Collaboration Explained: Facilitation Skills for Software Project Leaders

Chapter 10. Starting the Collaborative Meeting

A few meeting preparations go a long way. So, once you have dealt with the participants, the sponsor, and the organizing tools, prepare for your collaboration event by bringing the meeting venue together and starting your meeting.

Setting Up the Room

I’ve discovered that the layout and feel of a room can, from the very start, have a big impact on how your team members perceive the meeting you are about to start. When people walk in the door, they gain some sense of how they want to participate in the meeting. So for instance, I’ve noticed that if there are lots of rows of tables, as in a classroom-style setting, technical people tend to sit half way back and beyond. Or, there may be people so ...