Planning a Meeting: Blue Sky vs. Nitty Gritty Detail
When establishing a plan for a meeting, keep in mind that sometimes you want divergent thinking to expand possibilities, and other times you want convergent thinking to zero in and move forward quickly. The chart below shows these contrasting situations.
| Situation | Destination and/or path to get there ill-defined | Destination and path well-defined and/or variations not critical |
| What is needed | Divergent Thinking: Expand the possibilities | Convergent Thinking: Make choices and move forward in a structured, organized way |
| Examples | Strategic issues, situations requiring brainstorming, risk assessment, creativity, innovation | Tactical issues, planning, tracking progress, reporting status, assigning resources |
| Method - Sequence | Tackle few topics so as to allow an hour or two for each; consider brainstorming or mind-mapping and a series of questions to look at the topic from multiple perspectives | Can process many topics relatively quickly with a clear purpose at each step |
| Method - Interaction | Loose guidelines that encourage participation and creativity | Tighter guidelines that encourage focus and discipline |
| Timeframe | Rough time ranges | Tighter time ranges |
| Attendees | Ensure appropriate attendees are present |
| Preparation | Ensure appropriate preparation |
A mixed bag of topics, some requiring divergent thinking and some
requiring convergent thinking, within a single meeting is generally
more difficult to manage because the mindset, skill set, and focus
are so completely different. It is best to hold separate meetings
but the most important part is to think this through and have a
plan.
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