Set the Stage — A Menta-Morphosis Facilitator Competency

Introduction

As an individual, we use the Start Right competency.  As a facilitator, we “Set the Stage.”

When you are facilitating, you are responsible for the quality of the meeting as well as the process and results. That calls for some preparation.  The preparation work can be critical to the success of the meeting. Let’s start there.

Used for

to insure a quality result of any important meeting..

How to

            Before the meeting

1. Set the objectives.

What do you want them to learn?  To decide?  To do?

You should begin with a written statement of exactly what you want them to do at the end of the session.  This should be expressed in terms of their behavior, not yours.

So, “To present the new product line,” does not qualify because it describes your behavior.

“To identify the most common applications for the new line” is better, because it talks in terms of the group members’ behavior. Most objectives fall into these categories:

1. To make decisions.
2. To behave differently.
3. To make commitments to action.

Let’s use an example of a sales meeting about a new product line. You may develop objectives like these:

1. To identify the most common applications for the new product line.
2. To verbalize the top three benefits of the new product line.
3. To identify the top ten accounts most likely to buy the new product line.
4. To commit to an action plan.

This sounds so simple and basic, yet most people who run meetings never do it.  Competing this step and articulating the objective in writing will, all by itself, help you and the group to focus.

2. Create the agenda

Now that you have the goals of the meeting identified, plan the agenda. Answer these questions:

• What are you going to do?
• What will they do while you are doing that?
• How much time will it take?
• At what time will you end this portion?

I like to create an agenda that looks like this:

What I do	What they do	Time	End
1. Present the Agenda, objective and & rules	Listen	2-5	2:05
2. Have Bill present the new product li	Listen	25	2:30
3. Lead a brainstorming session (What are some applications for this?)”	Listen to others and consider their responses	20	2:50
4. Lead a Prioritization session	Consider the criteria	15	3:05
	Consolidate to the top 4
	Evaluate the options
	Express opinions	15	3:20
5. Lead a brainstorming session (What are the major benefits?)	Listen to others and consider their responses	20	3:40
6. Lead a prioritization session (What are the top 3?)	Consider the criteria	15	3:55
	Evaluate opinions
	Express opinions
7. Lead an exercise for each to ID their top 10 accounts for the new product line.	Consider their most likely accounts	15	4:10
8. Lead a Precise Prescription exercise	Write out a commitment	10	4:20
9. Q & A and close	Ask any remaining questions	10	4:30

3. Enhance the physical atmosphere

If you are meeting live in person,

• Arrange the chairs in a circle or semi-circle.
• Attend to the room temperature and lighting.
• Have refreshments available.

If you are meeting using video technology, before the meeting, disseminate the rules:

* What are the rules regarding the environment?  Should they have a TV on in the    background, or pets underfoot?

*  You may want to remind them about video meeting etiquette – “don’t interrupt, raise   your hand to be called on, etc.”

* Have everyone check the audio and video before the meeting begins.

When you have attended this, you will be ready to start the meeting.  You have successfully “Set the stage.”