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Our theme in this
issue: We Need to
Keep Meeting Like This !
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When did you last focus on your
voice?
If your audience only remembers
7% of the words you use, then every word you use should be hand-picked
and delivered with passion! This month we will concentrate on
pitch, pace and vocal variety. When was the last time you asked
an unreasonable friend to just focus on your voice as you rehearse with
them?
Pitch and pace are easy to
control by rehearsals in front of another person, but if you have a
relatively flat voice (more of a monotone) not only should you use a
third person's voice as often as possible, but you should
also practice vocal variety by reading from a novel or children's
book for say 5 minutes a day. Speak in the voice of the
character.... imagine for example being a character from Green Eggs and
Ham!
After a few weeks of these 5
minute sessions --- use a highlighter in your actual presentation
where you are going to drop into another voice. Do the rehearsals
with your unreasonable friend, and get their feedback on the pitch,
pace and use of other voices (to break the monotony) before trying
with a live audience.
Over time you
can change your vocal variety. |
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It was a cold, dark and frosty
night..... well, not really but it was 9a.m., Saturday and already over 80
degrees as I witnessed cancer survivors start their victory lap on the 24
hour -- Cancer -- Relay for
Life. We were in fund-raising teams.... two hours walking,
two hours rest, for twenty-four hours... all through the night. Over
the twenty-four hours both on and off the track I heard many inspirational
stories from those survivors. The Santa Monica event raised over $87,000
towards the national effort. Well done!
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Welcome
to this edition of Leading
Ways...
We Need to Keep Meeting
Like This!
Are you being meeting'd to death?
How many times have each of us said, "That meeting was a complete waste of
time." Well, meetings can either be
a complete waste of time or a very effective use of time, if planned and
conducted effectively.
A failed meeting occurs when:
- No clear Action or Follow-up items are generated, or results
subsequent to the meeting are not produced. The exception to
this is where a meeting is called merely to inform. If this is
the case then the meeting objective should be clearly stated.
If it is a bad meeting you may not know
it but people will blame you and think you wasted their time, even if it is
not your fault. If meetings are voluntary people will be less-likely
to come to the next meeting you call.
Understand why you
are meeting
Determine whether you even need to hold a
meeting by describing the purpose of the meeting in just one
sentence. Typically there are three primary reasons for meetings:
1.
To inform -- These are town hall meetings particularly during times of
change to make people aware of the need to change and that the status quo
is more dangerous than the change. All people receive the same
information at the same time, thereby reducing the rumor- mill.
2.
Brainstorming -- Typically to find ways to overcome problems or to become more
efficient. This involves people engaged in the process, or who may be
impacted by the change.
3.
Fact-finding -- Gathering information about a situation, process or event.
If you don't have a specific reason for
holding a meeting, then don't waste the time. Instead, find another
way to discuss a small issue by using email or phone. If the purpose
of your meeting is now clear, then go ahead and schedule it.
Give adequate
meeting notice
Sounds very basic, but if the right
people do not attend the meeting because they lack sufficient notice then
the meeting cannot fulfil it's objective.
Give weight to the
agenda
The key to having an effective meeting is
that the agenda reflects input from those attending. So go ahead and
ask those who will attend the meeting to contribute to the agenda, where
the meeting is for fact-finding or brainstorming purposes.
For the agenda to be really effective,
assign timeframe to each topic under discussion. This will not only
enable you to meet the meeting objective, but ensure that discussion
leaders use the right amount of time in preparing for their topic, or in
providing input.
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We are what we repeatedly do
..... excellence therefore is not an act, but a habit
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In planning time allocations make sure
there is adequate time for brain-storming, Q & A, and the development
of Action Items. I only allocate 90% of the proposed meeting time to
actual agenda items. This enables me to deal effectively with minor
time over-runs.
To make your meeting run more smoothly
distribute the agenda and any background material at least one week prior
to the meeting as everyone will know in advance what will be
discussed. Make sure attendees do their homework and come prepared to
participate in discussion.
Who should attend
the meeting?
If the meeting is merely to inform, then
the meeting should be very inclusive in order to cut down on the
rumor-mill.
If the meeting is for fact-finding or
brainstorming then I suggest inviting only those who have knowledge or
ideas to contribute to your meeting objective. It is a real
time-waster when people who need to be in your meeting are not invited, and
some of those who were invited really have no need to be there.
Meeting location
Meetings should be held in physical
surroundings which promote full discussion. The right amount of space
with plenty of room particularly for longer meetings; in rooms having
correct logistics; and, where needed, appropriate for audio-visual
presentations or video/tele conferencing. Lu reminded me that great
meetings occur when people are comfortable and can just focus on the
matters at hand.
Who will lead the
meeting?
So much for planning, but the conducting
of the actual meeting is equally important. I have found that
rotating the meeting chair is a really effective way of training other
people, and also making them feel engaged.
The objective of the meeting chair is to
keep the meeting on track and on topic, without the chair either dominating
the meeting him/her-self; and ensure that those attending participate
fully.
We have all seen dominant personalities
hijack meetings, and so the chair should have a strength of personality, or
the support of other participants when working to keep the meeting on
track.
When I hold regular team meetings I
usually rotate the meeting chair so that, over time I develop a team of
skilled facilitators. I have found that it is also a way to reign in
meeting interjectors, by them knowing that other people could do the same
to them when they are in the chair.
Meetings should not be a spectator sport
unless the sole purpose is merely to inform.
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"The people on top of the mountain
didn't fall there... they climbed every inch of the way."
- Jerry
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Always start meetings
on time so participants recognize the professional way meetings and
business are conducted. Try to discuss only those items listed on the
agenda (unless relevant to the topic under discussion) in order to keep the
meeting on track.
Other matters should
be deferred until the agenda is complete, if there is time remaining; or
noted and deferred to the next meeting.
________________________________________
The
end of the meeting is only the beginning!
During your meetings
there will be progressive agreements on actions to be undertaken, or
further information obtained. It is useful then to have a person
record those progressive agreements, but make sure it is not the
chair. It is his/her job to keep the meeting on track.
For complex situations
you may wish to use MSProject, but I have found that for many meetings a
simple form will suffice:
1.
Strategy/Action Item
2.
Responsibility (only one person, although
many may work on the task) and desired result
3.
Completion -or- report back date
4.
Result / Further Action
email me for a sample form: denis.orme@leader-success.com
It is always a
powerful way to start a meeting by going through the Action Item list from
the previous meeting and be able to check off what has been accomplished
since then.
_______________________________________
-- Focus combines vision
and determination with knowledge and experience --
_______________________________________
Book of The Month
Speak Like
Churchill - Stand Like Lincoln by James C Humes
ISBN: 0-7615-6351-2 www.crownpublishing.com
The opening lines .... Leadership is selling...
and selling is talking.
We have moved from the age of the cowboy
CEO, or figurehead CEO riding into town to save the company. Today's
business leaders must be able to motivate and retain the strongest
team. If you believe, as I do that great leaders are great communicators
then this book provides 21 powerful lessons from history's greatest
speakers.
_________________________________________________________________
Recent
presentations/workshops
- Women's Shelter of Long
Beach
- KeyNote Speaker -- International Rotaract Conference - UCLA
- Boeing Young Engineers Team
Have a great week!
Denis
Orme
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