Questions to ask yourself BEFORE leading a meeting.
Purpose & Outcome
Why are we having this meeting?
What needs to be different by the end of it?
What would make this meeting feel worthwhile?
Is a meeting actually the best way to achieve this?
What is the one most important outcome we need?
Are we here to discuss, decide, create, solve, align, or learn?
What decisions need to be made?
What does not need to be resolved today?
People & Participation
Who genuinely needs to be in the room?
Whose perspective is especially important?
Who might have useful insight but be hesitant to speak?
Who is most likely to dominate the conversation?
How can I create space for different voices?
What do participants need to know beforehand?
What could participants prepare before arriving?
Is everyone clear about why they are attending?
Leadership & Facilitation
What role do I need to play in this meeting: facilitator, decision-maker, contributor, listener, coach?
Where might I be tempted to give the answer too quickly?
What questions could I ask instead?
What assumptions am I bringing into the room?
What am I already convinced should happen?
Am I genuinely open to a different outcome?
What energy do I want to bring into the meeting?
How do I want people to feel when they leave?
Agenda & Design
Does each agenda item have a clear purpose?
Which items require discussion and which simply require information?
What could be communicated asynchronously instead?
Where will we need the most thinking time?
What conversations are likely to become sidetracked?
How will we capture decisions?
How will we identify owners and deadlines?
Have I left enough space for questions and unexpected insight?
Anticipating Challenges
Where might there be disagreement?
What might people be worried about but not saying?
What resistance could emerge?
Are there tensions or relationships I need to be aware of?
What information are we missing?
What might prevent us from making a decision?
What is within this team's control?
What might we need to accept rather than solve?
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