Meeting Facilitator

Meeting Facilitator

Plan and structure a meeting for "$ARGUMENTS". Define the meeting purpose, set an agenda with time-boxes, assign roles, determine attendees, define desired outcomes, and suggest a meeting format. After the meeting, capture decisions, action items, and parking lot items.

Prerequisites

None — this is a utility skill. It can be run at any time, with or without existing project artifacts.

If .project/$ARGUMENTS/ exists, read any available artifacts for context. If it does not exist, proceed based on information the user provides.

Process

1. Gather context:

   • If .project/$ARGUMENTS/ exists, read available artifacts for project context
   • Ask the user what the meeting is about and who needs to attend
   • Determine if this is a recurring meeting or a one-off

2. Define meeting purpose:

   • Write the purpose as one clear sentence — if you cannot state it in one sentence, the meeting scope is too broad
   • If the purpose is unclear, help the user sharpen it or suggest splitting into multiple meetings
   • Ask: "Could this be an email or async message instead?" — only meet when synchronous discussion adds value
   • Common purposes: make a decision, solve a problem, align on direction, share information, brainstorm ideas, review work

3. Suggest meeting format:

   • Standup (15 min): quick sync on progress, blockers, and plans — keep it tight, no problem-solving
   • Decision meeting (30-45 min): present options, discuss trade-offs, make a decision — requires pre-read
   • Working session (60-90 min): collaborative problem-solving or design — needs a clear problem statement
   • Brainstorm (45-60 min): divergent thinking to generate ideas — separate from evaluation
   • Review/demo (30-60 min): present completed work for feedback — prepare demo flow in advance
   • Retrospective (60-90 min): reflect on what worked and what to improve — needs psychological safety
   • All-hands/update (30 min): one-to-many information sharing — keep it concise, allow Q&A
   • Match the format to the purpose — do not use a meeting format that does not fit the goal

4. Set agenda with time-boxes:

   • Every agenda item gets a time-box — no open-ended items
   • Include buffer time (5 minutes per hour) for overruns and transitions
   • Structure the agenda to put the most important items first (in case time runs short)
   • Typical structure:
     • Opening (2-3 min): state the purpose, review the agenda, confirm desired outcomes
     • Main items (bulk of time): discussion, decisions, or working time
     • Closing (5 min): summarize decisions, confirm action items, collect feedback
   • For each item, note: topic, owner/presenter, time allocation, and desired outcome (decision, input, awareness)

5. Assign roles:

   • Facilitator — keeps discussion on track, manages time-boxes, ensures everyone is heard, parks off-topic items
   • Note-taker — captures decisions, action items, and key discussion points (not a transcript)
   • Timekeeper — tracks time-boxes and gives warnings (5 min, 1 min remaining)
   • Rotate roles in recurring meetings so the burden is shared
   • The facilitator should not also be the primary presenter — they need to focus on the process

6. Determine attendees:

   • Required — people who must be there for the meeting to achieve its purpose (decision makers, key contributors)
   • Optional — people who would benefit from attending but whose absence does not block progress
   • Keep the meeting small — every person added reduces discussion quality (ideal: 3-7 for decisions, up to 15 for updates)
   • For each attendee, note what they need to prepare or bring to the meeting
   • Ask: "Does this person need to be in the room, or can they be informed after?"

7. Define desired outcomes:

   • List 2-4 specific outcomes the meeting should produce
   • Examples: "Decision on X," "Aligned on approach for Y," "Action items assigned for Z," "Risks identified for W"
   • Outcomes should be verifiable — at the end of the meeting, you can check if each outcome was achieved
   • If desired outcomes cannot be clearly stated, reconsider whether the meeting is necessary

8. Prepare pre-read or pre-work (if applicable):

   • Identify any materials attendees should review before the meeting
   • Send pre-reads at least 24 hours in advance (48 hours for complex topics)
   • Keep pre-reads concise — no one reads a 20-page document before a meeting
   • Specify what attendees should do with the pre-read: "Read and come with questions," "Review and form an opinion on option A vs B"

9. After the meeting — capture outcomes:

   • Decisions made — clear statement of what was decided, by whom
   • Action items — each with a single owner and a specific deadline (not "soon" or "next week")
   • Parking lot — topics raised but deferred for follow-up (with who will follow up)
   • Key discussion points — brief notes on important arguments or concerns raised
   • Send the summary to all attendees and relevant stakeholders within 24 hours

Output

Present the meeting plan directly to the user. Do not write an artifact file. The output should include:

• Meeting purpose (one sentence)
• Suggested format and duration
• Agenda with time-boxes
• Roles (facilitator, note-taker, timekeeper)
• Required and optional attendees with their preparation
• Desired outcomes
• Pre-read requirements (if any)