ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Are Your Meetings Smart?
Soon after I finished a brief seminar on how to accomplish more in less time every day, Roger shook my hand and said, "I can use what you said. But there is one thing you didn't talk about. It is something that drives me crazy. I can't get anything done because I'm in meetings all day long. We have gone overboard on meetings. We discuss practically everything as a team before making decisions." I asked Roger for his card and I called him later that afternoon with some ideas that could help get him and his team out of their meetings trap. Don't let meetings keep you from getting your work accomplished. It's not uncommon for meetings to claim more than 50% of a business owner's or manager's time, especially when you factor in waiting time, discussion that is unfocused, and appointments that have to be rescheduled. Many key businesspeople claim meetings are their biggest time waster. Can anything be done? Yes. Here are five smart tips to streamline meetings and minimize the potential disruption they cause: 1. Have an agenda and distribute it ahead of time. Make sure everyone knows ahead of time what is to be accomplished at every meeting. People can do their homework, which will make discussion more meaningful. Less time will be wasted watching others "gather their thoughts." 2. Start and end on time. Being flexible for latecomers backfires -- it penalizes the on-time people. It also sends a subtle signal to everyone that deadlines are merely suggestions, which can cause all sorts of disruptions later. 3. Take minutes at every meeting and include follow-up assignments. Be sure to identify who will do what and by when. This holds people accountable to the group for getting done what they said they'd get done -- which eventually frees up some of your time because you won't have to sit in another waste of time meeting listening to clever excuses. 4. Keep regularly scheduled meetings, i.e., the weekly staff meeting, to the bare bones minimum for time. For socializing and team building, plan different functions ? don't use meetings. 5. Get rid of the chairs. It's amazing, but people who can't sit say what they have to say faster and in fewer words! Roger said he could see where each of these ideas would work in his office. Put into practice these smart tips for managing meetings and you'll enjoy the luxury of more time for focusing on your real work. Doug Smart is the author of "TimeSmart: How Real People Really Get Things Done at Work." He is a management development consultant, professional speaker, and host of the daily motivational radio show, "Smarter by the Minute." For more information, email Doug@DougSmart.com. Copyright 2005 by Doug Smart
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Project Management - Are You Done Yet What happens when a Project Manager asks one of his team members "Are you done yet"? Management - Mary Poppins Style! Mary Poppins describes a style of management which has for too long been hidden in many businesses and organisations.Think about it.She's "Practically perfect in every way" - is that not what we want from a boss? Someone who is almost brilliant at everything - yet with a hint of not being absolutely perfect? Someone we can trust and depend on - yet who is truly human with is and falls down occasionally too?And then there's the cut to the chase with, "Bert, what utter nonsense. Why do you always complicate things that are really quite simple." How often do we, often inadvertently (especially the more senior an executive we are), make things so, so complex. Recently working with a client who already had over 125 books on systems, when all they were doing was selling things to people...And then there's all the fun, like..."Of course, you can say it backwards, which is dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirupus, but that's going a bit too far, don't you think?"...a satisfying ability to have fun and, I think perhaps just a hint of a smile at yourself, Mary, in that..., as Bert says "Indubitably.!" Not forgetting either, that if we look hard enough, with the right viewpoint..."In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and - SNAP - the job's a game!" Proven Secrets to Keeping Your People and Increasing Your Profits Why are people changing jobs so quickly these days? Project Managment: Land the Plane Stop Doing and Start Succeeding We all spend time on planning vacations. If it's not you then it's probably your significant other or travel agent. Think of the time we spend choosing the destination, getting the best airlines fares, the right clothes and the best sightseeing adventures for a great trip. I know for my trip to Hawaii I wanted to make sure that I did not want to miss anything so I talked with people who had been to Hawaii for their suggestions and read up on the islands we were going to visit. And many of my clients do the same thing. But yet when it comes to project management people live in what I call a "doing" mode. Given a project a team or an individual just jump in and do with little or no planning. Assessing Managers for International Competence How do you select staff for international assignments? It's an important question because, no matter how effective and successful your employees may be at home, they cannot be guaranteed the same performance in a different culture-unless, that is, they can demonstrate some key competencies. But beware, these may be quite different from the competencies they need to succeed in their own environment. Character: Is It Necessary In Leadership? (Part One) We know character when we see it, but what exactly is it? How do we define it? What role does it play in our getting results as leaders? What role does character play in our careers? How To Conduct Effective Meetings Before you call your next meeting, the FIRST step is to decide if it is really essential. To determine that, ask yourself the following: Managing Rebellious Employees Surveys of executives reveal that many companies fall short of their profit objectives due to "people problems." Research for my Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change book found these "people problems" fall into two "r" categories: rebellion and resistance. Three Professional Services Resolutions for 2005 With client expectations higher than ever before, and the gradual industry recovery ahead, consulting firms will need to focus more than ever on carefully identifying and serving the right clients. Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing in a Business Perspective Business Intelligence ISO 9001 Compliant Program: Steps to Build Implementing an ISO 9001 system represents a major effort. However, all of that effort can represent a significant shift for a business - from quantity to quality. And this could make sure your business gets the desired results. Creativity and Innovation Management ? Idea Progression Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Necessary Tasks You May Want to Delegate As a business owner, time is of the essence. Running a business is demanding. You are either performing the day-to-day administrative work or you're working in your business, attending to your customers or clients. What is the best use of your time? The answer is simple. Your time should be spent doing what you do best. The day-to-day administrative tasks can be delegated. It's so much easier to review work than to do it yourself! Here are some suggestions to get you started. I Said Pareto Chart? Not Potato Chart! Does this sound familiar? You were hired for the new management position. You were tasked to turn the numbers around. You take some time reviewing the current situation. Now it's time to take a look at the current processes and get your staff together to analyze the data. You tell them that you want to brainstorm; work on a few mind maps, whip out a couple Ishikawa's to get started and then have them bring Pareto charts relative to their respective functions. Organizational Capital in Politics, War, Sports and Business Intangible Corporate Assets such as Organizational Capital, Blue Sky and Brand Name Capital, actually they all have a common thread in my opinion. Here are some thoughts on these issues. And first I would like to comment on a couple of UCLA, Anderson School of Business items which are of interest. And I must say these research pieces are somewhat cutting edge, in business management theory. Overcoming Perfectionism Perfectionism can get in the way of building or marketing a successful business. It can prevent us from moving ahead quickly or from taking advantage of business opportunities. We set ourselves up with unrealistic expectations or goals, which can be damaging to us personally or professionally. Striving for perfection can damage our self-esteem because we never feel like we are good enough. Instead, consider adopting an attitude of striving for excellence. Look at failure as just another teacher. Let's explore how being less than perfect can move you ahead in your business! Weaknesses of Wishing When you're starting a business, you might wish for a lot of things, like having more than enough customers or not having to do marketing. But wishing is weak willed, having no momentum behind it. When you wish for something, you're not coming from a place of having a strong vision. Instead, wishes tend to be dreamlike, wispy and not grounded. Wishes are future oriented. Innovation Management ? changing the world! Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Introducing the 15 Frameworks of Successful Self-Employed Professionals A framework is a way of thinking, a point-of-view, a perspective on something. Here are the 15 frameworks of the successfully self-employed professional. You'll find some of these to be radical and foreign. Don't let that stop you! Try them on; see what you learn from them. Rules for Running a Meeting As an experienced manager, I can announce without a doubt that the primary reason for lack of effectiveness in the contemporary business world is that people don't follow the rules for running a meeting. Thousands meetings are conducted each day and most of the meeting chairmen have not even heard of the rules for running a meeting. Therefore, the following article includes a brief description of the basic rules for running a meeting.
|
|
|
|
|
