Why Informal Practices Matter So Much More Than You Think
As a facilitator, I do not always know how a group will respond to a certain activity.
Often, I am surprised.
A few years ago, I led a conversation on “participation styles” (see the list below) with a group as a way of exploring how different people approach meetings differently.
Group members determined their participation style(s), and spoke in small groups about what they need in meetings. As a large group, we looked at how these are sometimes in conflict. For example, some people come to a meeting for the social dimensions of connecting with others, whereas others want to get into the minutia of the details.
I did not think that this activity was that interesting. It was not as “important” or “substantive” as working through key facts and challenges of the organization’s work.
But something happened that I did not expect.
When I asked people what the most memorable part of the conversation had been, many people said the segment on “participation styles”!
Really??
I learned something from this conversation:
Most of us want to understand how we work together and how we can improve our shared work.
And those informal practices of collaboration matter.
In our last blog, we spoke about the formal practices (rules, bylaws, agendas, etc.) that lead to effective sessions. Now I want to discuss the informal – often invisible – practices that create effective meetings.
What are informal practices?
These practices include relationship and trust building, compassion, empathy, willingness to disagree, and creating the space and time needed to allow for diverse participation styles.
So, how do you bring those sentiments into a productive meeting?
When you bring people together (in a room or a zoom) they are not coming as blank slates or carbon copies of each other. You will be working with a variety of individuals who bring different personalities, strengths, and preferences.
So, what’s the best way to conduct a session that creates results and lets everyone participate?
First let’s think about who might be coming together. I find it helpful to think about four types of individuals.
The 4 types of individuals
Conceptualizer – Thinks big picture and needs to understand why and how the work connects to the larger mission or vision
Affiliator – Creates connections with other in the room and brings the right combination of vulnerability and support.
Activator – Sets and wants clear next steps and actions with a sense that the project is moving forward.
Analyzer – Thinks deeply about the details and prefers clear steps to meetings or processes.
In a meeting, you might have representatives from some or all these individuals. It is helpful to spend time getting to know folks on a personal level so you know what type of person they are.
The work to design and facilitate a meeting that creates space and incorporates all individuals needs to start before the meeting itself:
Before the Meeting
Check In - You will want to design a meeting for who and what is the room. It’s often helpful to reach out to members ahead of time to get a sense of how everyone is doing and what might be happening in their lives. Depending on what you learn, it might be appropriate to address and acknowledge these activities and create space to acknowledge feelings.
Design the Meeting – How much time and space do you need to leave for discussions, questions, and decision-making? Will your analyzers have enough time to hear the critical details? Will your affiliators get to hear the opinions of others? Etc. (You might even want to annotate your agenda to check in with people during the meeting.)
Additionally, as people have different levels of interest in connecting and conversing with one another, it is important create times with the full group in discussion together and some in small groups. This is even possible with virtual meetings using breakout rooms.
Share Materials - To honor diverse participation styles, I find it helpful to share agenda and details ahead of time. Collaboration software such as Google Docs allow detail-oriented people to review and pose questions in advance of meetings.
During the Meeting
Opening the Session – Check in with folks at the beginning of the meeting. Make sure to welcome people into the meeting space with the energy and tone suited for the conversation you look to encourage.
Managing the Flow – It’s one thing to have an agenda, and it can be another to stick to the agenda. You may have a situation where an Analyzer wants to review a document in more detail than time will allow, and/or an Activator is getting inpatient that the process isn’t moving fast enough. This is a time where you might want to suggest scheduling a separate time for a committee to go into more detail on organizational finances or plans.
Closing the Session – We all want to understand what the next steps are and who will be responsible for them. Include time to agree on next steps with timelines and responsible parties.
After the Meeting
Follow-Up – It’s important to close the loop after a meeting and summarize the key discussion points and agreed upon next steps.
I hope these concepts help you plan and implement meetings that allow your organization to thrive.