In this guide, we discuss common challenges people face during meetings. We explain how to keep meetings short, effective and inclusive.

📚 This guide is part of a series on how to facilitate meetings.

Meetings don't always go the way you expect! And what is going well for one person will be difficult for someone else. As a facilitator, you will never get things perfectly 'right' for everyone. However, it can help to develop your ability to problem solve. Try different things out, and notice the impacts.

Develop your ability to spot prob­lems and try to work out why they are happening. Don't just ask “What is happening?” Also ask “Why is it happening?” Trying to identify the underlying issues will help you find solutions to try out.

It is easy to jump to conclusions about underlying issues. For example, 'people seem disengaged, that must mean they are bored, let's wrap up this topic quickly.' Instead of running too far with your interpretations of what you can see, try sharing what you've noticed and asking the group what's going on: "I've noticed a lot of people haven't said anything about this agenda item, and I'm not sure how best to help. Is anyone up for saying what's going on for them?"

Remember also that you often get more feedback from confident members of the group. You could be proactive about asking for more input. For example, "A couple of people have said they need more information about the topic before discussing solutions. Does anyone have anything different that would help them?"

We have listed some common issues, and made a few suggestions for how to address them. Hopefully you can use these ideas a springboard for generating more options of your own:

Long meetings #

It is very common for meetings to drag on, beyond the point where most people are able to concentrate. You might see that fewer and fewer people are participating as the meeting goes on. Or some people start to slip out before the meeting has finished.

Make sure in advance that you have all the information you need to reach a decision at the meeting. If vital facts are missing, work out what needs to be done to get them for the next meeting and move on.

Prioritise which topics really need to be discussed by the whole group. For example, could some decisions be taken by a working group, or even an individual? (E.g. "All the printers in town have similar prices, can the person who is printing the fliers decide which one to use?")

Think carefully about which elements of a topic are really urgent to discuss. For example, if you are talking about a benefit gig that is four months away, you could agree a date, and appoint people to research possible bands and venues, but not discuss any more details.

You could make use of working in small groups to make things more efficient, e.g. parallel groups could deal with several issues at once. Or delegate a small group to synthesise everyone’s ideas into a few possible solutions to be discussed later by the whole group.

Time pressure #

Time constraints on a meeting can lead to stress, and make it harder to really listen to each other and explore different options.

Prioritisation is key - making sure that the issues which come to the whole group meetings really are important ones for everyone to discuss. Some groups vary their decision making method depending how important the issue is. For example, they might delegate small decisions to individuals, vote on medium-important items, and take the time to reach full consensus on anything that will have a major impact.

Preparation also helps. Background information can be sent round in advance - though that is only useful if people have the time outside the meeting to read it! Alternatively, one person could prepare some visuals and a short, simple information to get key information across in as little time as possible.

If agenda items are actually proposals for ways forward, then spend time beforehand getting people's views and make sure they are taken into account in the proposal you put to the meeting. For example, some large groups use online surveys and shared noticeboards to get initial input before developing an idea. More intensive ways of getting input could include having one-to-one chats with people, or holding a 'workshop' where people can explore different approaches before a small group goes away to draft the proposal.

Be realistic about how much can be covered in one meeting. It may be too much for everyone to get their heads round a new idea and make a decision on it all in one go. A topic could initially go on the agenda for exploration and sharing initial reactions. A small group could then use this as a basis for a proposal which they take back to the next meeting.

Consider having more, and longer, meetings in order to give decision making the time it needs. Look for ways to do this without it impacting too negatively on the people concerned. For example, the group could pay for extra childcare. Or a workers' co-op could re-arrange their workload to make more paid time available for meetings.

Lack of focus #

Many informal groups hold meetings which are very unstructured - they jump from topic to topic, and mix up 'business talk' with friendly chat. For some people this makes it hard to concentrate, for others it is a more 'natural' and relaxed way of having a conversation. Limiting the focus to one topic at a time has benefits, and can be worth practising. For example, it can make it easier to explore an issue in depth, really hear everyone's perspectives and reach clear decisions.

Make sure you have a fair system for devising the agenda, that everyone can realistically input to. Check people are happy with it, and happy for you to bring them back on topic if the conversation drifts off. Have it somewhere people can see.

If new topics come up, decide how best to deal with them. Are they social chat best done in the break? An urgent issue that needs to be resolved immediately? Or simply a new agenda item to be dealt with later (e.g. at the end of the current meeting, or in the next one).

Take breaks when needed, and don't try to cover too many agenda items in one meeting. When people are tired, it is much harder to be self-aware about which contributions are relevant. Alcohol at meetings can have a similar effect. Some groups agree to save drinking until after the meeting.

As a group, try to have group socials that are separate from meetings. That way, people can touch base with each other without it getting mixed up in the agenda. A 'social' could could be as simple as a 15 minute break in the middle, or sharing some food before getting started with decision making.

Unequal power and participation #

Even when a group wants to organise non-hierarchically, there are almost always differences in how involved people are, how confident and comfortable they can be in the group, and how much they shape the decisions that happen. Everyone will have different amounts of energy for the group, and face varying barriers to getting involved, because of factors like health and other responsibilities. On top of this, social structures of oppression can have an enormous impact on relationships and dynamics, even in groups that are set up to fight for social justice.

These kinds of differences show up in things like: how much time different people speak in meetings; who feels able to express disagreement; who shows their feelings; who takes on which tasks; who is most likely to take decisions for the group outside of meetings; who feels able to put items on the agenda; who attends meetings regularly; who is aware of other people's feelings; who offers emotional support; who makes comments that are offensive to others.

Tackling power dynamics #

Tackling power dynamics can be long term work, but these suggestions can help you as a facilitator make the meetings more empowering for everyone:

Try facilitation tools to equalise who is able to speak and get involved. For example, paired chats to help people formulate their thoughts before delving into whole group discussion. Everyone responds to tools differently, so watch people's behaviour and ask questions to work out what is actually helpful for your group.

Check that information is being shared so that everyone can the knowledge they need to participate fully. Make space for people's different preferences for how to process information and make decisions. For example, can complex information be available in advance, as well as making enough space to talk it through in the meeting?

Pay special attention at the moments when you actually agree a way forward. In informal groups, the views of confident people may be carried forward as decisions, simply because no-one opposes them. Take the time to check everyone's views, and once you have agreement, double-check that the minutes also reflect what everyone thinks they have agreed to!

Use your listening skills when you think that someone is getting misunderstood or not heard at all. That could mean reminding the group of a point someone made that is getting over-looked. Or asking follow on questions to give someone more space to express their views.

Be ready to challenge comments that you think are offensive or dismissive of others. Exactly how you do this requires some judgement of the situation. If someone is making offensive comments because they are simply unaware of the harm they are causing, then a gentle reminder may be more helpful than using an aggressive or judgemental tone! Similarly, the people who are 'offended' may sometimes find it more empowering to speak for themselves. There is no easy formula for getting it right, but by reflecting on your experiences and seeking feedback, you can develop your skills.

Cannot reach agreement #

A strong decision that everyone can support only comes only after bringing differences out into the open. Encourage everyone to present their viewpoints, espe­cially when they may be conflicting. This requires broad discussion and enough time.

Listen carefully for agreements and concerns and the underlying issues. What's at the root of people's worries? This helps with drawing up a proposal that takes them into account.

Test for agreement periodically. This helps to clarify disagreements. Be as specific as you can in order to identify sticking points. Make it easy for people to say if they don't agree, e.g. "I'm hearing a lot of support for the idea of... Have I got that right? Does anyone not agree?". You could also ask for help at this stage, e.g.: "Can anyone summarise what things they think we agree on?"

When no agreement can be reached, try the following:

• Ask those disagreeing for alternative proposals.

• Propose a break, silent thinking time, or postponing the decision to give people time to cool down and reflect. If the decision is postponed it is often a good idea to engage conflicting parties in conflict resolution before the issue is brought up again.

• Agree a process for taking a decision that all parties can sign up to.

When one or two people are blocking consensus, ask if they are prepared to stand aside, to allow the group to proceed with the action (standing aside = not being involved in implementing a decision or its consequences). It may help if the group assures them that the lack of unity will be recorded in the minutes, that the decision does not set a precedent and that they won't be expected to implement the decision.

Don't mistake silence for consent – encourage a response from every participant. The group should be conscious of making a contract with each other. If an agreement is reached too easily then test to make sure that members really are fully supportive of the decision and do agree on essential points.

Too many ideas #

Sometimes an issue brings up a large number of ideas and it can be hard to know how to take it forward. This can be difficult, whether the group is polarised around who favours different options, or whether everyone is simply finding it hard to choose.

Remember, even when you are swamped with options, the best idea may still not be on the table. Good proposals are often made by weaving together elements of different ideas, to form a way forward that combines different strengths and meets everyone's needs.

Simple prioritisation tools can be a quick way to find out which ideas people have energy for, and which can simply be discarded. In a situation where you have the capacity to try out several things, this may be all that is needed. If it is important to decide on a single option, then prioritisation can be a first step to make the list of options more manageable.

Exploring the reasons why people like different ideas may open up new ways forward. Having an idea what people are trying to achieve will give you some criteria to guide your decision making. In a strictly linear and rational process, agreeing your aims might come before discussing ideas. However, for many people, talking about concrete suggestions can be a much more real way to become aware of what they want and need.

In order to come up with a final plan, it can help to make a list of the criteria you created through evaluating the different ideas. It may be that an existing idea then shines through as 'the strongest' because it meets all these different criteria. More often, you will build a new suggestion out of the criteria, combining the existing ideas, or simply using them as prompts.

Case studies #

Case study 1 #

The group has been talking about the current agenda item for well over an hour and still doesn't seem to be anywhere near a decision. It doesn't feel like any progress is being made.

Potential underlying causes #

Maybe the group doesn’t have all the informa­tion it needs to make a well informed decision. Or the group may be tired and unfocussed. If it's a complex issue, the range of possibil­ities may be confusing the group. The group may also be nearer to a solution than it real­ises, but isn't hearing its common ground.

Some ways forward #

Take a break or do an energising activity.

Focus the group by restating the aims of the discussion.

Use your active listening skills to summarise the discussion so far – what have been the main concerns? Is there any agreement (no matter how small)? Stating areas of agree­ment can lift the group's spirits and provide focus.

Ideastorm a list of ques­tions that need answering and work out who will do the necessary research. Can the meeting be put on hold briefly, whilst someone does research on the web, or do you need to come back to it another time?

Do you need to go deeper in your discussion? If the discussion has got polarised and people are trying to convince each other, try to pause and focus instead on understanding each other. Exploring reasons for different preferences can open the door to new solutions you hadn't spotted.

Case study 2 #

Every meeting, the same people do most of the talking, and volunteer for most of the jobs. Other people show up regularly, but participate very little.

Potential underlying causes #

It may be due to power imbalance. The talkers may feel more connected to the group, and more confident that their contributions will be welcomed.

Perhaps there's an imbalance of knowledge in the group – the people who've been doing the tasks for a long time know more about the groups' business and feel more able to speak for it.

Maybe the talkers are not very tuned in to others' experiences. They're focused on the task at hand - and haven't noticed the imbalance in participation.

Some ways forward #

Spend more time getting to know each other so more people feel socially comfortable in the meeting. Time for informal chat and sharing food can help, or a personal check-in to start the meeting.

Try using facilitation tools to help equalise participation. Or try starting a discussion with: "I'm going to start by making space for anyone who hasn't spoken yet this meeting."

Share out information so everyone has the knowledge they need to contribute. For example, start each agenda item with relevant context.

Evaluate. Ask everyone to share their experience of your meetings and make suggestions about what could improve them. This might include changes that are not just about what you do in meetings - e.g. having more regular group socials.

Attribution #

Work from the following sources was reused:

• Facilitating Meetings by Seeds for Change (2019)