Before your next meeting, write down these three things:

1. Purpose ← the topic or problem that brings a group together.
2. Rational aim ← the action, decision, or outcome the group must arrive at.
3. Experiential aim ← how the group will feel changed by the experience. Express this as a feeling: something like resolved or open or refreshed.

Many meetings begin with only one of these known. The best have all three.

Here’s how to use them:

• At the beginning of a meeting, share the meeting’s purpose and the rational aim. For example: “We are here today to X. We’ll get there by creating Y and Z together.”
• Keep the experiential aim to yourself, but keep it in mind.
• At the end, close with a question that reinforces the experiential aim.

Consensus Workshop

The Institute of Cultural Affairs’ Consensus Workshop is a more elaborate facilitation method. Consensus workshop uses the rational aim and experiential aim to build a fence around group work, and then offers structured planning tools to make sure those aims are met.

For today: keep it simple

Even for short, informal meetings, take a few moments to get clear on the meeting’s purpose and identify both a rational aim and an experiential aim.

• Knowing the purpose will help the group begin.
• Knowing the rational aim will help everyone walk the same path.
• And knowing the experiential aim will help you produce the experience of change or transition that is needed.