In this session - the third of our Open Source series - Business author, speaker and HR Director at Carey Olsen Simon Nash will share what he has learned about how to facilitate group discussions and meetings for maxium creativty and optimum results. Meetings, meetings, meetings! We all go to them; whether for work, churches, charities even some families hold a "house meeting" to sort out and solve shared problems. So why is it that some meetings are really energising, creative and collaborative? Sometimes the ideas just flow, the problems just seem to disappear and the people around the table are all listening attentively, engaged in the topic and supportive of each other. Other times the meeting can be like some form of modern torture; Dull, boring, being led off track, personal attacks, grumpy sulking, you know the rest (or is it just my Parish Church Committee that is like that?). Organisational Psychologists have actually done a lot of work on the science and skills of effective meetings. In this CHOW we will look at some of the factors that lead to better meetings and what can be a recipe for disaster from the outset. We'll also learn some new skills and techniques that you can try out the next time you have a team meeting, parent-teacher forum, charity trustee meeting, or even a gathering of church. This is the 3rd talk from our Open Source series (formally known as emply raincoats). Open Source is an occasional series of talks at CHOW where we tap into the treasury of business knowledge within our network by creating a space where such knowledge can be shared freely. The talks in the Open Source series are given by members of the local business community who have acquired a deep level of expertise in a particular area and are generously offering their hard-earned insights to the CHOW community as a gift. If you think you might have something valuable to contribute to the Open Source series, please do get in touch.

1. PRESENTED BYPRESENTED BY
Meetings, bloody meetings
Creative dialogue for better problem
solving, collaboration and creativity.
Simon Nash

2. Have we always been meeting this way…

3. Have we always been meeting this way…

4. What’s wrong with meetings today?
• Format – choosing the right format for the meeting
purpose.
• Courtesy – rules of behaviour
• Ego – personality issues / organisational purpose
• Technique – making the most of the developments in
organisational psychology and other disciplines

5. Meetings – the big questions
Why are we here?
Meeting purpose –information sharing, decision
making, regular habit, statutory …
When are we
done?
What are we going
to do?
How are we going
to work?
Who needs to do
what?
Timing influences behaviour … in the West.
Rules and norms.
Team roles and techniques
Responsibility and specific roles such as chairing,
minutes, timekeeping etc.

6. “Steering” Meetings
More Structure
Text
More Information
More Energy
More Generative

7. FBM
E.g.
• Standing Report
E.g.
• Brainstorming
E.g.
• Agendas
• Rules of Order
E.g.
• Open Space
• Appreciative Inquiry
Energy
Data
Ideas
Structure

8. Types of Brainstorming – over 100 identified…
• Idea hubbub
• Silent start
• Written Brainstorming (post – its)
• Multi-voting
• Step Ladder technique
• Reverse Brainstorm
• Facilitated vs group led

9. Six Thinking Hats

12. PRESENTED BYPRESENTED BY

13. Diagram
Element
Element
Element
Caption