Establish ground rules: Share personal experiences rather than make general statements about groups of people (stereotyping). "Go for Quantity" is a great rule to establish before diving into a brainstorming session. Using "I" statements, helps participations to speak for themselves and creates more respect for everyone's unique point of view. 12. 0000008050 00000 n 0000004522 00000 n Blue sky thinking is brainstorming without limits. 63. E.L.M.O stands for "Enough, let's move on" and can be established as a meeting rule to cut unnecessary discussions. 8 ground rules examples. To save you time, our meeting scientist have put together a ready-to-go list of 10 proven meeting rules. "Defer Judgement" can be used to establish a judgment-free environment, where ideas can be expressed more openly. During the discussions, do not talk when someone else is talking. The Donut Rule is a meeting guideline for the group to focus on the larger picture (donut) instead of getting caught up in things they don't have or can't control (hole in the donut). Your team may make a lower-quality decision because that persons contributions were not heard or because the person is not committed to implementing the decision. 0000009043 00000 n Stay mentally and physically present Be present, and don't attend to non-meeting business. "Go for Quantity" is a great rule to establish before diving into a brainstorming session. Treat all ideas as valid and valuable. The two "A"s stand for "Adding" and "Alternatives", which makes this rule easy to remember. 32. Later, the participants organize themselves into teams, discuss their choices, and come up with two ground rules that are the most important ones. Research shows that calling out a team member can create unintended consequences if the person calling them out is wrong: The other person will keep raising the issue or will shut down for the rest of the meeting. Arrive on time for the workshop. A calm environment encourages participation and learning. at any time to indicate that it is time to move on to the next topic. Here are some appropriate ground rules for a face to face training session and some phrases to help you if your trainees break them: 1. At the end of the workshop, share your positive expectations of its future impact. Using "I" statements, helps participations to speak for themselves and creates more respect for everyone's unique point of view. Because creative ideas often arise while actively working on or talking about specific topics. Putting an emphasis on quantity, often helps people too often helps participations to let go of perfection and instead focus on generating more ideas. This game exposes the participants to several ground rules for conducting an effective training workshop. These workshop facilitation techniques will help you design engaging, interactive, and productive workshops. 2. Be curious to learn about alternative perspectives. 4. 54. "Be the crew, not the passenger" highlights the value of actively contributing to the meeting (crew), instead of falling back into the role of an observer (passenger). Whenever you hope to facilitate conversations on social justice concerns, whether preparing for a one-hour workshop or weaving such discussions into a year-long class, a vital first step is the development of guidelines for participation. Assign independent work. 14. Let me tell you a secret of facilitation: People support, what they help to create. '#96ki/)FspgX[J;ZQMIM%RYkGH6m,Okh +,@a)O+`lhH]2OLMv1r#sZ,C,y2$Z R= ' aqi?! 67. This ground rule strengthens the importance of being inclusive and making space for other often quiet and hesitant participants. "Go for Quantity" is a great rule to establish before diving into a brainstorming session. Make surethat everyone agrees with the rules. Return on time after breaks. Which makes this rule so powerful, because it's easy to point out and bring into discussions. They describe specific actions that team members should take to act effectively. A more productive way to deal with this situation is to have a ground rule about testing assumptions and inferences. "Getting started is more important than being right" reminds the group, that progress is the priority and that answers will probably emerge along the process. How to leverage collective intelligence ? Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Attend the workshop with positive expectations. Respect different points of view. 24. HdSM0+h>vJ=U-R,ZLml+$3y~}]+P@PK?Z pK8D@rK/. 64. Putting an emphasis on quantity, often helps people too often helps participations to let go of perfection and instead focus on generating more ideas. These blue sky ideas are often very inspirational and a great anchor point for the group to come up with similar, more feasible ideas. At the end of the workshop, identify key takeaways and action items. 0000001780 00000 n Development of action plans for new ideas and practices arising from the workshop. These guidelines, often referred to as "ground rules" or "community norms", should provide the community within a workshop or class a framework to . Distribute different lists. Whether you facilitate a short half-day workshop on Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management or preparing a two-week course, a vital first step is the development of guidelines for participation. Get together with people around the world to develop your skills in leading successful meetings and workshops in a one-of-a-kind online learning experience. Blue sky thinking is brainstorming without limits. There are always a mix of extrovert and introverted people in a meeting. "Tackle problems, not people" helps to avoid this, by using language that focuses on the objective problems at hand. You have a unique perspective on the training topic. 0000041686 00000 n Nothing comes from doing nothing! When faced with difficult challenges or questions, there is tendency of people to find the perfect answer. Examples of behavioral ground rules include make statements and ask genuine questions and explain your reasoning and intent.. It certainly helps to make ground rules visible (e.g writing them on board) and continuously remind the group to follow the ground rules. Training Workshop Ground Rules 1. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies. Blame or judgment will get you further from a solution, not closer. Listen actively to understand what the other participants are saying. Establishing this as a ground rule highlights that participants can suggest on their own when to place something on the parking lot in order to keep the meeting on track and on time. Can you help me understand the connection, or, if its not related, can we figure out if and when we should address your topic? Saying this enables you to quickly test your inference that Bobs comment isnt related. Ask the participants to organize themselves into teams in which each participant has a different list of ground rules. After this agreement, the group can stop arguing and move on. Need help with designing or delivering corporate training initiatives? A list of meeting ground rules for meeting and workshops. Communications 0000007507 00000 n Single slip-ups can usually be given a pass. <> Consider setting the following ground rules for virtual training sessions: Communicate professionally with others Wait for others to finish speaking before you speak Each time you speak, state your name so that others begin to recognize your voice Build on others' ideas and thoughts Disagreeing is OK - but be respective and courteous "Defer Judgement" can be used to establish a judgment-free environment, where ideas can be expressed more openly. Share your unique perspectives and experience, and speak honestly. 33. Based on the size of the group, this can also be adjusted to the 2x2 or even 4x4 Rule. These blue sky ideas are often very inspirational and a great anchor point for the group to come up with similar, more feasible ideas. Be prepared to contribute to achieving the meeting goals. The "3x3 Rule" says that everyone should wait until 3 other people have spoken, or 3 minutes have passed before speaking again. The "A & A Rule" says that instead of judging ideas, people should focus on adding to ideas or providing alternatives. Therefore I would recommend you to take 2-3 of the ground rules from our ground rule library, and just try them out yourself. Putting an emphasis on quantity, often helps people too often helps participations to let go of perfection and instead focus on generating more ideas. This rule can be used to encourage participants to come up with big ideas, without considering the practical constraints of day-to-day life. Ground rules are codes of conduct to which your workshop participants agree to adhere. 40. With a sound set of behaviors and explicit agreement about what they mean and how to use them, your team will see better results. Make sure your comments are relevant to the purpose of the workshop. During discussions, dont make abstract statements. Stay at the strategic level. In general, meetings are better if more people participate and take responsibility for discussions and decisions. Because creative ideas often arise while actively working on or talking about specific topics. Keep an open mind toward other peoples suggestions. mtC+ 4 0 obj Once stated, anyone in the meeting can say "ELMO!" Nothing comes from doing nothing! Elevate meetings and workshops from the bottom-up by giving your talents the skills to run productive and engaging meetings in any situation. MeetingSift's easy to use collaboration platform for meetings helps you run more productive meetings, with higher engagement, better decision making, and more consistent follow up. Use MeetingSift for free. The Donut Rule is a meeting guideline for the group to focus on the larger picture (donut) instead of getting caught up in things they don't have or can't control (hole in the donut). 38. 23. Behavioral ground rules are more useful. MeetingSift helps your meeting stay on topic, and focuses the discussion on issues rather than persons. Ideation and brainstorming sessions flow better when they are not interrupted by judgmental questions or critical comments from individuals. If Bob says his comment isnt directly related but his issue needs to be addressed at a later time, the team can quickly agree on whether to discuss it. As a result, abstract rules create problems if group members have different ideas about how to act respectfully. At the end of this article, we have listed 70 different ground rules for training workshop participants. [AWEbr[aTrR@#eR@EQ|l*N-0;MQ syXbcRJH%uA3Vvk`0euS8=""Xz&dNuz]J!.z+qSH 'BYDN9 Be present, or be elsewhere is a good meeting guideline to establish shared awareness and clear expectations one participants. Meeting How Tos The more people zone out of a meeting, the more rapdily the quality of the meeting and its output will diminish. "Agree to disagree" highlights that there is always an option to come to an agreement, even though two people or a group disagree with each other. Repeats may require the ground rule being restated. For example, research has identified three results that all leadership teams need to achieve: strong performance, positive working relationships, and individual well-being. 17. Value the learning from different inputs, and listen to get smarter. 0000005926 00000 n This is a clever rule to create equal participation, without directly addressing the problem of a dominant speaker in the group. Ground rules are guidelines that participants in a meeting agree to follow in order to make the meeting more productive and enjoyable. There are easy to use and don't take long to establish. Attend the workshop with positive expectations. But do not dominate the discussion. Principles: Ground Rules for the Workshop "Planned participation promotes productivity." Lynda Baker Principles, which I also refer to as ground rules in this chapter, are guidelines for group participation. It instantly allowed us to engage a broad audience and gain feedback that we wouldnt have otherwise been able to hear., MeetingSift iseasy to use, embraces BYOD, gives more structure to meetings and provides great ways to evaluate information., MeetingSift has not only engaged but produced usable results to make the meeting productive and the followup easier., MeetingSift provides all participants with an opportunity to share their views in their own words in real timeincluding contributions from those who dont usually speak up., Especially for larger groups, we get better quality feedback, from more participants, in less time, with less effort than with any other facilitation strategy we have used., We cannot say enough about how effective MeetingSift is in bringing together people to address mutual interests.. W.A.I.T stands for "Why am I talking?". Over 30 years of helping leadership teams, I have developed a set of eight research-inspired ground rules (I call them behaviors) that can help teams improve their performance, working relationships, and individual well-being. 3. Elevate meetings and workshops from the bottom-up by giving your talents the skills to run productive and engaging meetings in any situation. "Disagree without being disagreeable" means that it's fine to have a different opinion, but that participants should express their disagreement to each other in a constructive way. 0000002204 00000 n Post the ground rules in a central location so that everyone can see them. This rule can be used to encourage participants to come up with big ideas, without considering the practical constraints of day-to-day life. You can respect another persons point of view without agreeing with them. 3 0 obj Use case: Handling and avoiding conflicts. There are always a mix of extrovert and introverted people in a meeting. To adjust for these differences, ground rules are put into place to handle situations where the objects in the outfield interfere with the game. Introduce yourself to the others. Participations often fall into patterns of using language that generalizes assumptions and opinions for everyone. 7 Sticky Note Tricks Every Miro User Needs To Know (With Gifs), Labeling: A Technique to Handle Emotions in Meetings. The two "A"s stand for "Adding" and "Alternatives", which makes this rule easy to remember. 62. Identify actions based on decisions made, and follow up actions assigned to you. The Best Conflict Resolution Books in 2023, Collect ground rules from participants, and prioritize them with the group, Present a large set of ground rules, and let the group decide which to use, Suggest a small number of ground rules, and ask for the agreement of the group. Give a single list to each participant. Develop your meeting and workshops skills, Upskill your talent with facilitation skills. Ask participants if they can agree to respect these ground rules. Turn off your electronic devices. Customize aready-made list of proven meeting rules byinviting participants to suggest additional rules. Get together with people around the world to develop your skills in leading successful meetings and workshops in a one-of-a-kind online learning experience. Come to the meeting with a positive attitude. Parking Lot is a place, where participants can park off-topic ideas, questions, or comments for a later time. Dont ask questions for attacking other peoples ideas. Undiscussable issues are those issues that are on everyones mind, but no one is able to bring them forwards. The Best Conflict Resolution Books in 2023. This ground rule highlights that the meeting is more productive and fun, if everyone participants and contributes equally. When the group focuses on the donut, instead of the hole (metaphorically) it's easier to maintain a constructive and positive atmosphere. Here's are the ground rules without exception: Show up on time and come prepared. When the group focuses on the donut, instead of the hole (metaphorically) it's easier to maintain a constructive and positive atmosphere. 50. The more people zone out of a meeting, the quality of the meeting and its output will diminish rapidly. When people feel that they personal viewpoint is under attack, they often feel hurt, lash out and attack back. Seeour plans and pricing to learn about all options. Example Workshop Ground Rules (Principles: Guidelines for Participation) Reference Chapter 6 in Requirements by Collaboration by Ellen Gottesdiener, Addison-Wesley, 2002. Do your homework. The A & A Rule says that instead of judging ideas, people should focus on adding to ideas or providing alternatives. Team ground rules should be created and agreed to by everyone in the team together, because groups more easily accept and abide by rules they've set themselves. 0000001976 00000 n Based on the size of the group, this can also be adjusted to the 2x2 or even 4x4 Rule. Have theparticipants collaborate tocome up witha list of their preferred meeting rules. Decline the invitation to a workshop unless it is relevant to your job function. 39. 3. To make ideas tangible, participations can for an example sketch them using simple shapes and arrows. 66. 54. Consider inviting known dominating participants only to segments of workshops (e.g., have participants present or share ideas with HIPPOs, but not brainstorm with them) Plan to break up the workshop participants into small teams with balanced personalities and roles; Create ground rules and expectations for respectful interactions and listening In general, meetings are better if more people participate and take responsibility for discussions and decisions. Respect each others thinking and value everyones contributions. 49. 41. Share this perspective with the others. Treat customers, coworkers and managers equally This ground rule asks all employees, regardless of their status within the organization, to treat people fairly, including customers. Interested in learning more about our train the trainer courses? Develop action plans for new ideas and procedures from the workshop. 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