Course Outline - Let´s Plan-To Meet

Let's Plan-To Meet

Course Description
Meetings are often described as being one of the biggest time wasters in the work environment.
Countless hours are devoted to meeting attendance, which can comprise a large portion of an organization’s resources. However, the problem is not the actual meeting, but rather how the meeting is planned and facilitated. Poor planning and facilitation are guaranteed to result in a nonproductive meeting and a waste of company resources. This course is designed to help participants utilize tools and methods to plan, prepare, and facilitate a productive meeting that will capitalize on the time and talents of all attendees.

Participants begin by learning a four-step process that they can use to structure and facilitate their meetings. A large portion of a meeting’s success depends on the work that is done before the meeting ever occurs. Participants learn the value of identifying a clear, concise purpose statement. They then identify desired outcomes that align with that purpose. This process will help participants to structure the agenda and to determine the issues that truly need to be addressed in the meeting.

The next segment of the course will demonstrate the value of an agenda and how to construct the agenda so that it is directly tailored toward meeting the desired outcomes. The agenda will help enable participants to maintain focus during the meeting. They also learn some simple techniques to keep the meeting on track. Difficult attendee behaviors are not uncommon; methods to overcome these behaviors will be discussed and practiced during the session. Finally, participants learn about tools they can use to review a meeting and to determine its overall effectiveness. These tools can be used to continuously improve the meeting process so that every meeting becomes productive.

Objectives:

Utilize a four-step process to successfully plan and facilitate a virtual or face-to-face meeting.
Create a clear purpose statement.
Identify desired outcomes that will achieve the purpose of the meeting.
Discuss the logistics of setting up a meeting.
Develop an agenda that is focused on achieving desired outcomes.
Resolve difficult attendee behaviors.
Utilize techniques for capturing action items and off-topic issues.
Review a meeting to evaluate its overall effectiveness.
Utilize three tools that keep a meeting on track.

Duration:

This course can be customized to meet a four-hour classroom session, a one and one-half lunch and learn or a one to two hour webinar.

Course Outline

Below is the course outline with objectives and timing for a four-hour course.

Objective: Utilize a four-step process to successfully plan and facilitate a meeting.
• Welcome/Icebreaker		20 min	(20 min)
• Activity – Elements of successful/unsuccessful meetings		15 min	(35 min)
• Meeting assessment		15 min	(50 min)
• Four steps to successfully planning and facilitating a meeting		5 min	(55 min)

Objective:	Create a clear purpose statement. Identify desired outcomes that will achieve the purpose of the meeting.
• Step 1: Define the purpose and desired outcomes		10 min	(1 hr, 5 min)
• Activity - Determine meeting purpose and desired outcomes		20 min	(1 hr, 25 min)
• Break		15 min	(1 hr, 40 min)

Objective: Discuss the logistics of setting up a meeting
• Step 2: Plane the meeting logistics		5 min	(1 hr, 45 min)
• Activity - What do you want to know?		15 min	(2 hr)

Objective: Develop an agenda that is focused on achieving desired outcomes.
• Creating the agenda		15 min	(2 hr, 15 min)
• Reviewing the tools covered		15 min	(2 hr, 30 min)
• Deciding who and how many should attend		10 min	(2 hr, 40 min)
• Assigning roles and responsibilities		10 min	(2 hr, 50 min)
• Activity - Creating an agenda		20 min	(3 hr, 10 min)


Objectives: Resolve difficult attendee behaviors.
• Step 3: Conduct the meeting		5 min	(3 hr, 15 min)
• Handling challenging attendees		15 min	(3 hr, 30 min)
• Activity – How would you handle this? (scenarios)		15 min	(3 hr, 45 min)

Objective: Review a meeting to evaluate its overall effectiveness.
• Step 4: Review the meeting		5 min	(3 hr, 50 min)
• Summary and action planning		10 min	(4 hr)

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