Meetings are often more effective when there is a skilled facilitator present to keep things on track, holdup the mirror, create a safe space, etc.

Unfortunately, few meetings have one.

Many have a mental model that HR people or outside consultants are the best facilitators. And while that is generally true, one thing is certain, even if they are more skilled, you can't afford to have them in every meeting.

But this view of "HR/Consultant as facilitator" is limiting. A more utilitarian perspective is to view "the facilitator" as a role, instead of as a single person.

Here are four "moves" skilled facilitators make to increase meeting harmony and effectiveness, along with examples of how those moves can be made by anyone.

1. Clarify the Purpose.  Ensuring everyone is continuously clear on the purpose of the discussion is perhaps the most powerful function of a facilitator.

What it might sound like if you did it:     “Arjun, I just want to make sure I stay focused here. May I ask you to restate the objectives of today’s meeting?”

Benefit: Think of how many meetings you are in that don't have a stated purpose and the value for you and everyone else if someone would just ask.

2. Clarify the Process.  Another powerful move facilitators make is to clarify the process that the group will follow. You can do that anytime: Ask for the agenda to be shared and clarify if the meeting is a discussion or if a decision is trying to be reached.

What it might sound like if you did it: “Clair, this seems like an important topic.  How much time do we have set aside for the discussion?” Or, “Jackie, this topic has come up before. Are we trying to get to a decision here today or still gathering inputs?” Or, "Dominic, would you please clarify the DACI (Driver, Approver, Consulted, Informed) for the decision we are trying to make?"

Benefit: It goes without saying that groups can be more effective when they know what they are up against. Understanding the purpose, process, constraints, etc does that.

While there are plenty of bad meetings, there are not enough trained facilitators to help make them better. Suffering in silence is one option. Another option is to view the facilitator as a role and not a person, which opens up a number of low risk, low effort possibilities to make the meeting more enjoyable and more effective.

3. Create a Better Meeting Atmosphere by Acknowledging Anything Positive. Good things, large and small, are happening all the time in meetings. The role of a facilitator is to highlight them to help the group build good will and espirit.

What it might sound like if you did it:  “Lee, thank you for sending out the agenda and prep materials in advance.  That was really helpful for me. “Glen, I loved how you recognized the beyond-the-call-of-duty work done by Jessica and her team.” “Chen and Latoya, your passion about this issue is inspiring.”

Benefits: Work is hard, but a little kindness can lighten the load. Moreover, these small "relationship deposits" will help build trust for future interactions. If you don't want to develop a rep as the "sunshine spreader," then after a one or two public acknowledgements, privately message people for their positive actions.

4. Create More Safety by Appreciating Acts of Courage. The other powerful role for a facilitator is to create psychological safety so the team can face hard facts and have difficult conversations. Doing this well does take some training, but just supporting people when they show courage can go a long way.

What it might sound like if you did it: “Fatima, it took courage to raise that point. Thank you for what you said.” “Jerry, I appreciate you taking ownership for the schedule slippage.” “I just want to thank Juan for reminding us of the risks in our plan. We are going to move forward, but it is better to do so with eyes open, and Juan helped us see what we need to be mindful of.”

Benefits: Teams are more likely to be successful when all relevant information is brought forward. That is only going to happen in safe environments. And environments become more safe when people raise difficult issues and are not only not shot down, but actually supported.

While there are plenty of bad meetings, there are not enough trained facilitators to help make them better. Suffering in silence is one option. Another option is to view the facilitator as a role and not a person, which opens up a number of low risk, low effort possibilities to make the meeting more enjoyable and more effective.

Your call.

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Dennis Adsit, Ph.D. is the President of Adsum Insights.

Here are some other articles on the ineffective meeting problem and a way out of the wilderness:

Lousy Meetings are a "System" Problem

The Common Denominator Across All "Waste-of-Time" Meetings You Are In? You.

Face It: You Don't Care Whether Your Meetings are Effective or Not.

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