learning about and using the following patterns from S3 to handle governance effectively:

• Rounds
• Proposal Forming
• Consent Decision-Making
• Role Selection
• Evaluate Meetings
• Resolve Objections
• Peer Review

Governance Backlog

A governance backlog is a visible, prioritized list of items (drivers) that are related to governing a domain and require attention.

A governance backlog contains:

• matters requiring a decision
• proposals to create and consider
• selecting people for roles
  

Note: Upcoming reports and agreements due review are usually added directly to the agenda (rather than the backlog).