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Description

Productive Meetings: Preparing, Framing the Facilitation and Closing on Decisions

Leave a meeting with written decisions and named owners rather than a vague impression

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Meetings follow one after another and all look alike: unclear agenda, too many attendees, discussions that drag on, minutes that are never written up. The same topics return session after session and participants end up dealing with their inbox while others are speaking. The time consumed is considerable and decisions keep slipping.

This short module treats the meeting as a process: preparation and selection of attendees, framing the opening, conducting the discussion, reaching a decision and following through. Participants work on their own recurring meetings and leave with a run sheet ready to use.

Learning objectives

  • Determine whether a meeting is necessary and who should attend
  • Draft an agenda with an objective and a time allocation for each item
  • Frame the opening and the ground rules for speaking
  • Manage digressions and dominant speakers
  • Produce written minutes with an owner and a deadline for each decision

What makes this programme different

Participants rework the format of a recurring meeting they already facilitate
A timed run sheet is built and then tested through facilitation in front of the group
A decision log template is completed during the session on a real case

Programme

1Preparing the meeting

Objective, attendees and agenda

  • Distinguishing between information, decision and working meetings
  • Selecting attendees according to their role in the topic
  • Drafting an agenda with an objective and a duration for each item
  • Documents to circulate beforehand and expectations set out in advance

2Facilitating and managing the discussion

Framing and conducting

  • Opening the session and restating the working framework
  • Questioning techniques to draw out quieter participants
  • Bringing digressions back on track without antagonising the speaker
  • Managing time and deciding what to do with unaddressed items

3Deciding and following through

Decision log and next steps

  • Decision-making modes and announcing the chosen mode at the start of the session
  • Restating decisions at the close of the meeting
  • Writing minutes with an owner, a deadline and a deliverable
  • Reviewing actions at the opening of the following meeting

Who is it for

Managers, project managers and anyone required to organise or facilitate regular meetings.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.