Meeting Types
When we meet with purpose, we categorize all meetings into one of four types. Each meeting type has a different purpose, process and desired output.
A well defined meeting process run by a facilitator will profoundly change the way you look at your work. After we practice the process for a few weeks, it becomes muscle memory. We show up to the meeting and get into the routine, making the meetings even more efficient.
Collaboration Meeting
Purpose
Get the work done in a fast, structured environment.
Rhythm
These chunks of time are scheduled on a weekly basis — more if needed.
Process
Collaboration can happen in many ways. But if you are in need of a good process to ensure productivity, give the following a try:
Round 1: Kickoff
Review the team’s mission and how this meeting will bring the team closer to their objective.
Round 2: Contextualize
Without discussion, each member shares the relevant information necessary to complete the task at hand.
Round 3: Prioritize
Without discussion, each person adds their proposals for what the team should do to a shared board. Each member gets to vote for what they think is most important to accomplish the objective of the meeting.
Round 4: Make
Divide the group into teams of two. Each team selects one of the prioritized proposals and begins to develop it into something they can share to the group.
Round 5: Review
Each team presents their work to the team, and others are allowed to respond with clarifying questions and reactions
REPEAT: Make -> Review
Individuals split back into their original team of two and continue to develop the concept based on the round of questions and reactions. Repeat this process until you feel like the idea is developed. If you complete the task and you have time let in the meeting, begin to develop a lower priority proposal that was not addressed in the first round.
Action Meeting
Guide to running Action Meeting with Trello
Purpose
Triage issues that come up during the previous week, remove obstacles, assign tasks, and prioritize the work that needs to be done for the week.
Rhythm
Action meetings happen once at the beginning of every week. We recommend scheduling a recurring 30 minute slot every Monday. The recurring time helps teams assess how they are spending their time on a weekly basis, and shift course if the context of their work changes.
Process
Round 1: Check In
Ask each participant, “what has your attention?” One at a time, participants open by quickly explaining what has their attention or what is keeping them from being present in the room.
Round 2: Project Updates
Review assigned actions and projects for each individual from last week’s action meeting. Only state what’s changed, or say “no changes.”
Round 3: Build Agenda
Participants raise new issues or items. The scribe creates a list of 1-word placeholders for each issue. Avoid describing each item in detail. This list becomes the meeting’s “agenda.”
Round 4: Process Agenda
Process agenda items one-by-one by describing the situation. The facilitator helps find someone on the team who can help. The scribe captures the next step to be taken to resolve the issue. Don’t discuss the work. Just capture action items.
Round 5: Closing Round
One at a time, participants offer a reflection on the session. No discussion is allowed.
Pro Tips:
- Action meetings start on time, with or without the ‘team leader’
- The SLAM team prioritizes its own work, week to week
- Action meeting agendas are built collaboratively on the fly
- Every task has an owner
- Record tasks and task owners in a transparent/shared place
- Use any extra time at the end of the meeting for discussion, if necessary
Decision Meetings
Strategy Meetings
Purpose
Develop and clearly communicate strategies that drive the direction of the work.
Rhythm
You should conduct a strategy meeting when you create a new team - and the world is changing quickly, so we recommend revisiting strategies every quarter or so.
Process
The following is one type of process that may be used to direct the vision of SLAM teams.
Round 1: Check In
Ask each participant, “what has your attention?” One at a time, participants open by quickly explaining what has their attention or what is keeping them from being present in the room.
Round 2: Orientation
Remind the team of the purpose, accountabilities and existing strategies. Briefly review the team’s existing documentation and working elements.
Round 3: Retrospective
Ask each participant, “what data can we present about our past experience and current events?” Each participant individually and silently reflects and captures ideas relating to actions based on previous strategies; key facts/data and events; and trends or opportunities in the marketplace. One thought per post-it.
Round 4: Affinitize and Clarify
Organize the data by theme or context: what’s related? what’s impacting each other? The facilitator will focus on one group at a time; participants describe and clarify key notes they’ve added and share reflections.
Round 5: Strategy Generation
Ask each participant, “what do we emphasize operationally to address this data?” Each participant generates appropriate “even/over” statements that speak to the data presented. Even/over statements describe two potential outcomes, but select one to prioritize over the other. After statements are created the team votes to pick the most relevant and then integrates them using RDM.
Round 6: Unpack Strategies
Each participant reflects upon and captures Projects, Next-Actions, and Tensions they will process from each of their roles to enact the integrated Strategies. Everyone then shares their next steps to gather feedback and for additional next-step requests.
Round 7: Closing
One at a time, participants offer a reflection on the session. Try to listen to each person’s perspective but avoid breaking into discussion.