Agile Mentors Podcast from Mountain Goat Software #167: Running Better Remote Meetings with Evan Unger
Nov 19, 2025
Evan Unger, a consultant and collaboration expert with decades of experience, joins to tackle the challenges of remote meetings. He introduces the POPRA framework to streamline meetings, emphasizing purpose and roles. Evan explains the importance of engaging all participants and how simultaneous chat can enhance collaboration. With practical techniques to combat common meeting pitfalls, he shares insights on adapting to diverse personalities and the differences between virtual and face-to-face dynamics. His advice is packed with humor, making remote interactions more engaging.
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Anchor Meetings With POPRA
- Clear purpose prevents meetings from wandering into unrelated topics and wasting time.
- Evan Unger says define Purpose, Objectives, Process, Roles, and Agreements (POPRA) before takeoff.
Takeoff Determines Meeting Success
- Many meetings shouldn't exist because organizers skip the 'takeoff' planning that defines outcomes.
- Evan compares skipping planning to a dangerous plane flight: takeoff matters most.
Use Simultaneous Chat To Hold Space
- Use simultaneous chat to surface opinions from quieter participants before a vocal leader dominates.
- Instruct everyone to prepare and submit chat responses at once, then reveal them together to hold space.
