3-2-1: Workshop Weekly #20 Topics for today: Getting meeting-ready in 5 minutes, onboarding automation, and customer feedback. Let's go! – Arthur

Three Workshop Examples

1: Get meeting-ready in 5 minutes

Okay, you have 5 minutes until your next meeting.

You also learned you have to lead the session.

Now what?

One simple tool that always works in these situations:

1. List the agenda in a multiplayer tool (like Miro, Google Docs, or Notion)
   • Create two columns: Todo and Done.
   • State a clear goal for each topic (decide, get feedback, generate ideas).
   • Name the person who introduced the topic.
   • Write down how many minutes you want to spend on it, max.
   • Optional: Add screenshots or links (can also be done in the session)
2. Start the meeting by prioritizing the agenda together.
3. Start with the topic with the highest votes.
4. Set a timer to the minute amount written.
5. Move it to done after the time’s up.
   • Make sure you capture decisions and next steps.
6. Move to the next topic.

Simple and effective.

(But if you have more time, read Async Tip #1 below)

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2: Keeping meetings on track

Managing time effectively can be hard. Especially in meetings and workshops. Without facilitation, they can become unproductive in no time.

Here are five ways to keep meetings on track:

1. Guide back to the goal: Having a clear goal that’s visible throughout the whole meeting keeps the discussion focused. Redirect any tangents back to the main objective when needed.
2. Visible Timekeeping: Use a timer visible to everyone. This keeps time in everyone’s mind and doesn’t put all the pressure of time-keeping on one person.
3. Be flexible with your agenda: Know what content is essential and what can be skimmed or skipped if you run out of time. This ensures the most critical topics are covered.
4. Engage and Adapt: Read the room. If participants are particularly engaged in a topic, it might be worth spending more time there and adjusting the agenda accordingly.
5. Active Facilitation: Be prepared to guide the conversation back on topic if discussions start to veer off course. Phrases like, “This is an interesting point, let’s park it for later,” are super effective for getting back on topic.

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3: Manage conflicts and disruptions

Another challenging part of meetings: Dealing with conflicts and disruptions.

Our instinct usually tells us to avoid conflict or discrepancies. However, conflict is where the key to achieving the common goal lies.

A good facilitator is relatively comfortable in these situations.

You can use some strategies to manage these situations, such as reframing the issue, finding common ground, using active listening, or taking a break.

You can also intervene when necessary by redirecting the conversation, clarifying the rules, or resolving the dispute.

Always try to maintain a positive and respectful atmosphere, but don't shy away from strong opinions.

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Two Async Automations

1: Auto-summarize meeting notes

One major problem with meetings: You're missing out if you're not in them.

Meeting notes are a great antidote, but not everyone is great at writing them.

One async automation that can help:

1. Record and auto-transcribe your meeting (with Butter, Google Meet, or Zoom).
2. Send the transcription to OpenAI (via Make.com, Zapier, or Bardeen).
3. Generate a summary (with action items) and send it to your team (Slack, Notion, or email).

2: Onboarding Email Course

Joining a new team can be overwhelming.

Meeting new people, their way of working, priorities, and rituals takes time.

Email courses are a great way to deliver information when they need it:

• Day 1 - Welcome: A personalized welcome email containing a brief overview of the onboarding process, what to expect in the coming days, and who to contact for immediate questions.
• Day 2 - Team Members Summary: When meeting so many new people, having a "Facebook" of your colleagues can be helpful.
• Day 3 to 10 - Training material: Send daily emails with links to training materials, organized logically to build on the previous day's knowledge. Include interactive e-learning courses, videos, and documentation specific to the team member's job function.​
• End of Week 1, Week 2, and Week 4 - Automated check-ins: An automated survey or form to gather feedback on the onboarding experience and address any challenges. Make sure this ends up in a team lead's inbox so they can talk about their next 1-on-1.

Yes, you need some time to set it up and keep it up-to-date. But you save so much time, helping new team members get up to speed in days instead of weeks.

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One Question For Your Team

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That's all for this week. If you enjoyed today's issue, please reply with a few words. It helps me learn what works for you and write more of 🙌 If you didn't, you can unsubscribe via the link 👇.

See you next Wednesday — Agile Arthur​

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