Four reasons planning days are nightmares

Earlier this week I was talking with a potential client about facilitating some planning sessions they have coming up.

Too many important sessions turn out to be a waste of everyone’s time because:

  • The day doesn’t have a clear, realistic goal articulated ahead of time, meaning the discussion meanders fruitlessly.

  • No independent facilitator means those trying to run the day are also entangled in its subject matter and dynamics. This makes it difficult for anyone to hold people to account and think clearly and objectively about what is being said.

  • There is an independent facilitator, but they

    • can’t hold their own in the room, meaning dominant personalities run the day, or

    • think they need to ride roughshod over the room in order to control it, creating a “hostage” mindset and destroying engagement.

  • The facilitator strays from process into content, making substantive decisions rather than expertly drawing knowledge, insights and decisions from the participants.

Skilled facilitation can be a revelation, avoiding these traps and allowing:

  • A clear and realistic goal and process for the day to be defined ahead of time,

  • Full engagement by stakeholders, with any challenging dynamics gracefully and constructively handled,

  • Effective time management on the day itself - with the facilitator allowing exploration and discussion or moving things along as required ,

  • Drilling into grey areas to produce clarity about what is known and what is needed,

  • Clear identification of next steps and accountabilities, saving confusion, time and money down the track.

When running a session like this, it’s the facilitator’s (my) job to be the “enemy of vague”.

You can confidently hand the process over and engage fully, knowing that timing, structure and dynamics will be handled, and the room guided to a clear result.

Bonus fifth and sixth tips: Be in a room with windows. Funnily enough, people lose their mojo fast in a stuffy, basement meeting room. That $400 you saved on the room hire was a false economy. And, keep the hours realistic. That “thinking” you’re doing at 7 pm after 10 hours of intense concentration won’t be tip top.

What about you – what are your planning day gripes and tips?

Take care of yourself and others,

Madeleine

I work with clients from executive leadership teams to the front line, helping them to make clearer decisions about what they want, and adapt faster and more easily to change and transition. I use deep purpose as a key to unlock powerful thriving in work and life.

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Madeleine Shaw