How Positive Images (and negative ones) Shape Your Reality
Leadership of the Future: #Podcast Interview With Futurist Bob Johansen

Meetings That MatterHow many of your meetings begin with people opening their laptops, ostensibly to take notes and reference documents? Most of us know they are really answering email, conversing on social media and cruising the Internet because we’re doing it too.

How effective are meetings where less than half the people are paying attention at any given moment? According to studies, managers spend about 35% to 50% of their time in meetings.  And most of them report it is a waste of time.

Instead of blaming your team, take a look at why they aren’t interested. Holding a meeting to share information is not a good reason to meet. You can use easily use technology and project management tools for that. Why are you holding meetings?

The only good reason for a team to meet is to build and tap into collective wisdom.

Engaged Meetings Look Like This. Do Yours?

⇒  A common perspective and big picture view emerges where team members feel responsible for the success of the team, not just their individual area of responsibility.

⇒ Team members talk with each other, not just with the team leader, utilizing each other’s expertise.

⇒  The energy flows in all directions because their opinion affects the outcome. If everyone is looking at the team leader, the energy is flowing in the wrong direction.

⇒ The team makes joint decisions using everyone’s best thinking.

⇒ Team members work together on things that cannot be accomplished by working separately.

⇒ Relationships are strengthened and trust increases, which helps team members work together better outside of meetings as well.

7 Tips to Hold Engaging Meetings That Matter

1. Create a focused agenda, where the purpose of the meeting is clear and each item on the agenda supports the purpose. Ensure each item really needs to be included in the meeting and can’t just as easily be shared via email or technology.

2. For each agenda item, identify the conversation that needs to occur and what decisions need to be made.

3. As a team, identify and agree on clear norms around attention and participation. If an agreement is broken, address it, don’t ignore it.

4. Share leadership. Encourage team members to take responsibility for leading the conversation on agenda topics that are relevant to them.

5. Help team members develop effective communication skills, especially in listening for understanding and how to make a point without hogging the spotlight.

6. Document and review next steps. People are more invested when they know something is going to happen as a result of the meeting.

7. End on time! This might seem like a small thing, but it demonstrates that you value everyone’s time. And it forces you to stay focused and not waste time during the meeting.

 

How Positive Images (and negative ones) Shape Your Reality
Leadership of the Future: #Podcast Interview With Futurist Bob Johansen

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