ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how to plan for and run a successful meeting during a consensus building effort. It is based on a facilitated approach to meeting management called the Interaction Method. The chapter begins with a discussion of the importance of well-run and face-to-face meetings. It also describes what to do before a meeting, what to do during a meeting, and what to do after a meeting. The chapter focuses on face-to-face meetings, many of the suggestions and skills described in it can also be applied to meetings that involve telephone, video, or computer conferencing. The framework for face-to-face meetings that involves a set of four roles and functions: facilitator, recorder, leader, and group members. Participants sometimes find that effective meetings, in which opposing parties begin with strongly entrenched, opposing positions and then build consensus step-by-step, can actually be a transforming experience.
