“Planning, Leading & Facilitating the Best and Most Effective Meetings & Events”

1. National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA) January 2014 “Planning, Leading & Facilitating the Best and Most Effective Meetings & Events”

2. Welcome to NASCAs Webinar • Mike Brown – Moderator • Ray Ledgerwood – Presenter Board Works by Ledgerwood • Join the audio at: • 646.307.1707 • access code: 562-484-181 • Join on the web at: • www.joingotowebinar.com • webinar ID: 829-266-929

3. Opening Comments • Mike Brown • Number of Webinar Attendees

4. Description • NASCA sponsored webinar for participants to learn practical tips and tools for planning, leading, facilitating meetings, committees, work sessions, and other events related to the work of an effective agency, association, chapter, or other organization including how to deal with disruptions, negative situations and poor meeting management.

5. Logistics • All muted lines except presenters • Questions via web – use dashboard on your computer • Will get to as many questions as we can • Presentation will be posted on NASCA website with presenter contact info • Feedback welcome – kudos, comments, etc – email rayledgerwood@msn.com

6. Ready to Write • Write down the “tips of the trade”

7. Objective • Learn practical tips and tools for planning, leading, facilitating meetings, committees, work sessions, and other events related to the work of an effective association, chapter, or other organization including how to deal with disruptions, negative situations and poor meeting management.

8. Agenda • Opening & Characteristics of Great Meetings or Events • Effective Meetings • Adult Learners and Participation • Meeting Sponsor’s Request • Session Designs • Net Meetings, Teleconference Meetings or Webinar • Conducting a Session • Audio Visuals in Meetings • Types of Facilitation • Questions & Question Techniques • Controlling Disruptive Behaviors

9. Been to a Good Meeting Lately? • Participants identify characteristics of great meetings or events they have participated in

10. Elements of an Effective Meeting • Purpose • Structure • Plan/Design • Members • Leadership • Involvement • Logistics • Supplies/Equipment • Information • Actions • Record • Evaluation

11. Three Part Process • Preparation • Conducting a Meeting • Follow-up

12. Preparation • Realistic goal defined • Decide what to accomplish • Make sure goal can be accomplished • Develop a list of questions and/or problems to discuss • Facilities • Participants • Agenda with time frames • Discussion outline

13. Conducting a Meeting • Start on time • Self introductions • “Housekeeping” items • Follow agenda • Encourage participation • Stimulate, guide, & control discussion • Strive to achieve consensus • Accurately capture comments • Firm up decisions • Make assignments for pending work items • Set up next meeting times, dates, & purpose

14. Follow-up • Action items, tasks, people, and times clearly identified • Prepare report or minutes of the meeting • Evaluate the effectiveness of meeting • Decide how next meetings can be improved • Leader should periodically check on progress of work items

15. Top Twelve Ideas • Prepare agenda • Specific goals & objectives • Roles (leader, facilitator, recorder) • Emphasis on “getting the job done” • Maintain informal, relaxed atmosphere • Stay with agenda

16. Top Twelve Ideas • Encourage all to participate • Everyone understands agenda & goals • Brainstorming is encouraged • Encourage sharing of ideas • Agreements by consensus • Criticism is frank w/o personal attack

17. Evaluating Meeting Effectiveness • Clarity of goals • Participation • Interaction • Individual Contributions • Leadership • Decision-making process • Overall organization • Control • Productivity

18. For More Ideas EffectiveMeetings.com

19. Adult Learners Motivation Adults learn things that are: • Relevant • Practical • Have to learn to: • Solve problems • Help manage work situations • Help them cope with life-changes and events

20. Adult Learners Strong Secondary Motivators • Self-esteem • Personal pleasure Physically & psychologically comfortable • Physical needs • Emotional & psychological needs

21. Adult Learners Bring life experience, knowledge, expectations • Acknowledge tap it, use it • Expectations New knowledge integrated • New learning not fitting old - rejected • Bridge by asking questions

22. Adult Learners Actively involved • Discussions, exercises, activities • Expectations, managing, evaluation Secretly fear failure • Resist grading • Learn to do things better

23. Basic Learning Process • Learning Climate • Desire, Interest or Need • Understanding • Mental Models • Application • Feedback

24. Sponsor’s Request • Session objectives • Participants • Issues • Challenging Individual(s) • Face-to-Face Meeting

25. Questions for the Sponsor/Manager • Meeting accomplish • Success look like • Who will attend • Challenges • Decision criteria • How will decisions be made • Meeting notes • Time & place

26. Session Designs Different Events - Different Designs • Team Building • Planning • Presentation • Conflict Resolution • Public Meeting • Board Meeting • Staff Meeting • Large Forum • Other

27. Team Developmentby Bruce Tuckman • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing • Adjournment

28. Session Designs • Objectives • Planning Exercises • Timing • Activities • Worksheet

29. Planning & Preparing – Logistics • Where to Hold • Type of Room Arrangement • Lighting, Heat or Cooling • Travel & Lodging • Support Equipment • Breaks & Meals • Registration • Recreation?

30. Planning & Preparing – Logistics & Room Setup • A Checklist

31. Net Meetings & Webinars Elements for a Successful Webinar: • Topic suitable for this type of session • Identify target audience • Promotion of the webinar or net meeting • Session design / outline development including major sections and key points • Timing and duration of presentations

32. Webinars Elements for a Successful Webinar: • Materials developed and/or organized • Facilitator / moderator identified • Presenters identified • Attendees registration • Practice session • Materials to attendees • Evaluation & feedback system

33. Webinars Additional Tips - Webinar: • Audio connection • One way audio (muting all) utilized • Questions via web for webinar • can remove hostility, tone, attitude • Visuals are presented by one computer

34. Webinars Additional Tips - Webinar: • Stay with outline and talking points • Examples (no names) • Webinars and net meetings can be overdone • Reports can be generated • Feedback system

35. Net Meetings Additional Tips – Net Meetings: • Ideal for smaller groups that are working on documents, projects, presentations, policies, procedures • Teleconference etiquette more important – muting, identification of speaker, noise, bad phones, cell phones and worn out batteries • Similar elements and tips to webinar on a smaller scale including items below • Audio connection can be over the computer or by telephone (toll)

36. Room Setup Different Events – Different Room Setup • Classroom • Herringbone • Rounds • Squares • Board • Hollow Square • U-shape • Other

37. Content Mastery • Go to School on Others • Take Notes • Read Support Materials • Talk to Others • Observe the Process or Skill • Talk to “Master Performers” • Use the Skills

38. Building Credibility, Clarity, and Participation • Need to be consistent across the four modes • Like the legs on a chair the four modes work together to support our message Verbal Audiovisual Symbolic Nonverbal

39. Sending Messages to Participants • Four Ways • Verbally • Nonverbally • Symbolically • Audiovisually

40. Audiovisual Aids - Purpose • Capture Attention • Increase Understanding • Focus Attention on Key Points • Accelerate Learning • Increase Retention • Break Language Barriers

41. Audiovisual Aids - Principles • Stimulate Participation • Increase Learning • Clarify Concepts • Are Simple • Are Visible from a Distance • Follow a Similar Format or Theme

42. Audiovisual Aids - Guidelines • One Main Idea per Visual • Six Words per line • Six Lines per Visual • Horizontal Format • Use Color!! • Use Graphics!!

43. A Facilitator is • The person responsible for helping a group develop an effective process for accomplishing its purpose

44. Types of Facilitation • Soft • Enlightened • Open-Ended • Predetermined Outcome • Manager • Other

45. Facilitator Roles • Provide Helpful Techniques • Keep Group Focused on Task • Periodically Review Progress • Encourage Participation • Protect Ideas • Manage Conflict • Confront Disruptive Behavior

46. Facilitators Should Avoid -- • Judging or Criticizing Ideas or Values of Others • Projecting Their Own Ideas - Using Their Facilitator Role to Argue for Them • Making Procedural Decisions for the Meeting Without Consulting Participants • Making Lengthy Comments

47. Preparing to Facilitate Ten Tips • Review Written Materials • Know Your goal • Plan Timelines • Make Your Own Notes • Plan How to Present Key Concepts • Plan Participation Methods • Plan the Questions • Plan & Prepare Audiovisual Aids • Practice • Plan to Have “Fun”

48. Types of Questions • Open Questions • Leading Questions • Reflective Questions

49. Tips – Good Questions • Plan questions in advance • Challenge participants • Concise and clear • Write out key questions • Start with general, open questions • Start with easy questions • Direct questions to different participants

50. Fielding Questions • Important facilitation skill • Affects adult learning/participation climate • Affects credibility • Four strategies – depend on situation and goal