11.1
PROCESS CYCLE: PLANNING EFFECTIVE
MEETINGS AND EVENTS
The tool described here has been in use for so long that we could not trace it back to its original creator.When planning a business meeting or an event such as a workshop, management retreat, or
conference, leaders usually plan content(e.g., topic areas), but often overlook or inadequately
plan process(e.g., meeting purpose, outcomes being sought). This oversight can result in inef-
ficient, costly meetings that fail to live up to their potential. People’s time is expensive, so it’s
essential that meetings be carefully planned. The payoff is better decisions and greater com-
mitment to implementing and following through on those decisions. The process cycle is a
tool for ensuring that these payoffs are realized.
THE PROCESS CYCLE
Use this tool to plan and communicate an event of any duration (e.g., a couple of hours, a day,
a week). For ease of reading, the word meetingis used here, but could be replaced by seminaror
the name for whatever event you are planning.
336 SECTION 11 TOOLS FORLEADINGMEETINGS
❑ Brainstorm the meeting purposes. Agree on what the purposes are and are not. (Reaching agree-
ment on what the purpose is nothelps dispel false expectations and keeps the
meeting focused. For example, someone might assume that a decision on a new product line
should be made at the meeting, when, in reality, the leader or group only wants to focus on a
marketing strategy for existing products.)
❑ Agree on the top two or three purposes for the meeting.
❑ Develop clear (measurable or observable) outcome statements. Outcome statements describe the
benefits that participants and other stakeholders will gain as a result of the meeting. Outcome
statements provide focus and a basis for evaluating the meeting.❑ Brainstorm what needs to happen before, during, and after the meeting to achieve the desired
outcomes. Don’t worry about sequence at this point.
❑ Determine premeeting assignments based on the outcomes being sought, and agree on responsi-
bilities for ensuring that prework is completed.
❑ Next, put these steps in sequence. A little fine-tuning, and you now have the event agenda.
❑ Who needs to participate in this meeting? Who should notbe present? Whose presence is not
essential?
❑ What attitudes and behaviors do they need to exhibit (e.g., willingness to share
information, maintain confidences, take reasonable risks)?
❑ What ground rules are needed to ensure effective participation and to discourage
unacceptable behaviors, such as belittling others’ ideas?
❑ What resources are required to prepare for and conduct this meeting? Who will arrange for these
resources? What administrative requirements need to be looked after (e.g., facility setup)?
❑ How will this meeting be evaluated?
❑ Who needs to be informed of meeting outcomes?
❑ How do we capture our learning as a group?
❑ What will we do to continually improve our meetings?Purpose
(Answers the question,
“Why are we having this
meeting?”)Outcomes
(Answers the question,
“What will we take away
from this meeting?”)
Steps
(Answers the question,
“What steps do we need
to take to achieve our
outcomes?”)
Capabilities
(Answers the question,
“Who needs to be at the
meeting and what ground
rules can we use to guide
our actions?”)Feedback
(Answers the question,
“What evaluation and
follow-through are needed
after the meeting?”)Process cycle step What you need to do