We all have a meeting horror story.
Be it the hour-long block that could’ve been an email or the day-long retreat where nothing was accomplished. Sometimes it’s hard to recall a truly productive meeting.
Here at Springboard Partners, we’re committed to making the most of meetings. We partner with foundations and nonprofits, and we know how critical it is that their meetings be efficient and productive so they can make the most impact. In fact, meetings are often one of the most important communication channels you have for engaging your internal or external audiences.
Meetings don’t have to waste time or stall progress. When they go well, meetings can promote clarity and shared understanding, engage diverse perspectives, deliver concrete decisions, and inspire action and accountability.
That’s why we’re happy to share a new resource aimed at helping nonprofits and foundations make better meetings happen. We developed the Strategic Facilitation Meeting Planning Guide in partnership with our friends at Simons Strategy & Communications (huge thanks to Ashley Simons!) with practical advice on how to design and facilitate meetings that help deliver goals.
What’s included?
- The guide offers a step-by-step process to help you plan your meeting, starting with identifying what you want to achieve through developing an agenda and hosting your meeting. Each section includes questions to think it through and ideas to consider to help you successfully plan – because planning is THE most important factor in the success of your meeting.
- We offer tried-and-true tips and techniques to effectively determine what role you will play as you lead the meeting, how to facilitate the meeting so you achieve your end goal and manage participation, and how to get around some common challenges like low energy or disruptive participants.
- Throughout the guide and the companion worksheet (in Word format), we offer check points to make sure your plan is realistic and to help you avoid potential hazards that can cause your meeting to get derailed. Using these tips can help you avoid issues that may arise later.
We hope you’ll use the Strategic Facilitation Meeting Planning Guide to plan and hold better meetings. And, if we can give you a hand with your work, please let us know!
