What are some best practices for using the Agile Scrum framework for meeting facilitation?

2 Prepare and follow a meeting agenda

A meeting agenda is a tool that helps you plan and structure your meeting effectively. It should include the meeting objectives, topics, time allocation, roles, and expectations. You should share the agenda with the participants in advance and ask for their input and confirmation. During the meeting, you should follow the agenda as closely as possible, but also be flexible and responsive to the emerging needs and issues. You can use a timer, a facilitator, or a visual aid to keep track of the time and progress of the meeting.

3 Encourage participation and collaboration

One of the key values of the Agile Scrum framework is to foster a self-organizing and cross-functional team that works together to deliver value to the customer. Therefore, you should facilitate meetings that allow everyone to contribute, communicate, and collaborate effectively. You can use various techniques to encourage participation and collaboration, such as asking open-ended questions, using active listening, giving constructive feedback, acknowledging different perspectives, using icebreakers, games, or polls, or using online tools or platforms that enable interaction and collaboration.

4 Resolve conflicts and issues constructively

Conflicts and issues are inevitable in any project, especially in a complex and dynamic environment. However, they can also be opportunities for learning and improvement if handled constructively. As a meeting facilitator, you should be aware of the potential sources and signs of conflict and issue, such as misalignment of goals, expectations, or priorities, lack of clarity or transparency, different personalities or styles, or external factors or constraints. You should also have a strategy to resolve them effectively, such as clarifying the facts and assumptions, identifying the interests and needs of the parties, exploring options and alternatives, finding common ground or compromise, or escalating or delegating the issue if necessary.

5 Document and follow up on the meeting outcomes

The last but not least best practice for using the Agile Scrum framework for meeting facilitation is to document and follow up on the meeting outcomes. This means capturing and summarizing the key points, decisions, actions, and feedback from the meeting and sharing them with the participants and relevant stakeholders as soon as possible. You should also assign responsibilities and deadlines for the actions and monitor their completion and impact. Additionally, you should solicit and incorporate feedback on the meeting process and facilitation and use it to improve your future meetings.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?