I'm so nervous, what am I going to do, I have my first big meeting
there's so many important people there, I'm extremely nervous
what am I gonna do? I have to impress them, this is going to make a big impact on my career, what am I
going to do, oh my goodness!
First and foremost, take a deep breath!
I promise you, you're going to be great.
I remember my first big meeting with some really important people and how nervous
I was, we've all been through it.
In this video I'm going to give you some amazing techniques
so you can be a facilitating star!
Hi, my name is Adriana Girdler and I am president of CornerStone Dynamics and a productivity expert
and in this video I'm going to give you some tried and true techniques that I use all the time
so that you can be a facilitating star!
Have a meeting script! Like all great movies, they have a really
great script, and it's the same thing with meetings.
Your script is actually your agenda, so like all scripts there's a story behind it
and your agenda should have the same thing, there should be flow.
And that flow would consist of the beginning, so what are your logistics?
How are you going to set the tone for the meeting?
You're then going to have your body of your script, which is actually your agenda items
and last but not least you're going to finish up your story which is really the ending part of your meeting
which is all of the action items and the next steps that need to be done.
After that, finit, you're done! And it really makes a huge difference on
how well meetings are run. Now, send out that agenda in advance. Like a good movie and a script, they don't
do it ad-lib! They get it in advance, they study. Same thing with the agenda.
In my website below with the links, actually, you can download a free agenda template - awesome way to
keep yourself on track. Set the stage! Setting the stage with meetings is actually giving
the objective. What is the outcome that you want to have happen? Why are
people supposed to be there? By giving the objective, people can come prepared to the meetings
and it makes a huge difference in the facilitation outcome so set the stage.
Lights, camera... Action! But before you can call ACTION, you actually need meeting rules.
Or, as I like to call them, session rules. This is really important because it gives
the guidance needed as to what is the behaviour expected from everyone at the meeting
it allows them to follow your script, which is the agenda, also ensures that the objective will also carry through
and what's really cool, at the end of this video, I have something special for you! A freebie in regards to
this particular important tip.
Get into your role! Just like an actor gets into their role for the movie, it's really important
as a facilitator you do the same thing. And that role is one of confidence.
I have a great video for you that you can check out on how to be more confident.
But this has a huge impact. I remember one of my first meetings that I conducted in my business, I was
actually asked to conduct a meeting on a topic that I had no expertise in. I really was nervous
but it was the confidence that brought me through, allowed for great execution,
and was really the reason why they wanted me to facilitate in the first place.
So you really need to get in the role, you're the facilitator. Be confident and direct everyone accordingly.
Take 1! ... Or 2, or 3!
Like a movie, it's multiple takes before you get the right scene that you want.
And in meetings it's actually the exact same thing, you've got to give people time to really think and resonate
and sometimes the first thing that you do may not be the actual end result that you want.
So, in a brainstorming session for example, I usually allow people time to resonate.
I give them a first kick at the can at it, think it through, have a minute or two, then
my take 2 is when I get the group together and they think about it, my take 3 is
when we then do it collectively as a full room. It makes a huge difference.
So remember, people need time and it's okay to have multiple takes. Plan it out!
Don't improv! Now, I love creativity and I love improv and whenever I have the ability
to just have fun and be in the moment, absolutely love it.
But when it comes to meetings, you really need to be organized, you need to have your script, and you need
to stick to it. Time is precious and you really need to prepare, so if you have your script
your agenda, and you think it's going to take longer than an hour, don't book an hour meeting!
Be prepared accordingly, so think it through, don't improvise, and plan it out, it makes a huge difference
and your participants will be so thankful.
That's a wrap! Now what I mean by that is, it's almost a wrap for the video but it
really is that's a wrap for the meeting.
You want to get people to commit to the outcome
And not just walk out of the meeting without anyone owning anything. So at the end of the meeting, make
sure you spend the last 5-10 minutes reviewing all of your action items, ensuring that roles, responsibilities
are actually given out and due dates, more importantly.
Because like a good movie, they just don't end it at the cliffhanger they actually end it at the end when there's
a feel-good story and the feel-good story in meetings is when you walk out of there knowing that everyone
knows what they're supposed to do, that's what a great facilitator does.
Now it's time for the freebie! Thank you so much for staying to the end of the video
and I'm really excited for you because a tried and true technique, as I said earlier on in the video
are these session rules, really make a huge difference, and
and on my website, on the download below, click on it and you can get yourself a free poster
I highly recommend you take this, put it up in every single meeting, start your meeting off with it, it will
put you in the right frame of mind.
Let me know what you think of these tips! I am really excited for you to see how your first facilitation went
so please share with me your stories! On that note, I'd like for you, if you don't mind, subscribe
to my channel below, please give it a thumbs up, share it with your family and friends and colleagues
And more importantly, you may want to share this at a meeting on how to do meetings!
Little bit of a hint there. Anyway, talk to you later, have a great day, and see you at the next meeting!