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Town hall meeting

As explained in Think Like a CTO

A meeting focused on a specific topic in which a presenter explains the subject and participants ask questions openly.

A town hall meeting is a special, topic-specific meeting in which a presenter explains a subject and participants ask questions openly. section 6.7.2

Schedule one only when needed rather than as a recurring meeting. Use it to explain a proposed initiative, a product-direction change, or a company decision that affects the group. section 6.7.2

A practical town hall meeting has three defining choices:

  • Reserve it for one specific topic. section 6.7.2
  • Give one person or invited leader responsibility for presenting the subject. section 6.7.2
  • Follow the presentation with open questions from participants. section 6.7.2

Explaining a company decision

Invite a leader from elsewhere in the company to explain what that group does or how a recent decision will affect your team, then open the floor to questions. section 6.7.2

How Think Like a CTO covers it

How deep it goes
Defines the purpose, timing, format, and common applications, but does not provide a detailed facilitation checklist.
Examples
Uses proposed initiatives, product-direction changes, and invited leaders explaining company decisions as meeting scenarios.
What you can do after
Apply it by convening an as-needed presentation followed by open questions around one significant organizational topic.
How it connects
Connects town hall meetings with organizational change, product direction, company communication, and open Q&A.
Cover of Think Like a CTO
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This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Think Like a CTO. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.