OHMIGOSH! It’s been 25 years since I started Quality Process Consultants, Inc. It was early September of 1993, and Ed Zunich, a colleague from the Hampton Road Quality Management Council, had heard about the facilitation skills workshop I developed for … Continue reading
For the most part, people who are being disruptive in a meeting don’t realize the impact they are having on the team; they are just being themselves. The key to handling these situations is to intervene gracefully while maintaining the … Continue reading
While a team member can effectively perform the role of facilitator in many situations, it is often preferable to use a facilitator who is not a team member nor a member of the related functional area. This might be an … Continue reading
You’ve prepared for an important meeting. The agenda has been sent out to all the participants and you’re ready to rock ‘n roll…or are you?
Back in the early days of facilitation, many of us shared our wisdom and best practices through a listserv moderated by Sandy Schuman. (Sandy and I later collaborated on The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation). Twenty years ago, one of … Continue reading
I was talking with a client this week about facilitating a focus group to get some strategic feedback on their products and services. As we discussed the objectives, it became clear that this was less about having a “focus group” … Continue reading
Whether you call it Roberts Rules of Order or have modified your own version (Bob’s Rules!), many Boards use some form of parliamentary procedure to run their formal meetings. I have seen these kinds of meetings run exceedingly well…and others, … Continue reading
When facilitating a strategic planning session, I often describe this model that shows the difference between strategic and operational planning: First, I draw a horizontal axis that is a timeline from today to the duration of the strategic plan (usually … Continue reading
I often speak about the importance of “robust dialogue” – a term I picked up after reading Larry Bossidy’s book, Execution. Recently, a company leader and client asked me about how to encourage “robust dialogue.” He had a strong feeling … Continue reading
I was working with one of my clients getting ready for their strategic planning retreat when the big boss leaned over to me and asked, “Kristin, so what can I do to make this event work?” I was impressed. This CEO … Continue reading
Telephone conference calls are a low cost meeting alternative for teams located in different places. They are great for routine status reports and for short-term, problem solving meetings, but not if you follow your instincts to just grab the phone … Continue reading
I’m so excited for my upcoming webinar this Thursday, November 7th on the ten common mistakes panel moderators make and how to avoid them. It’s based on a survey of executives, managers and meeting professionals (which is still open BTW at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G7ZSPBZ). … Continue reading
A common team problem is getting people to meetings on time. Meetings start late, people straggle in, and they are distracted with other activities. Try these techniques to tackle this pesky problem: Start on Time. If the meeting was supposed … Continue reading
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but there are limits to how far team members can take their opinions. All too often, they forget to encourage a healthy dialogue and turn the conversation into a debate of one idea versus … Continue reading
“How can a manager be most effective ( and stay employed) when working with a volunteer board? How should my time and energy be split between the operations of the business and advising the board members?” A: An excellent question … Continue reading
