Meetings have a bad reputation as being a waste of time, but that doesn’t mean they have to be. Instead of using a top-down approach to meeting planning, facilitators can work with their teams to transform meetings into collaborative conversations that help people make informed decisions.

Empathy is a key component of good meeting facilitation. When you create an empathetic and collaborative environment, innovative solutions are more likely to arise. That’s because a meeting facilitator knows how to use empathy to build trust and foster communication among the team members in the room.

They know when to encourage participation and draw out quieter voices in the room, such as those of extroverts and introverts. That involves noticing their behaviors and making adjustments to the meeting format or group dynamics to engage everyone at once.

The facilitator should also be able to recognize conflict that may arise within the group. This will allow them to resolve it before the meeting ends, so that everyone leaves feeling satisfied with the outcome.

A meeting facilitator’s responsibilities include making sure that all the necessary information is shared with participants in advance of the meeting, and then using this info to keep the discussion focused on what’s important. This might involve sharing a brief agenda, identifying the meeting’s purpose, or providing a series of questions to guide discussions about the topic at hand.

Creating an agenda is essential for effective meeting facilitation, because it provides a roadmap of what’s expected to be discussed and how much time will be needed for each topic. It also helps to regulate the pace of discussion so that no one talks too long or loses focus on the objective.

This will also give participants a chance to consider what’s being said before the meeting begins, so they can be prepared for it. The facilitator should also make sure to check in with the team before and after the meeting to see how they’re feeling about what they heard.

Psychological safety is a key aspect of good meeting facilitation, because it ensures that all team members feel comfortable discussing ideas and giving input. This can be achieved by ensuring that everyone is given a clear path to voice their opinions, outlining what’s expected of them in the meeting and how they can handle conflict, and by fostering an open atmosphere that allows everyone to speak their mind without fear of judgment or intimidation.

It’s always a challenge to get everyone on the same page when it comes to discussing topics, but a meeting facilitator can make it easier on the team by making it easy for participants to communicate their thoughts and feelings to the group. By establishing ground rules ahead of time, such as asking all attendees to share their ideas in writing or allowing for periods of silent ideation before the discussion begins, facilitators can keep a positive vibe and make sure that all team members are included and valued in the process.