Pre-meeting planning is vital to ensuring
that the meeting gets things done. It is often wise to:
- Include some of the participants in your pre-meeting
planning.
- Have a local host
Choose a place that is accessible and convenient. When you
meet with groups, make it easy for them to participate. Consider
providing transportation, translators for non-English speakers,
and other special accommodations if needed. Holding meetings
when it is convenient for most participants will increase participation
, gain credibility , and build
consent .
To determine what kind of meeting and what to do, ask:
- Why hold it?
- Identify your place in the process
. Briefly list what you want out of the meeting and what it
will be used for.
- Who will be involved?
- Target your audience. Who will come? What are their background
and attitudes? Are all sides of the issue and all groups affected
by the issue represented? Who are the decisionmakers--and
will they be there?
- What do you want?
- To get input? Develop options? Get reactions to a plan??
Decide which format will best meet your audience and purpose.
Meeting formats include:
- Workshops
- Open houses
- one-on-one informal meetings
- Small group break outs
- Panel discussions
- Question/Answer sessions
- Presentations and discussions
Determine your agenda. How will you reach your goals? Create
a mental checklist: What absolutely needs to be covered in the
meeting? Use this as part of your agenda and go back over it
with everyone before the meeting ends to ensure everything was
covered. A written agenda should cover:
- Welcome/intro
- Purpose for process
- Short background
- Purpose and end goals for this meeting (clearly separate
this from the purpose of the project or process.)
- Procedures for input
- Items to discuss
This agenda sets up the ground rules and gives you a recourse
if discussions get off track. Setting up ground rules at the
beginning of the meeting will also help ensure the meeting accomplishes
the goals.
Plan your presentations. What points do you need to cover?
Create a physical checklist: What do you need for the meeting
(e.g., chairs, pens, cookies, name tags, handouts).
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