How to facilitate the four types of agenda?

The XR SOS contains four distinct kinds of agenda items A, B, C, and D to provide clarity and speed during meetings. Below are simple instructions for the facilitator to respond to these types, which each agenda item owner should indicate when adding their item to the agenda.

A. Request someone to get something done

• ask 'what do you need?'

• capture request in minutes

  • As either single action, or a project as an outcome requiring more than one step

• Identify if there's a role that has a mandate to take it on

  • If so, ask role-holder if it serves their roles mandate to take on this action or project

  • If not, ask if the person making the request:

    • would like to expect this to be done on an ongoing basis? If so, invite them to add an item to the agenda to propose a role for it

    • would like to make a one-off request for someone to do this even if it’s not in their role, and ask someone would take it on

• Check back with them if they got what they needed, and if so move on

B. Ask for information or help with making a decision for one of your roles

• ask 'what do you need?'

• allow space for them to ask for the info/help they need

• Check back with them if they got what they needed, and if so move on

C. Share information or give input into someone else’s decision

• ask 'what do you need?'

• allow space for them to ask for the info/help they need

• Check back with them if they got what they needed, and if so move on

D. Change/add a mandate or another kind of expectation

Use one of two methods to process this, either:

• the lightweight version of asking for any questions/reactions, ask if proposer wants to modify, ask for objections

• the fuller version is Integrative Decision Making (the process outlined in the constitution of Present Proposal, Clarifying Questions, Reaction etc)

• the facilitator decides which version is most appropriate according to how much input they sense is needed for a particular item