Three questions to prepare you for your next meeting

The is post two of a series focused on “How to run a productive meeting or workshop.”

Now that you’ve determined that your team needs to have a workshop or meeting to make progress on a project, you should make sure you spend time thinking through how you will bring that conversation to life when you come together.

Here are questions you can ask to help you prepare:

QUESTION ONE: Are the right people invited to your session?

When communicating that a meeting or workshop is needed, it’s critical that you are very clear on the outcomes you are seeking to accomplish.

By stating the purpose of your meeting, your audience should be able to tell you if additional team members or stakeholders are needed in order to make it a productive session.

QUESTION TWO: Should your team use pre-reads to get on the same page?

Sending a pre-read in advance of your meeting can provide context on what needs to be discussed or decided when you meet.

A pre-read can be in the form of a 1-2 page whitepaper on a specific topic or even a few powerpoint slides so that attendees can come into the discussion ready to achieve the expected outcomes.

Some of the best pre-reads will outline the business problem or opportunity you are trying to solve, and also identify what help may be needed from the meeting participants so they can show up ready to jump in.

If you need to collect pre-read input from topic owners as part of your pre-work, giving them a template or standard format can ensure they provide all the necessary details the participants will need.

QUESTION THREE: How will you facilitate the discussion to achieve your desired outcome?

Now it’s time to create a clear plan on how you will get to your desired outcomes by laying out an agenda and topics that need addressed.

You should then work with the presenters of each topic to work through how to make them as productive as possible.

By asking questions like:

• What materials might you need? White boards? Markers? Post-it notes?
• Do people need access to Mural Boards, slack channels and/or file-sharing folders ahead of time so the session gets off to a fast start and runs smoothly?
• Do you need several rooms or separate tables so you can have break-out sessions?

By thinking through these logistics, you can make sure that once the team comes together, you'll have everything you need to fully optimize your time together.