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Mobilizing Groups

cifi c roles, such as chair, note taker, and time monitor, to help keep
the meeting moving and keep everyone engaged.
After the participant list and roles, you need to address the simple
logistical issues of timing and connection method. The latter may
include both physical location and technical connection instructions,
depending on whether the gathering is in person or between attendees
in physically remote locations.
The combination of your objective, participant list, roles, and
logistics becomes the basis for defi ning what will actually happen
during the meeting. This “fl ow” is the largest part of the meeting
specifi cation and often takes the longest to construct. It resembles
what might traditionally be referred to as an “agenda,” because it
articulates the topics of discussion. But it also goes further. It’s not
enough to merely make a laundry list of discussion items or speaker
names. To use everyone’s time most productively, you must defi ne the
actual fl ow of time, as if you were scripting a screenplay. You defi ne
each item that appears in the fl ow in terms of how long you expect it
to last, who will lead that portion or be responsible for making sure
it happens correctly, what content will be addressed, what the format
will be, and—perhaps most important—what the expected outcome
or purpose of that item is. Defi ning the fl ow is much like defi ning a
sequence of minimeetings, each with its own objective.
Figure 8.3 shows an example of a meeting specifi cation for a task
force. The physical layout may vary, but all of the necessary elements
are included in this example, which can be used as a meeting speci-
fi cation template for any type of gathering. If constructed correctly,

Quick Video: Turbocharge Your Meetings
Visit www.MakeWorkGreat.com for a short video segment about how
to add expected outcomes to well-crafted meeting plans. This is also
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