Just-in-Time Meeting Skills
Season 1
What if you have a meeting tomorrow and have absolutely no idea what to do? This season, host Lauren Green breaks down all the essential skills you need to facilitate a successful meeting from start to finish.
Episode 1
Just-in-Time Meeting Skills
What if you have a meeting tomorrow and have absolutely no idea what to do? This episode breaks down what to expect from this season. Get ready, because by the end of this season, you will have the tools and knowledge to make your meetings work.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 1: Just-in-Time Meetings Skills designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
This episode breaks down the first season—just-in-time meeting tools—aimed to help you plan an inclusive, engaging and purposeful meeting. Listen to find out what to expect from this season and get ready to make your meetings work.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Episode 2
Should We Meet?
No, your meeting could not have been an email. There's a reason that meeting is on your calendar, and there are changes that can make meetings suck less and even worthwhile. In this episode, we’ll discuss all the reasons why we meet and the scenarios when it makes sense not to.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 2: Should We Meet? designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
No, your meeting could not have been an email. There's a reason that meeting is on your calendar and there are changes that can make meetings suck less and even worthwhile. In this episode, we’ll discuss all the reasons why we meet and the 1-out-of-100 scenario when it makes sense not to.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Episode 3
Prepping for a Meeting
Successful meetings have a design. If you’re showing up without a plan and wondering why it’s not working, it’s time to make a change. By the end of this episode, you’ll know who needs to be a part of planning, why you are meeting, and the 10 questions you need to answer to start your outline.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 3: Prepping for a Meeting designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
Successful meetings have a design. If you’re just showing up and meeting and wondering why it’s not working, it’s because no one is taking time to plan out your meetings beforehand. By the end of this episode, you’ll know who needs to be a part of planning, why your meeting and the 10 questions you need to answer to start your outline.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Episode 4
Outlining a Meeting
You’ve decided to meet, you’ve started to prep, and now it’s time to outline your meeting. In this episode, we’ll take you through the steps of creating an outline—choosing a medium, establishing outcomes, creating flow, timing and energy shifts, and how to open and close the meeting.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 4: Outline Your Meeting designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
You’ve decided to meet and you’ve prepped for your meeting. It’s time to outline your meeting. In this episode, we’ll take you through all the steps of creating your outline including choosing a medium, establishing outcomes, creating flow, timing and energy shifts, and how to open and close the meeting.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Episode 5
How to Write a Facilitation Guide
After you’ve prepped for your meeting and outlined your agenda, it’s time to create a facilitation guide: a detailed version of your agenda with talking points, reflection questions, tech host instructions, and more. Plus, we discuss the uses of tools like affinity clustering and breakouts to ensure a smooth and productive meeting.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 5: Write Your Facilitation Guide designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
If you’ve been following along with the season so far, then you’ve made in through prepping your meeting and developing an agenda outline. Now it’s time to create a facilitation guide: a detailed version of your agenda with talking points, reflection questions, tech host instructions and more. We’ll also cover the importance of additions like affinity clustering and breakouts for ensuring a smooth and productive meeting.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Episode 6
When In Doubt, Open Space
No plan for your meeting? Participants resisting your agenda at every turn? Open Space is your friend. Open Space Technology is a meeting method that ensures that topics that the participants care about the most are covered. In this episode, learn how to use Open Space to collaboratively plan your agenda with participants.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 6: When In Doubt, Open Space designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
No plan for your meeting? Participants resisting your agenda at every turn? Open Space is your friend. Open Space Technology is a meeting method that ensures that topics that the participants care about the most are covered. In this episode, learn how to use Open Space to collaboratively plan your agenda with participants.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Episode 7
Final Meeting Prep Steps
Before you kick off your meeting, there are some important final preparations you should make to ensure it runs smoothly. It’s time to connect with co-planners, collect your materials, communicate with participants, and more.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 7: Final Prep Steps designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
If you’ve been following along this season, you probably have a great meeting planned. But before you kick off your meeting, there are some important final preparations you should take to ensure your meeting runs smoothly. It’s time to connect with co-planners, collect your materials, communicate with participants and more.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Episode 8
Kicking Off a Meeting
How you kick off a meeting and each activity is critical to the success of every meeting. This episode teaches you how to start a meeting with strength and transition into new activities and topics with ease. Plus, a focused look at open-ended questions.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 8: Kicking Off designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
You’re ready for your meeting, but before you can jump into content, you need to kick off the meeting and each activity to come. This episode will give you tips and reminders for each, with a bonus focus on open-ended questions.
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Episode 9
Conflict and Time Management in Meetings
No matter how detailed your outline or how much you prepped, you can never guarantee a meeting will go exactly as planned. This episode includes tips for navigating conflict, managing time, and ensuring inclusion during your meeting.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 9: Conflict, Time Management & Inclusion designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
No matter how detailed your outline is or how much you prepped, you can never guarantee your meeting will go exactly as planned. This episode includes tips for navigating conflict, managing time and ensuring inclusion during your meeting.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Episode 10
Closing a Meeting and Follow-up
Once you’ve completed your agenda, all that’s left is to wrap it in a bow. In this last episode of This Meeting Suck Season 1, we’ll walk you through how to close the conversation, recap next steps, and send participants on their way.
Visual notes from This Meeting Sucks Season 1 Episode 10: Closing and Follow-up designed by a member of the Dancing with Markers team.
You’ve done the prep, you’ve gone through your agenda; now, all that’s left is to wrap things up in a bow. In this last episode of This Meeting Suck season one, we’ll walk you through closing the conversation, recapping next steps and sending participants on their way.
Download a visual summary of the episode
Season 1 Playbook
We get it. Who has time to listen to an entire podcast season? Lucky for you, each season of This Meeting Sucks comes with a playbook of all the key tools and tips right at your fingertips.
Each chapter includes content from the podcast, resources from the season, and a visual summary of each episode linked together in one convenient PDF.
Season 2
Meet Smarter, Not Longer
For all the managers out there, this season is all about improving your everyday meetings, enabling your team to work more effectively and improve your well-being.
Season 3
A Participant’s Guide to
Un-sucking Your Meetings
Most of us spend more time in meetings as a participant than as the leader or facilitator, but that doesn’t mean we can’t play a role in improving our meetings.
Season 4
Meet Your Way to a High-Performing Team
Discover our agendas and templates for improving communication, building relationships, and creating a high-performance culture for success.