If meetings are something you try to get through because they don’t help get things done, these resources for facilitating more intentional meetings are just what you need. In this month’s “In Case You Missed It,” written by Andy Goodman in 2018, we share essential elements to drive interaction and productivity.

Before I began writing Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes, I surveyed 2,501 public interest professionals to find out what makes a presentation a positive experience for them. The number one answer: interaction.

When human beings assemble for staff meetings, organizational retreats, or sector-wide conferences, they are not empty vessels quietly waiting to be filled up with information. They want to engage and they want to learn.

If you’re responsible for planning such gatherings, the time you devote to ensuring productive interaction will be time well spent, and thanks to FSG you have an invaluable new resource at your disposal.

Facilitating Intentional Group Learning – A Practical Guide to 21 Learning Activities is exactly what the title promises: a step-by-step manual for planners of meetings large and small.

Co-authored by Hallie Preskill, Efrain Gutierrez and Katelyn Mack, the guide divides learning activities into three categories (Quick Learning, Detailed Learning, and Systems-Thinking Learning) and features a handy chart to help determine which is the right activity for your group.

If you’ve already visited the website Liberating Structures or read Sam Kaner’s great book, The Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making, you will recognize a few of these activities, but there’s definitely something new for meeting planners at all levels, so I highly recommend downloading a free copy of the guide today.

To learn more ways to plan effective meetings, sign up for The Goodman Center’s workshop Meetings for People Who Hate Meetings on February 10 and 12.