| Everything Your Parents Did Not Tell You About | | | | "how do we get the best result from this dialogue?", |
| Effective Meetings 3 | | | | not "how can I benefit the most from this?". Let go |
| 13th November 2005 | | | | of your personal agendas and surrender to the group. |
| Author: Markus Eriksson | | | | This does not mean that you become a doormat |
| If you are ready to take the next step in making | | | | that says "Walk all over me". It means that you keep |
| your meetings a place of growth, contribution and | | | | and open mind and take the helicopter up one level |
| high production, read on and apply. If you are not | | | | to see the whole picture not just your own part. |
| ready, if you are one of those that read | | | | Almost there! One more key to unlock the hidden |
| management and leadership books just to forget | | | | powers of your meetings is the end. Set off some |
| about them as soon as you have finished them or | | | | time at the end of the meeting, could be five or ten |
| even before you have finished them, if you are not | | | | minutes depending on group size, to give each other |
| ready to change that, please stop here and go find | | | | positive encouragement. This means you open up for |
| something else to do because you will just be | | | | anybody to give any one else, or the whole group, a |
| wasting your time here. | | | | feedback steaming from a positive experience. You |
| Now, here comes something vitally important, | | | | could also frame it as appreciation. For example: " |
| something human, something that can feel a bit silly | | | | John, I really appreciated your focus at the meeting |
| to start with, but that has proven itself time and | | | | today. It made me feel energized and happy to be in |
| time over again to raise the well-being, the efficiency | | | | the meeting" or "Melinda, thanks for stopping by my |
| and the output of meetings to levels beyond belief. | | | | office to say hi yesterday. It made me happy and |
| Curious? Do a Check-In at the start of the meeting. | | | | motivated". Again, practice makes perfect, there |
| What is a Check-In? It means that each and every | | | | might be awkward silences to start with while |
| one at the meeting gets 1 (that is one, Mr or Mrs | | | | everybody is thinking, but again stick with it. Next to |
| Time Keeper) minute to share how they are doing in | | | | the Check-In at the beginning this is the tool to take |
| life right now. And that is life overall, not just work. It | | | | your group to whole new levels in human interaction, |
| can be good news, bad news or just same old, same | | | | meeting skills and efficiency. |
| old. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you | | | | In the Quick List below I have for your convinience |
| share. That everybody gets their uninterrupted space | | | | summarized the four strategies described above, out |
| at the beginning, that each and every takes the time | | | | of a total of ten strategies. Find the other six |
| to see the others as human beings, not just as | | | | strategies in articles 1 and 2 in this series on |
| meeting participants. | | | | Everything That Your Parents Did Not Tell You |
| I can not enough stress the importance of getting | | | | About Effective Meetings. |
| this implemented for long-term prosperity, health and | | | | The quick List |
| productivity. So many meetings have gone down the | | | | 1. Check-In at start of the meeting, everybody takes |
| drain because people are seeking confirmation, | | | | turns sharing where they are at in life |
| seeking being seen, through clinging on to a rather | | | | 2. Keep times! If an item needs more time, move to |
| unimportant meeting topic and making it into a | | | | Spare time at end or next meeting. Period. |
| personal matter other the surface. The Check-In is | | | | 3. Maintain a we-focus rather than I-focus through |
| the last touch-up that turns your axe from a dull tool | | | | the meeting. |
| making people less than they can be into a | | | | 4. Finish of meeting with round of Positive |
| high-powered, mega-efficient and super-sharp | | | | Encouragement |
| meeting utility. | | | | I wish for you excellent, rewarding and productive |
| Ready for some action? Ladies and gentlemen, start | | | | meetings. It is my sincere hope that the above will |
| your engines. It is now time for the meeting items. | | | | be helpful for you. Remember that meetings are |
| What to do now the axe is sharpened? One thing, | | | | about PEOPLE coming together to get THINGS done, |
| stick with the plan! Keep the times. I will say it again, | | | | not the other way around. |
| keep the times, you have assigned. Discipline is what | | | | Markus Eriksson |
| separates champions from the rest. If you do not | | | | The author Markus Eriksson, is an international |
| finish an item on time, move it to Spare Time or to | | | | developer of human potential, having worked with |
| the next meeting. Do not go over time! Sticking with | | | | organizations, leaders and individuals in Asia, Europe |
| this discipline of time will itself over time make you | | | | and America for over 10 years. He is a much |
| more efficient. Practice makes perfect. It can be | | | | appreciated meeting facilitator, speaker and |
| frustrating in the beginning, but stick with it. It is | | | | multimedia author. He is also the creator of the |
| amazing what you can get done in five minutes with | | | | "Everything Your Parents Did Not Tell You"-series in |
| a group of people that are trained, focused and | | | | which he with a combination of straight forwardness, |
| we-minded. | | | | warmth and humor shares his knowledge to make |
| We-minded you say? Yes. During your meetings | | | | you and the world even better. |
| practice focusing on "we" instead of "I". This means | | | | |