25. Staying on course in meetings
Translated from the French original.
Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash
I was talking recently with a friend who is a professor of neurology. We were discussing how hard it often is to keep the discussion on the rails during a meeting.
Very quickly come the digressions, those situations where the discussion goes off track and no longer contributes to the objective. Opportunities seized by some to tell an anecdote or share a slice of their life.
Marie then told me about intrusions. Those topics that barge into a meeting with no connection whatsoever to its purpose. We all have this kind of situation in mind too. Perhaps we even know people who make a habit of this kind of disruption.
Digression or Intrusion?
Digression or Intrusion, you are the facilitator. You must step in.
By pointing out to the group that something is happening.
“I think we are losing sight of our discussion. What do you think?”
In general, this wakes up the group, sometimes even the culprit.
If it is a digression. Things will naturally resume their course.
If it is an intrusion, don’t hesitate to comment and put the idea in the fridge.
“That’s interesting. I suggest we put this idea in the fridge.”
You can even note it on the flip chart if you have one available.
English speakers call this a “parking lot”.
It is a way of showing the contributor that their idea is not lost.
It is also a way of not forgetting it, and of keeping some time at the end of the meeting to decide how it will be dealt with another time.
Digression or Intrusion.
You are the facilitator: it is up to you to detect them, to raise the alert, then to manage them.
Ecole Internationale de Réuniologie
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