Important meetings are not one or two days long, rather one or two months long. They start when the invite is sent out informing participants on how to prepare - and end some weeks after the physical meeting with the summary, conclusions and action response. This is the first step towards getting more results from a meeting: to view it as a process instead of an event.

The next step is to plan the process well and to involve key stakeholders in that planning. Something that we all skip now and then is to specify the purpose; we often take it for granted. But it is essential to specify what we want the participants to think, feel and do after the meeting. Without this, the outcome often is a traditional meeting with ordinary output.

Dialogs that create awareness and engagement

To increase the output there need to be support for creating trust and openness, for challenging each others thoughts, for sharing experiences and doubts, for asking questions, for generating ideas, and for reflecting on consequences. There are many tools to use and an experienced facilitator from outside can add value in all types of meetings: 15 executive business leaders, 30 managers, 300 employees, 50 partners, etc.

The ”Rolls Royce” of dialog methods

One tool that is very useful is the dialog maps, which is a structured way to stimulate concrete discussions and reflection. Basically it is at set of pre-designed round table exercices, that reduces the amount of powerpoint presentation slides needed, and instead make the meeting a more explorative experience. This more-work-than-listening approach is often perceived more valuable and inspiring by the employees.

More effective as mind readers

Another effective tool is the computer network council where everyone can write own thoughts and also read what others think. This accelerates the discussion and you will reach much further than in a normal discussion. With this tool you can also easily rank issues and make quick votes.

The facilitator ”push”

Facilitation cover many things: managing expectations, structuring meetings, preparing presentations, adding inspiration, designing excercises, stimulating dialog, asking challenging questions, pushing reflection, and doing summaries. Efficient meetings are short and to the point, effective meetings are often more open and hence not completely predictable. The outcome depends on the participants and you have to trust the process. With an experienced facilitator you increase the odds of reaching a great output.

What facilitation comes down to is firstly to get everyone to share and listen in a more open and active way. Secondly, it is to reflect on the big picture, on practical consequences for your own daily work, and last but not least on your feelings. Finally, it is about agreeing on what to do - and make sure you do it with conviction and passion.

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