Meeting-in-a-Box Guide - Step by Step Instructions

Sep 12, 2026

Meeting-in-a-Box Guide supports community facilitation of the City of Issaquah’s citywide strategic planning process. It provides step-by-step preparation, clear role definitions for facilitator and note-taker, and practical facilitation tips for running productive small-group discussions. The guide includes meeting materials such as notes template, group sign-in sheet, discussion questions and ground rules, a strategic plan summary handout, and a demographic questionnaire, plus submission directions and contact information. Sessions are designed for 30–45 minutes with results submitted by the specified deadline.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Step by Step Instructions

Preparing for Your Meeting

Group Discussion

| | | | --- | --- | | MEETING-IN-A-BOX
Our Issaquah:
Citywide Strategic Plan | | | | | City of Issaquah Contact: Joanne Bisquera [425/837-3023 | joanneb@issaquahwa.gov](425/837-3023 | joanneb@issaquahwa.gov) Meeting-in-a-Box Guide Thank you for facilitating this Meeting-in-a-Box on behalf of the City of Issaquah! We appreciate your willingness to conduct this exercise-community input is invaluable for the development of our goals and vision. Included are the following materials: • Step-by-step instructions to guide you before, during and after the meeting • Notes Template • Group Sign-in Sheet • 3 handouts for participants: 1. Discussion Questions and Meeting Ground Rules 2. Citywide Strategic Plan Summary – including a visual overview and summary 3. Demographic Questionnaire This meeting will work for groups as small as four or as many as 8 to 10 persons (larger groups might consider breaking into smaller groups). We expect this meeting to take about 30-45 minutes, but you can spend more or less time depending upon your group’s interests and available time. Please conduct your meeting and submit results using the directions below by Monday, May 14. If you have any questions about your meeting, please contact: Joanne Bisquera at the City of Issaquah at [JoanneB@issaquahwa.gov](JoanneB@issaquahwa.gov) or 425-837-3023. For this meeting, you’ll need: £ About 4-10 participants £ Step-by-step instructions £ Handouts for each participant (only 1 sign-in sheet is needed) £ Participants to serve two roles: (everyone is also a participant) 1. Facilitator 2. Note-taker £ Pens or pencils for each participant £ Extra paper for each participant £ Flip-charts and markers (optional-if available) £ A room or other meeting area where participants can be comfortable for about half an hour, can take notes, and where it is easy for all participants to see and hear one another. Contact for more information: Joanne Bisquera City of Issaquah [joanneb@issaquahwa.gov](joanneb@issaquahwa.gov) [425/837-3023](425/837-3023) Step by Step Instructions A . PREPARING FOR YOUR MEETING: Assign roles (these can be separate individuals or just one person): • Facilitator • Note Taker Facilitator: the Facilitator provides the group with instructions and helps ensure that everyone has a chance to participate. Ø Lead the work-group discussion topics. Ø Ensure everyone feels comfortable and has a chance to speak. Ø Keep the discussion on track and on time. Ø Guide discussion, not have all the answers. Ø Provide everyone an equitable opportunity to participate. FACILITATION TIPS • Make ground rules clear at the beginning and get general agreement. • Never talk more than your other participants. • Guide the discussion to have participants agree upon 3-5 main issues or topics. • Promote more detail and depth within the conversation by asking questions like: * “Why is that important to you?” * “What makes you feel that way?” * “Can you please explain or provide more detail?” Note Taker: the Note Taker helps the Facilitator by taking notes on comments received during the exercise. This will help the group to accurately summarize feedback from the conversation and then use that information to report back what you learn. Use the following tips: Ø Use flip charts, if available, to capture and organize comments. Use a different flip chart for each question and be sure to write the questions on each individual flip chart. If you do not have a flip chart, you can take notes on regular-sized paper. Ø Organize your notes by listing the prompt (Key Takeaways, Key Actions, etc.), then noting participant comments. A notes template is included with the Meeting-in-a-Box materials. Ø It is not necessary to capture comments exactly word by word (verbatim) in your notes, but rather to reflect the theme of the comment. You can always check with a participant to make sure your notes

FAQs

What materials are included in the Meeting-in-a-Box packet for the City of Issaquah meeting?

The packet includes step-by-step instructions, a notes template, a group sign-in sheet, and three participant handouts: discussion questions and meeting ground rules, a citywide strategic plan summary, and a demographic questionnaire.

What roles does the guide assign for participants during the meeting?

Participants can serve two roles: facilitator and note-taker. The facilitator leads topics and keeps the discussion on track, while the note-taker records comments to help summarize feedback afterward.

How long should the meeting run and how large can the group be?

The meeting works for groups as small as four and as large as 8–10 people, with a planned duration of about 30–45 minutes depending on group interests and available time.

Sep 12, 2026

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