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1). "Why Would Anyone Do That in My Meeting?" Imagine that you open a meeting by saying, "We need to talk about the budget." And someone says, "I named my dog Budget because 2). 10 Attributes of Effective Meetings Here are ten fundamental concepts that characterize an effective meeting.Definition: A meeting is a business activity where select people gat 3). 10 Characteristics of Effective Meetings Here are ten fundamental concepts that characterize an effective meeting. 1) Definition: A meeting is a business activity where select people gather to perform work that requires a team effort. 2) A meeting, like any business event, succeeds when it is preceded by planning, characterized by focus, governed by structure, an... 4). 10 Things That Lead to One Great Meeting Here are ten things that you can do to make your meetings more effective. 1) Avoid meetings. Test the importance of a meeting by asking, "What happens without it?" If your answer is, "Nothing," then don't call the meeting. 2) Prepare goals. These are the results you want to obtain by the end of the meeting. Write out your ... 5). 3 Worst Mistakes People Make in a Presentation Truly memorable disasters don’t just happen. They require a special blend of misunderstanding and misguided effort. Here are three ways to guarantee a disaster in your next presentation, and how to avoid them. Mistake #1: Believe in Magic Show up hoping that a coherent, eloquent, useful presentation will magically appear o... 6). 5 Hidden Traps in Meetings If you have sat through a few bad meetings, you must have experienced the following traps. Here they are and how to fix them. 1) People think they are experts. Many people tell me that they know how to hold a meeting. Actually, all they do is host a party. They invite guests, provide treats, and preside over a conversation... 7). 6 Steps to Effective Communication Effective leaders are known for being excellent communicators. Here's what to do. 1) Avoid "Not." Negative talk encourages arguments, counter attacks, and attempts to solve your problems. It also creates a negative impression. For example, when you say, "I can't," you appear helpless and ineffective. Instead, talk about what you can do... 8). 6 Ways to Maximize Learning Here's how to gain the most from training events. 1) Know what you want Before the workshop, set learning goals for yourself. What do you want to learn? How can this program help you? What would make you feel that your time was well spent? 2) Ask for what you want As the program unfolds, ask quest... 9). 7 Myths That Make Meetings Miserable Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings.Although the demands of business cause executives to attend more meetings than other professionals, executiv 10). Amazing Quotes from Clients No doubt you've collected memorable quotes from your job or business. Here are some of the amazing things people have said to me since I started my business in 1992. And, yes, all of the quotes are true. "Paying these royalties is a real hassle." > Comment: You can't judge a book publisher by the cover. "I kno... 11). Blueprint for Leadership - How to Be a Better Leader If you were to build a house, you would begin with a blueprint. This blueprint proves useful because it contains more than directions on how to build a house. It also describes the finished house. So, what does this have to do with leadership? Last month I asked an audience of leaders to tell me the characteristics of an ... 12). Check Your Communication Skills Use this check list to assess your communication skills. Focus * Do you pay complete attention to others when they are speaking? (A wandering focus discourages open communication.) * Do you manage your thoughts during a conversation, focusing them on understanding what the other person is saying? (Effective li... 13). Climb out of the Box of Bad Meetings - How to Hold Effective Meetings Out of the box thinking is a popular fad today. And yet, in order to leave a box, you have to realize that you are in one. For example, the Indians who lived in the Grand Canyon believed the entire world was like the canyon. And so they didn’t try to find Kansas. This can be okay, if you’re in a beautiful place like the Grand Canyon. 14). Do These Myths Make Your Meetings Miserable? You can hold effective meetings and become a more successful leader if you avoid these seven monsters. Here's how. > Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings. Although the demands of business cause executives to attend more meetings than other professionals, executives should be very selective on which meetings they attend. T... 15). Effective Meetings Begin With a Real Agenda Someone starts a meeting by saying, "Let's talk about the budget." And you groan because you know what's about to happen next: hours of aimless discussion without resolving anything. Why? First, everyone knows that an agenda is the key to an effective meeting. But an agenda that consists of a list... 16). How Leaders Create Trust People buy from you, offer help, and grant rewards based on trust. Here are ways to increase your success by creating trust. While we do most of these things, missing even one of them can ruin it all. > Be Dependable * Deliver what you promise and promise only what you can deliver. Report delays immediately. * Be on time. ... 17). How to Deal With "No" No one likes rejection. And yet it happens. Here's how to make the most of it. > Accept It Recognize that it is impossible for everyone to say "yes" to everything. Thus, rejection is an expected byproduct of making an offer or asking for something. Some people make rejection part of their sales strategy. That ... 18). How to Deal With Salespeople Sales people can be relentless. Here's how to protect your time and your sanity. If you're an executive, you may sometimes feel l 19). How to Hold a Teleconference Even a well-planned teleconference can go poorly. Some people treat any meeting as a casual social activity instead of as a serious business project. And a teleconference brings special challenges because people attend them in the privacy of their office without being able to see or be seen by the other participants. Use these techniqu... 20). How to Hold Effective Staff Meetings Many people believe that they conduct effective meetings, when all they really do is host a party filled with official sounding chit chat. Or worse, they deliver a monologue that bores everyone. In either case, their meetings produce little. Here's how to hold a short, effective staff meeting. 1) In general. Keep them shor... 21). How to Identify Future Leaders Every meeting provides an opportunity to learn important things about the people who attend. Here's what to watch for: > Is it planned? Effective leaders always begin with clearly defined goals and then prepare plans for achieving them. They have the courage to set a direction and then make changes as new information becom... 22). How to Plan a Teleconference Marathon teleconferences have become a high tech way to waste time in bad meetings. True, people can attend without having to travel. But people can also misbehave by surfing the net, playing games, or leaving their office. This occurs because people lack visual contact, which hinders effective communication and provides opportunities ... 23). How to Protect Your Boss From Bad Meetings Most bosses spend too much of their time in meetings. This happens because executives respond to problems by calling meetings to fix them. And when the meetings fail to produce results, they call more meetings. In some companies, people have even called meetings to figure out why their meetings didn't work. Rather than watch your boss ... 24). How to Save Money on Training It seems so simple. Just take a financial short cut. Then show your boss how much money you saved. But some of these short cuts prove to be costly. They fail to deliver what you want. Or they open up expensive problems. Here’s how to accomplish real savings on your training program. 1) Use a live ... 25). How to Say "No" Here's how to say "no" with class and respect. > Be Courageous Some people feel afraid to say "no." They may either expect a hostile reaction or they want to be helpful. As a result, they end up inconveniencing both themselves and other people. Recognize that it is okay to say "no." In fact, most people would ... 26). How to Select a Facilitator Your choice of a facilitator can determine if the meeting is a success or a failure. Use these questions to make sure that you are working with the right person. > Is the person a professional facilitator? There is more to facilitation than watching people talk. Facilitation is a complex activity requiring a s... 27). Lessons From the Bad Meeting Contest Here are the winning entries from a bad meeting contest and comments on what to do so that you can avoid these problems. > Short, Expensive, and Useless. First, she sent a letter to a prospective client in New York, proposing a meeting. Then she phoned to confirm the meeting. Although she never spoke with this prospect, hi... 28). Quick Quiz - Measure Your Meeting Mastery Here’s an easy quiz to check the health of your meetings. 1) Who leads your meetings? -- a) No one, b) Whoever has the loudest voice, c) A facilitator 2) What happens to the ideas in your meetings? -- a) If we had to think of ideas, it would be work, b) We make fun of them, c) A scribe writes them on a chart pad 29). Quick Tip - Do Your Meetings Have a Complete Agenda? Most agendas for a meeting look like this. * Budget * Payroll * Staff * Sales * Zvoufzxtn Some people tell me, "That's a perfectly good agenda. I know what all of those things mean, except, uh, 'Zvoufzxtn'." The point is, Zvoufzxtn means as much to you as the other terms ... 30). Quick Tip - Effective Meetings Earn a Profit Most people treat meetings as a free resource that can be used to deal with any issue. As a result, huge amounts of time and money are wasted on trivia. A meeting is a business activity (not a social event) and should be designed to earn a profit. Here’s how. Once you’ve prepared the goals for your meetings, use the follo... 31). Quick Tip - How to Set a Goal for Your Meeting Goals are critically important for the success of a meeting. You must know what you want so you can ask for it. And the participants need to know what you want so they can help you get it. Without goals, a meeting becomes a journey without a destination. Unfortunately, many meetings are called without goals. So, you hear people start m... 32). Quick Tip - How to Set SMART Goals for Your Meeting The first step in planning an agenda is to identify the goals for the meeting. Properly done, goals have five S M A R T characteristics. They are: > Specific. The goal must tell exactly what will be accomplished. For example: During the next hour we will develop a strategy to increase market share by 10%. This states exact... 33). Quotes About Bad Meetings Long pointless meetings are useful in that they keep incompetent people from interfering with those who are working. Bad meetings are a cultural malady that senior executives pass on to new employees. An employee who needs permission to buy a box of paperclips can spend tens of thousands of dollars worth of employee time o... 34). Unexpected Wisdom from a Teenager If you have ever traveled across country by train, you know that meals are served with community seating. That means you can meet new people with every meal. In late March I took the train home (to Southern California) from an engagement in Massachusetts. One evening my meal companions consisted of a very nice couple and a teenager. At... 35). What to Ask Before Agreeing to Attend a Meeting Managers spend much of their time in meetings. But some junior staff use meetings to showcase themselves. Or they invite their boss to help with work that they should be doing. In either case, such meetings waste your time. Here are five questions that you (or your assistant) must ask before agreeing to attend a meeting. 1... 36). Why Training Fails Sometimes when I conduct my workshop on Effective Meetings, one of the participants will ask, "Where's my boss?" And I say, "Your boss claimed to be an expert on holding effective meetings." Then the person laughs. "My boss needs to attend your workshop more than anyone in our company. And without our manager's support, no... 37). Why Would Anyone Hold a Bad Meeting? Pssst, want a stock tip that will make you rich? Okay, here it is: phone a public corporation and ask to speak with the CEO. If someone tells you that the CEO expects to be busy in meetings for the next six hundred years, call your broker and sell the stock short. Why? Any company unable to manage an activity ...