minutes to a meeting : Why My Cat Refuses to Attend Meetings

1) No one asks her to participate.

Olivia always comes prepared to be part of the action. She wears her best fur, fluffs up her whiskers, and sharpens her claws. But people treat her as if she's just a cute little pet. As you might expect, she feels mad when the other attendees ignore her. So she takes a nap.

2) It's difficult to nap.

Usually, the big talkers speak with loud voices. While this seems to scare the other attendees into silence, it still makes it hard to sleep. She especially dislikes jokes because they cause an outburst of laughter, and that jolts her awake. Certainly, no one likes to be awakened by a loud noise.

3) They don't take breaks.

Olivia detests lengthy marathon meetings that go on and on without a break. She wonders if any of the people in these meetings were ever shown how to care for their basic comfort. When I suggested that she ask them to set up a litter box, Olivia curtly told me that she prefers a little privacy.

4) The attendees behave like mice.

Every cat knows that if you want to catch something, you have to watch it. But people in meetings have an attention span that would embarrass a mouse. They dart and dash about nibbling on everything without focusing on anything.

5) They drop what they catch.

Cats know that once you catch something, you bring it home. After all, that's why you caught it. But people drop a decision (or useful idea) and rush off to talk about something else. They don't even play with it. Olivia wonders if they know that they caught something.

So what are your meetings like?

Would Olivia want to attend one?

by Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : How to Start Meetings on Time

1) Make it part of the agenda.

Put the arrival time on the agenda. For example, for a meeting scheduled to start at 9:00 AM, you could put "8:50 AM - - - Arrive at the Meeting" at the top of the agenda.

An arrival time is useful because it allows everyone time to socialize, obtain coffee, or organize materials before the meeting. It also ensures everyone is present at the scheduled starting time.

2) Offer a treat.

Provide coffee, juice, or a vegetable platter before the meeting. This can be especially welcome for all-day meetings attended by people from other locations. It provides a time for socializing between visitors and it may also provide a meal for those who came from out of town.

But here's the catch: offer the treat only during the arrival time. Then put it away once the meeting starts.

And another point: serve snacks that make people more productive (such as fruit) instead of stuff that fills them up and deadens their brains (such as donuts).

3) Set an example.

Arrive at your meetings before they are scheduled to start. You can use the time to make sure that the room is set up properly. And you can greet the attendees as they arrive. This helps you appear in control of the meeting process from the beginning.

And of course, arrive at everyone else's meetings on time.

4) Make it easy.

Schedule your meetings to begin at odd times, such as 9:10 AM. This allows everyone who was in a one-hour meeting that began at 8:00 AM to travel to your meeting. Similarly, end your meetings at least ten minutes before the next hour so that the attendees have time to travel to their next meeting.

5) Sell promptness.

Send a memo or E-mail stressing the importance of arriving on time. Call key attendees to remind them about the starting time for the meeting. Give people a reason to be on time, such as ask a top executive to make an opening remark.

Bonus idea: let the executive leave after making the opening remark. These people are very busy.

6) Expect promptness.

If it is your company (or department, etc.), you can tell people that they are expected to be on time. Then enforce this by making it a performance dimension. Similarly, arrive on time to demonstrate your commitment. And when necessary, hold a private coaching session with those who need help understanding your expectations.

7) Be realistic.

Realize that some people are beyond coaching because of their attitude or relationship with you. Also, recognize that it is impossible to guarantee that everyone will always arrive on time at every meeting. There will always be emergencies, surprises, and those few who refuse to cooperate.

Bonus point: Ask that people tell you if they expect to be late. If necessary, reschedule the meeting to accommodate them.

By Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : 2 Terrible Myths About Meetings

People have found numerous ways to ruin a meeting. Here are two myths that make everyone uncomfortable.

1) Endurance implies strength.

Back in the days of saber tooth tigers and walking to work, physical toughness was essential for survival. Now, modern managers have found a twisted way to apply this in meetings.

It works like this: First the participants drink huge amounts of coffee. Then they lock themselves in a conference room while they carry on an unstructured discussion on unrelated topics.

The participants earn acceptance by making intelligible contributions to mind-numbing babble while under the stress of ballooning discomfort. Weaklings earn ridicule and banishment by moaning or asking to be excused for a break.

> What to do: Take a break every 50 minutes. People need the time to refresh and rest.

2) Fads are the answer.

Rather than engage in a meeting that has any of the attributes of work, some people attempt to disguise the process. That is, they wear goofy hats, wave signs, use a cryptic language, swing from ropes, or make people behave like idiots.

Sure, it's fun. Maybe.

And it does provide income for the people who sell these systems.

But otherwise, it's like pouring chocolate syrup on broccoli.

It's easier to just eat the broccoli.

Of course, few people know how to cook broccoli. And then all they have is a plate of chocolate syrup, which may taste good, but does little for their business.

> What to do: Apply common sense. Learn how to hold real business meetings. And apply this test: If you feel like a fool doing something, there's a good chance it's a bad idea.

by Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : Make Writing Meeting Minutes Easy

Some people think that minutes are unnecessary.

This is true for any meeting where people wasted their time accomplishing nothing. In that case the person responsible for the mess would want to hide it.

But good leaders like minutes.

They want to publicize the work that they accomplished. They want others to know that they hold effective meetings. And they want to document the action items, decisions, and accomplishments from the meeting.

But writing minutes can be a chore.

So, how can you produce minutes - easily, quickly, and effectively?

Use these tips:

1) Ask a facilitator (or scribe) to attend your meeting. During the meeting the facilitator will write all of the key ideas, decisions, and agreements on chart paper.

This helps make your meeting more effective by letting the participants see their work as they produce it.

It keeps people focused on the issue.

It frees you to participate without having to work at recording the meeting.

And it documents the results of the meeting as it progresses.

After the meeting, ask the facilitator (or scribe) to prepare a draft of the minutes from the chart notes.

2) Put only the highlights of the meeting in the minutes. This would include action items, decisions, and agreements. Avoid creating a word-for-word documentation of everything that was said. If you need to capture every detail, use a recorder.

3) If you must write the minutes, use the notes written on the chart pages as a rough draft of your minutes. If possible, have an assistant copy them and then edit the draft.

Some organizations skip typing the notes: they just make letter-sized copies of the chart pages and distribute those as the minutes.

4) Send the minutes within a day after the meeting. This publicizes the meeting while people still remember it, and it conveys the news while it's still relevant.

by Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : 10 Tips for Better Participation in Meetings

A meeting can be led (or misled) from any chair in the room. Here's how to make sure that you add value to your next meeting.

1) Focus on the issue. Avoid stories, jokes, and unrelated issues. These waste time, distract focus, and mislead others. Save the fun for social occasions where it will be appreciated.

2) Take a moment to organize your thoughts before speaking. Then express your idea simply, logically, and concisely. People are more receptive to ideas that they understand. Long, complex explanations always work against you.

3) Use positive comments in the meeting. Negative comments create defensive reactions that distract from your goals.

4) If it is your meeting, ask a facilitator to lead the group through major solution finding activities. This frees you to participate in them and gives responsibility for keeping order to an impartial party.

5) Test your comments by asking, "How does this add value to our work?" If you sense it subtracts, keep silent or jot down the idea. This frees your to think about what others are saying, and that idea may be more appropriate later.

6) Use structured activities. These process tools ensure equitable participation and systematic progress toward results.

7) Respect others. Different views force us to think. After all, if we were all the same, they would need only one of us.

8) If you notice that you are speaking more than anyone else in a meeting, take a rest. You are either dominating the meeting with monologues or conducting a conversation with a minority of the participants. In either case, you're preventing the participants from working together as a team.

9) When voting give the participants veto power over ideas they strongly oppose. This avoids sabotage or partial support from people who were forced to accept decisions that harm them.

10) Rescue wayward meetings by challenging seemingly unrelated comments. Ask, "How does that contribute to the issue?"

By Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : 3 Worst Mistakes You Can Make in a Meeting

Mistake #1: Do all of the talking.

Some meetings are run like a medieval court. The chairperson sits on a verbal throne while the subjects sit in respectful silence. The big talker justifies this by thinking: if the other people in the meeting knew anything worthwhile, they'd be leading the meeting.

Reality: If you're the only one talking, you're working too hard. In addition, realize that most people protect themselves from long monologues by sending their brains off on a holiday. That is, no one is paying attention to the monologue. Instead, they're busy daydreaming, doodling, or dreaming.

The Fix: Convey large amounts of information by a memo or email. If you must deliver it verbally, call the event a lecture instead of a meeting. And then be as brief as possible.

Mistake #2) Be spontaneous.

Most minutes to a meetings are held without an agenda or a clearly stated goal. The chairperson simply invites people to an endless discussion, sort of like a party that lasts until everyone is too tired to continue.

Reality: A meeting is a business activity. And it should be run like a business, with a plan.

If spontaneity were a universally sound business strategy we would build buildings without blueprints. Of course, no smart business leader works without a plan.
The Fix: Set a goal for the meeting, and then support this with an agenda that accomplishes that goal. Use structured activities that guide the group's efforts toward accomplishing the goal.

Mistake #3: Invite everyone.

Some people hold meetings as if they were free. They think that since people are already at work, their cost is zero. Thus, they invite dozens of people to attend meetings that go on for hours (or longer).

Reality: Meetings are very expensive. They use people's time, and the payroll is often the largest expense in running a business. When people hold bad meetings, they waste the most important resource in a business - the work that they were hired to perform.

The Fix: Plan meetings that earn a profit. Compare the value of the result with the cost of the meeting, and then invite only enough people to accomplish that task.

by steve kaye

minutes to a meeting : Effective Meetings Have SMART Goals

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 exactly what the group will work on. Vague goals can cause you to lose control of the meeting.

Measurable. This helps you determine if the goal has been completed. It can be stated as a number (5 ideas, 10% gain, one decision) or as an achievement (Did we write a strategy or not?).

Achievable. goals must be realistic for the resources and time available. For example, most groups could identify twenty ways to reduce the budget in a fifteen minute meeting. On the other hand, it is unlikely that a group could develop a comprehensive marketing plan in 30 minutes.

Relevant. To be meaningful, a goal has to relate to the overall mission of your business. Otherwise, you may be wasting time. Challenge each goal with the question, "What happens without it?" If your answer is "nothing," cancel the meeting.

Time. Specifying a deadline (e.g., by noon) or a rate (e.g., 3 per hour) moves activity toward completing the task and provides a criteria to measure progress. Of course, you want to select realistic times.

As a final check, make sure your goals are so clear that someone else could use them to run your meeting.

by Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : Whom Do You Invite to a Meeting?

The success of your next meeting depends upon whom you invite. Here's what to consider.

1) Invite only people who can contribute to the meeting. Spectators bog down the process.

2) Avoid filling the meeting with allies as a show of force. This intimidates your "opponent," which can result in counter attacks, retaliation, or false cooperation.

3) Avoid inviting people because they would feel offended if left out. A meeting is a business activity, not a party. You can always ask the person to choose between watching others work in a meeting or being left to work on tasks that contribute to raises and promotions.

4) Be sure to invite the stakeholder (the person who owns the issue). This person is a valuable resource in finding solutions.

5) Make sure the opponents to issues attend your meetings. They can help you find equitable solutions that they will support. Without them, any results that you develop are likely to prove useless.

6) Invite key participants with minor roles to only the part of the meeting where they can contribute. Schedule these parts of the agenda at the beginning of the meeting or when you resume after a break.

7) Invite spectators for good reasons. For example, you may invite a new employee to learn about an issue; you may include members of other organizations to win empathy for your needs, you may invite an outsider to catalyze creative thinking.

8) In general, meetings that are held to make plans, seek solutions, or reach agreements work best when eight to twelve people attend.

9) Any number of people can attend parties, social meetings, lectures, or demonstrations.

by Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : How to Lead an Effective Meeting

Leaders determine the success of every event. Here's how to lead a meeting.

1) Open the meeting by reviewing the goals, outcomes, and activities. This helps everyone work with you to accomplish what you want.

2) Start the meeting by describing the culture you expect during the meeting. For example, you might say, "I value all of your ideas. I want you to think creatively because we need powerful solutions to this issue."

3) Compliment the participants during the meeting. Brief praise such as, "Thanks," "Good idea," or "Excellent," will motive the participants to work with you.

4) Maintain a safe, positive working environment. Harsh, predatory cultures inhibit creative thinking. Insist on respect.

5) During the meeting, remind the participants how much time has been budgeted for each activity.

6) Present each issue in the form of a specific question. This focuses thinking on specific solutions. For example, ask, "What could cause Unit #2 to produce 5% more defects?" This is far more effective than saying, "Let's talk about Unit #2."

7) Maintain a state of benevolent urgency. You want to push just hard enough to make the participants aware of offering high value comments. And you want to allow enough time for adequate consideration of an issue before making a decision.

8) After completing a major part of the meeting, summarize what the group accomplished. This celebrates the achievement, reminds everyone what they finished, and formally ends the activity.

9) Introduce each part of the meeting by stating the goal for that issue and describing the process you plan to use. This helps everyone focus on the same task.

10) Model the behavior that you expect from the participants because this determines how they will act during the meeting.

Note: Of course, there's more. Read about Effective Meetings at: http://www.squidoo.com/OneGreatMeeting/

by Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : 10 Attributes of Effective Meeting

Here are ten fundamental concepts that characterize an effective meeting.

Definition: A meeting is a business activity where select people gather to perform work that requires a team effort.

A meeting, like any business event, succeeds when it is preceded by planning, characterized by focus, governed by structure, and controlled by a budget.

Three things guarantee an unproductive meeting: poor planning, lack of appropriate process, and hostile culture. effective leaders attend to all of these to create an effective meeting.

effective meetings require sharing control and making commitments.

Short meetings free people to work on the essential activities that represent the core of their jobs. In contrast, long meetings prevent people from working on critical tasks such as planning, communicating, and learning.

The ultimate goals of every meeting are agreements, decisions, or solutions. Meetings held for other reasons seldom produce anything of value.

Unprepared participants will spend their time in the meeting preparing for the meeting.

It is better to spend a little time preparing for solutions than to spend a lot of time fixing problems.

Meetings are an investment of resources and time that should earn a profit.

A meeting can be led from any chair in the room. And if it's your meeting, you want it to be your chair.

by Steve Kaye

minutes to a meeting : 10 Actions for Effective Meetings

Here are ten things that you can do to hold more effective meetings.

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 goals before the meetings. They should be so clear, complete, and specific that someone else could use them to lead your meeting. Also, make sure they can be achieved with available people, resources, and time. Specific goals help everyone make efficient toward relevant results.

3) Challenge each goal. Ask, "Is there another way to achieve this?" For example, if you want to distribute information, you may find it more efficient to phone, FAX, mail, e-mail, or visit. Realize that a meeting is a team activity. Save tasks that require a team effort for your meetings.

4) Prepare an agenda. Everyone knows an agenda leads to an effective meeting. Yet, many people "save time" by neglecting to prepare an agenda. A meeting without an agenda is like a journey without a map. It is guaranteed to take longer and produce fewer results. Note, without an agenda, you risk becoming someone else's helper (see tip #6 below).

5) Inform others. Send the agenda before the meeting. That helps others prepare to work with you in the meeting. Unprepared participants waste your time by preparing for the meeting during the meeting.

6) Assume control. If you find yourself in a meeting without an agenda walk out. If you must stay, prepare an agenda in the meeting. Collect a list of issues, identify the most important, and work on that. When you finish, if time remains, select the next most important issue. Note: you can use a meeting without an agenda to recruit help for your projects.

7) Focus on the issue. Avoid stories, jokes, and unrelated issues. Although entertaining, these waste time, distract focus, and mislead others. Save the fun for social occasions where it will be appreciated.

8) Be selective. Invite only those who can contribute to achieving your goals for the meeting. Crowds of observers and supporters bog down progress in a meeting.

9) Budget time. No one would spend $1000 on a 10¢ pencil, but they often spend 40 employee hours on trivia. Budget time in proportion to the value of the issue. For example, you could say, "I want a decision on this in 10 minutes. That means we'll evaluate it for the next 9 minutes, followed by a vote."

10) Use structured activities in your meetings. These process tools keep you in control while you ensure equitable participation and systematic progress toward results.

Copyright Steve Kaye