Welcome to the Designing & Facilitating Meetings Learning Topic. We hope you'll find these articles and resources helpful as you lead or participate in meetings in your work at MIT.

What is Meeting Design & Facilitation?
Have you ever been to a meeting where no one seemed to be in charge? Or a meeting where there was no clear reason to meet or no agenda? If you have, you know it can be frustrating. Meeting design is a field that identifies techniques and methods that help meetings run smoothly. One of those techniques is the role of a facilitator -- a person who leads the meeting process. Learn more about meeting design and facilitation in our Basics of Meeting Design article.

What can I learn or do here?
This learning topic on meeting design and facilitation includes articles, tools and resources for meeting leaders, participants and facilitators at all levels of experience. If you're new to planning and leading meetings, be sure to check out our Meeting Agenda tool and our Mastering Meetings: Tools for Collaborative Action course. More experienced facilitators might be interested in our Essential Facilitation course.

Can you help my group or department plan effective meetings?
Yes. OED's organization development consultants can provide meeting-related services to MIT's departments, labs and centers. For example, we can help a team or department plan agendas, discuss issues effectively during meetings, reach their meeting goals and follow through on decisions after meetings are over.

For more information, see our Organization Development site or contact oed-request@mit.edu.

Can improved meeting design and facilitation skills help my career?
Yes. Learning how to plan and conduct effective meetings is a great way to develop professionally within MIT. You may also wish to visit OED's Career Planning site, which explains other ways MIT is committed to the professional and career development of its employees.

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