Meeting facilitation – Ava S. Butler http://www.avasbutler.com Organizational Development Consultant Mon, 15 Apr 2019 15:46:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.2 The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters http://www.avasbutler.com/the-art-of-gathering-how-we-meet-and-why-it-matters/ http://www.avasbutler.com/the-art-of-gathering-how-we-meet-and-why-it-matters/#respond Mon, 15 Apr 2019 15:46:28 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=481 I highly recommend The Art of Gathering:  How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker.  I know a lot about planning and facilitating meetings, but learned so much more by reading this book. Whether you run business meetings, are involved in non-profit events, or hold parties at your home, this book will give […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/the-art-of-gathering-how-we-meet-and-why-it-matters/feed/ 0 Planning is critical to successful meetings: use this checklist to help you prepare http://www.avasbutler.com/planning-is-critical-to-successful-meetings-use-this-checklist-to-help-you-prepare-2/ http://www.avasbutler.com/planning-is-critical-to-successful-meetings-use-this-checklist-to-help-you-prepare-2/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2018 22:02:12 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=466 What you do before your meetings is every bit as important as what you do in them. In fact, without effective pre-meeting planning and organization, the quality of your meetings will certainly suffer, and some will very likely fail. Most facilitators plan to some degree. Many consider their meetings planned if they create an agenda, […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/planning-is-critical-to-successful-meetings-use-this-checklist-to-help-you-prepare-2/feed/ 1 The power and importance of questions http://www.avasbutler.com/the-power-and-importance-of-questions/ http://www.avasbutler.com/the-power-and-importance-of-questions/#respond Wed, 01 Aug 2018 23:38:17 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=464 The Harvard Business Review highlights the importance and power of questions in two recent articles.  I highly recommend them both. Better Brainstorming suggests we focus on questions, not answers, for breakthrough insights. Better questions can lead to answers that challenge deeply held assumptions, and make it easier to push past biases and venture into unchartered […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/the-power-and-importance-of-questions/feed/ 0 Back by Popular Demand: How to Use a Parking Lot in Your Meetings http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-how-to-use-a-parking-lot-in-your-meetings/ http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-how-to-use-a-parking-lot-in-your-meetings/#respond Wed, 07 Mar 2018 21:13:52 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=457 “Our meetings are continually spinning off onto tangents unrelated to our original agenda.  We never accomplish what we originally set out to do and everyone is frustrated, including me.  What can I do?” What is PARKING LOT? PARKING LOT is a productivity technique for effectively dealing with distracting but important non-agenda items that arise during […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-how-to-use-a-parking-lot-in-your-meetings/feed/ 0 Back by popular demand: How and when to use Transformation Maps http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-how-and-when-to-use-transformation-maps/ http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-how-and-when-to-use-transformation-maps/#respond Wed, 31 Jan 2018 20:48:04 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=450 “My leadership team and I have a pretty clear idea of where we want to be in the next 5 years, but don’t know exactly how to get there. There are so many issues and improvements to address. It’s hard to get our heads around them. What suggestions do you have?” What is a Transformation Map? […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-how-and-when-to-use-transformation-maps/feed/ 0 Back by popular demand: The What, When and How of Project Charters http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-the-what-when-and-how-of-project-charters/ http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-the-what-when-and-how-of-project-charters/#respond Fri, 12 Jan 2018 21:21:37 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=445 “I’ve been asked to lead a change project within my company, but I’m not really sure what is expected. What should I do?” What is a Project Charter? A Project Charter is a one page document that describes the new project’s: Objectives Measures and targets – both financial and non-financial Deliverables Assumptions re: support requirements, […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/back-by-popular-demand-the-what-when-and-how-of-project-charters/feed/ 0 Mission Critical Meetings still selling strong and getting stronger http://www.avasbutler.com/mission-critical-meetings-still-selling-strong-and-getting-stronger/ http://www.avasbutler.com/mission-critical-meetings-still-selling-strong-and-getting-stronger/#respond Tue, 09 Jan 2018 22:53:51 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=438 Mission Critical Meetings: 81 Practical Facilitation Techniques was published in 2014. I’m grateful and honored that sales continue to grow, with 2017 sales the highest so far. I continue to receive feedback on how valuable this practical ‘how to’ book is for those who facilitate meetings.   Thank you all.  I continue to welcome your sales […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/mission-critical-meetings-still-selling-strong-and-getting-stronger/feed/ 0 Why are so many people in meetings where nothing gets done? http://www.avasbutler.com/why-are-so-many-people-in-meetings-where-nothing-gets-done/ http://www.avasbutler.com/why-are-so-many-people-in-meetings-where-nothing-gets-done/#respond Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:33:13 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=397 Too many executives and managers complain about being stuck in back-to-back meetings all day with no time to ‘get work done.’ This is especially true during organizational transition, where roles and decision-making authority are unclear, and organizational discipline is low. Here are a few tips to use meetings effectively and free up time for getting […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/why-are-so-many-people-in-meetings-where-nothing-gets-done/feed/ 0 New research hints at ways to make meetings more effective http://www.avasbutler.com/new-research-hints-at-ways-to-make-meetings-more-effective/ http://www.avasbutler.com/new-research-hints-at-ways-to-make-meetings-more-effective/#respond Mon, 27 Apr 2015 19:12:40 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=376 The April 4th edition of the Economist shared valuable new research on the pitfalls of decision making in meetings and how to avoid or diminish them.  The article is below and practical tips are highlighted. __________ WORKING life often seems like an endless sequence of tiresome meetings. Catch-ups, kick-offs and reviews litter the calendars of […]

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]]> http://www.avasbutler.com/new-research-hints-at-ways-to-make-meetings-more-effective/feed/ 0 Four Techniques to Evaluate Meeting Effectiveness: #4 Written Questions http://www.avasbutler.com/four-techniques-to-evaluate-meeting-effectiveness-4-written-questions/ http://www.avasbutler.com/four-techniques-to-evaluate-meeting-effectiveness-4-written-questions/#respond Sun, 29 Mar 2015 13:45:10 +0000 http://www.avasbutler.com/?p=366 “In addition to meeting together, sometimes our group meets by phone or across locations and even via E-mail. Is there a meeting evaluation technique that I can use both inside and outside a face-to-face meeting?” #4 Written Questions What are Written Questions? the Written Questions technique gathers written feedback on your meeting’s effectiveness from each […]

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