The traditional style of meetings discussed so far is not particularly suited to informal problem solving, collaboration, or for working out complex, interdependent issues. Progressive organizations are cutting meeting time with interactive meetings.
In conventional meetings, the chair normally has the most authority. The chair controls how the meeting proceeds, talks more than anyone else, and is responsible for the final decisions. This can affect group participation and morale and can result in poor dynamics within the group.
The Role of the Facilitator
In an interactive meeting, the chair separates procedural and decision-making roles by appointing a facilitator. This allows the chair to fully engage with the group’s opinions.
Role of the Facilitator
The facilitator has specific responsibilities, including:
- Soliciting Opinions: Encouraging input from all group members.
- Ensuring Comfort: Creating an environment where everyone feels at ease participating.
- Keeping Focus: Guiding the meeting to stay on track.
Support from the Recorder
The facilitator is supported by a recorder, who documents key points on large sheets of paper or a whiteboard visible to the group. This approach helps ensure that all members have a clear understanding of what is being discussed and can verify the accuracy of the statements. Contributions are treated as collective ideas from the group, so individual names are not recorded.
Neutrality and Permissions
Both the facilitator and recorder must maintain neutrality, refraining from expressing personal opinions or making editorial comments. If either feels the need to share a personal viewpoint, they must seek the group’s permission to temporarily step out of their assigned roles.
Rotating Roles
Ideally, all group members should take turns serving as the facilitator and recorder. These roles could also be filled by individuals from an outside department or group.
Benefits of Interactive Meetings
Interactive meetings foster creativity and productivity. Members feel less intimidated and have equal opportunities to engage in brainstorming and problem-solving. They leave the meeting feeling heard, validated, and energized, with clear tasks to accomplish.
Taking Minutes at an Interactive Meeting
If you are appointed recorder at an interactive meeting, remember that your role is always to support the facilitator and the group.
As a recorder, you must have:
- Good listening skills
- Legible handwriting/printing for the flip charts or whiteboard
- An understanding of the group’s jargon
- Confidence to ask the group to slow down if you fall behind in the recording
- A nonjudgmental expression
As the recorder, it’s crucial to avoid putting words in a participant’s mouth, especially if they are still formulating their thoughts. Maintain silence and minimize your own speaking; defer questions to the facilitator. Your role is to support the facilitator as a teammate.
Recording Comments
When listing the group’s comments, use letters that are about 1 to 1.5 inches high. Don’t stress over spelling; feel free to use abbreviations, circle key terms, or incorporate arrows and symbols. Use colored markers to emphasize key ideas. Remember to number and title all pages, and encourage members to restate any points you may have missed or misrepresented. The accuracy of the recording is a shared responsibility among all meeting participants.
Post-Meeting Responsibilities
After the meeting, remove the pages from the wall, label them, and store them appropriately, or have them typed up. The recorder is also tasked with preparing a summary sheet or action minutes to capture the essential outcomes of the meeting.
