Challenge Day 29

Many of the sayings ratlee to having the wrong meeting design for the stage of the project. There’s nothing wrong with having two alternatives to choose from if you’re very close to the end of the planning/design process, and there has been substantial public engagement leading up to that. Here are a few of my cardinal rules for meeting design:1. Figure out the purpose of your meeting and what kind of input you need, and then design the meeting to that purpose. This is absolutely the most important rule, and it’s almost always ignored. Most engineers and architects, and many planners, don’t stop to consider what they’re really trying to accomplish at a meeting, or what kind of input they might need. Consider the difference between these purposes:* Educate people about a decision that has already been made (public information campaign)* Understand local community values and goals* Develop consensus about goals for the project* Get input about the community’s perception of the pros and cons of different alternativesThe choice of giving a presentation vs having open-ended small group discussions vs having structured exercises to solicit specific feedback should be guided by the purpose. If you’re at the beginning of the process, your purpose might be developing a community consensus about values and goals, and that requires small group discussion. If the design is finished and you need to educate people about the design details and construction schedule, a presentation or open house format might be appropriate.2. As much as possible, design your meeting to minimize the chances for grandstanding. Unless you have gone through a consensus-building process, and you know there is broad agreement about what to do, don’t design a meeting that has talking heads up front and citizens at a microphone. That’s a recipe for disaster.3. Never ever let go of the mic.