Bernie Young | consultant | Center for Creative Team Building | St. Petersburg

Peg Kelley of Facilitation Plus advises considering the kind of physical space and furniture that will support the meeting objective and tone: boardroom-style table and chairs, U-shape, or circle arrangement, casual living-room furniture or hardback chairs, on- or off-site location? Remember, being comfortable is paramount to facilitating the meeting process.

TAKE A BREAK
Bernie Young, a consultant for the Center for Creative Team Building in St. Petersburg, Florida, recommends taking a break or changing the type of activity every half-hour. “The adult attention span is about 27 minutes, and if you don’t keep the time flying and the energy high, you’ll lose the group. Forcing them to just listen lowers the learning curve.”

WRAP IT UP
Michael Begeman, manager of the 3M Meeting Network, says that the last minutes of a meeting should summarize three key areas: what’s been decided, action items assigned, and open issues. —