Facilitating Meetings in Times of Shared Distraction

why do some people fear facilitating meetings?
why do some people fear facilitating meetings?

Let me start by saying that I understand COVID19 is more than a mere distraction, and deserves healthy respect. But as we work to maintain business in a responsible way, the reality is that the people we are working with – both staff and clients – are distracted. I believe there are some key items we need to consider in any time of shared distraction for not just an effective meeting, but also for encouraged and supported staff/clients.

Natural Response: Before we talk too much about facilitating approaches, we need to recognize that each individual has their own “natural response” to times of stress. One is not better than the other – they just exist, and we need to recognize that. Some are quiet, don’t want to talk, others get talkative and want to spout everything about the distraction, some are visibly/audibly distraught, others fall to humor and crack jokes to relieve their inner tension (the last one is often me). Recognize that in your meeting you may have natural responses which are diabolically opposed to one another, which only adds to the tension.

Starting Well Matters: To have productive and healthy meetings in times of shared distraction the obvious has to be stated, it cannot be left unsaid. As you facilitate, don’t try to dodge the item. How you approach will vary based on internal/external and how many meetings you have had with the people involved. I would suggest allocating the first 3-4 minutes simply to let things breathe. Call out the scenario not with the intention to state all opinions about the shared distraction, but rather as a means of communicating to the people involved that you (the facilitator) are aware of what is on their minds. There is something that happens with the other participants which allows them to relax and focus when they know that others are aware of the distraction. Make a hard and clear transition to the meeting topic at hand after things breathe a bit. Let them know it is time to focus on the task at hand for the next 30 minutes, 1 hour etc. You then have to keep that piece of the commitment, and keep conversation on topic and not the topic of distraction.

Manage Interactions More Closely: There has always been the fun part as meeting facilitator when personalities clash – but in times of shared distraction those clashes are more likely to be negatively impactful. Watch for the different responses during the initial start of the meeting. As an example, if a jokester goes overboard, those who are more easily visibly/audibly distraught may hold frustration of those jokes into the meeting – you have to work with both during the meeting to keep things positive and focused. You may in this case wish to proactively seek the participation of the distraught prior to the jokester – so that they are not in ‘response mode’. In all cases, if the topics start to veer off to that of the distraction then things should be brought back quickly.

Finish Strong: In times of shared distraction, it is more important than ever to thank participants for their time AND attention. Focus is a challenge in times of shared distraction, and the more positive reinforcement we are able to provide for giving that focus the better off we are. I think it is also worth weighing in your mind adding another verbal reference to the shared distraction. Again, if they are internal vs. external participants and how frequently you have already met will impact this choice – but there could be value in some simple forward motion encouragement such as “thanks for your time and attention, I know we have this distraction going on – but I feel we got great value from our focus today. I wish you well in (distraction) and if there is an area where I/we can help in that area, please let me know. (assuming you are truly willing to help!).”

There will always be distractions to people, and sometimes as we are experiencing now, there are shared distractions that make this more critical. Hopefully this will help you be a great facilitator through this and the next shared distraction.