The next set of questions we ask in Positive and Productive Meetings focus on people and the many ways they take part in meetings. Here are a just a couple of the questions we ask to help teams work together and discover how each member can contribute.

How are we going to work together? This broad question captures the Meeting Agreements and Ground Rules that govern the time teams spend together.

Who does what? Successful meetings require a great deal of work. In Positive and Productive Meetings we identify up to ten different Roles people can fill to contribute to carrying off a great meeting.

Roles

In Positive and Productive Meetings we want to share the responsibility for a great meeting, and work to people’s strengths. This means sharing roles that reflect people’s talents and interests.

Facilitator or Chair

The role of the facilitator or chair is to enable the team to work through the agenda and to agree to actions. Within the meeting process they make sure that the discussion is related to the agenda question and ensure that people know and understand the outcomes agreed before they are recorded.

Hospitality

The place where the meeting is held will affect the quality of people’s thinking. The person who is responsible for hospitality is charged to create an environment that makes people feel welcomed and valued.

Graphic Recorder

Graphics can be used to capture discussion or simply to record actions and burning issues. Over 60% of us can be described as “visual” people, with a preference for processing information visually. Having information presented or recorded on paper throughout the meeting can enhance people’s ability to participate and follow the meeting. Positive and Productive Meetings also encourages people to create graphic Meeting Design Maps to remind people of the purpose, rules and roles in the meeting.

These are just some of the many roles that people can fill as part of a Positive and Productive Meeting.