Meeting Etiquette

Meeting Etiquette

Meetings are a place not only to get information, but also where people make judgments about each other. Learn how to make the meetings you attend work for you.

Ugh, Meetings

Mention an upcoming meeting to most employees and it may appear as if you asked them to clean the office toilets. How often have you heard variations of the following?

· "Aw, another waste of time."

· "Great. Another interruption. Now I'll have to stay late for sure."

· "They never say anything worthwhile."

· "I'll just take my work with me into the meeting."

· "Meetings are like soap operas; you can miss six months of them and still get the idea of what's going on."

· "Time to listen to the boss drone on again."

How We Spend Our Time in Meetings

According to a network MCI Conferencing White Paper, professionals who attend meetings on a regular basis admit to doing the following during meetings:

· Daydreaming (91%)

· Missing meetings (96%)

· Missing parts of meetings (95%)

· Bringing other work to meetings (73%)

· Dozing during meetings (39%)

Meetings Do Matter!

Meetings are a place not only to get information, but also where people make judgments about each other. Meetings are your stage to present yourself in a positive light. Don't miss out on that opportunity. It could make or break your career!

In the rest of this lesson you'll get tips for getting more from meetings, as well as making a good impression while you're there.

Meeting Behavior Basics

In order to really shine in business meetings, there are some behavior basics for meetings that will serve you well.

Making Your Entrance

· Enter decisively.

· Don't stand in the doorway.

· While standing, shake hands, and call people by their first names.

· Introduce yourself to those you don't know.

· If you are seated and introduced to someone new, stand up, smile, and shake hands.

Where to Sit

· Avoid sitting at either end of the table.

· Don't sit next to the chairperson or senior officer. That chair may be reserved for his or her aide or secretary.

· If you're not familiar with the seating arrangements, ask if it's okay to sit anywhere.

What Not to Do

· Don't fiddle -- leave paperclips unbent and don't bounce them.

· Don't doodle on a notepad. (People will start trying to see what you're doing. And this draws attention to the fact that you're not paying attention.)

· Don't chew gum or pop mints or candy into your mouth.

· PLEASE don't chew ice cubes!!!

· Don't ask for coffee or other refreshments unless they are being offered.

· If food and drinks are offered, clear your plate as soon as possible.

· Avoid letting your mind wander, no matter how boring the meeting may seem.

Pay Attention to Your Body Language

· Sit straight, both feet on the floor.

· Even though you're sitting straight, appear relaxed, and attentive.

· If you do cross your legs, cross them at the ankles.

· Don't cross your arms in front of you; it communicates resistance -- or even hostility.

· For men -- keep your jacket and tie on unless otherwise specified.

Speak Up!

There is nothing more aggravating in a meeting than not being able to hear the person who is speaking. Speaking too softly conveys that you believe what you're saying really has no merit. If you don't think it's important, why should the rest of the group?

Some other tips for speaking at meetings:

· Don't stand up, unless people routinely stand while speaking at such meetings or unless you're asked to stand up.

· Take a second to frame your thoughts. You don't have to start blurting out something the second you're called upon to speak.

· BLT -- Put the ‘bottom line on top’. Say the most important thing first.

· Be brief.

· Don't ramble.

· Don't repeat yourself.

· Use positive language.

· Never begin with an apology, e.g., "This might not work, but. . . ."

· Avoid confrontational language such as, "That idea won't work," or "That's completely irrelevant to the issue."

· Use "we." Whenever referring to your department, company, team, or a project group, always use the pronoun "we." If things are going well, it shows you're a real team player by sharing the glory. If things are going poorly, it takes the focus off you and spreads the responsibility around.

· Whatever you say, say it with authority. Use a confident tone.

The Cost of Unproductive Meetings

According to a network MCI Conferencing White Paper, most professionals attend a total of 61.8 meetings per month. Research from Nelson and Economy (Better Business Meetings) indicates that over 50 percent of this meeting time is wasted. Assuming each of these meetings is one hour long, professionals lose 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings, or approximately four work days.

Basic Rules and Etiquette for Business Meetings

These so-called "rules" are pretty basic. But someone ignores them at nearly every meeting. So here's a quick review of meeting basics:

· Be ready. Prepare ahead of time. Arrive with all the materials you think you may need: a report, pen, paper, notebook, or laptop computer.

· Keep the materials you need handy so people won't have to wait while you fish around for things.

· Always put your briefcase or purse on the floor next to you. NEVER put these on the conference table.

· Show up on time or a little early.

· If you do have to be late, let the meeting organizer know well before in time so a seat can be reserved for you in an area that won't cause too much disturbance when you do arrive.

· If you are late, apologize and give a reason. If you don't give a good reason, you'll generate resentment from the people who did arrive on time. Plus, if you fail to give a good reason, you're basically saying the meeting isn't important enough for you to show up on time.

· Decide ahead of time what you have to say about the issue at hand and prepare your remarks. Practice mentally a few times before you arrive at the meeting.

· Get a copy of Roberts Rules of Order and become familiar with it. You can find a summary version at http://www.robertsrules.org or find a copy at any library. Only the most formal meetings abide by these rules, but you may someday find yourself in such a meeting.

Handling Conflict and Objections During a Meeting

Whether it's resistance to your proposal or a heckler in the back of the room, conflict will inevitably arise if you attend enough meetings.

Some Common Meeting Disrupters -- And How to Handle Each Type

Every meeting seems to contain at least one of the following:

1. Side Talkers

These are the people who just can't seem to stop having side conversations with the other people at the table. To handle a side-talker:

· complete your thought, look at the person, and pause until they stop talking.

2. Ramblers

Good grief! We've all been in meetings where the speaker just can't seem to get to the point. To move them along:

· Acknowledge the question, then use a CLOSED-ENDED (can only be answered with a yes or no) question to refocus the participant to the topic at hand.

EXAMPLE: "I liked your question, Mr. Saqib, about how this new marketing plan will impact the workload of the telesales center. Are you concerned about increased call volume or the added paperwork that the center will have to process with the anticipated increase in orders?"

3. Hecklers

Simply put, these are the rude people at the meeting. There's no other way to say it. You have several choices when managing a heckler:

· Ignore them.

· Redirect them by asking a question appropriate to the topic.

· Defer the problem to the group ("What does everyone else think about this?").

· Invite the person to a hallway discussion.

4. Challengers

There's one in every crowd. You know who they are. They're usually sitting in the back of the room, arms folded, hanging on your every word. Then, when the moment is right, they fire their verbal salvos at you. They'll raise their hand, and in their most authoritative voice say something like, "Isn't it true that . . . "

Challengers could have several purposes: (1) to reduce your credibility or (2) to increase their prestige in the eyes of the group. Either way, a challenger usually has a pretty fragile ego, so handle with care.

One option to handle a challenger is to say one of the following:

· "Help me understand what you mean, or where, specifically, you think this program will fail."

· "That's certainly one option. It's not the one we're recommending now, and I would be interested in hearing the benefits to your option. Could you write that up for me and put it on my desk? Then, I'll put that on the agenda for the next meeting."

5. Non-Participants

These are the people who sit there and say nothing. You don't know if they're on your side, if they think everything you're saying is bogus, or if they're just sleep-deprived.

To get a non-participant to participate, the best strategy is to ask them a question to get them involved. A simple "What do you think?" may be enough to initiate an interaction.

Nearly Half of the Work Week in Meetings!

A poll from GM Consultants surveying people in supervisory positions found that 30 percent spent an estimated 16 hours a week in meetings. The survey also uncovered some interesting facts about respondents, who reported they always did the following:

· Allow all attendees to participate (88%)

· Define a meeting's purposes (66%)

· Address each item on the agenda (62%)

· Assign follow-up action (59%)

· Record discussion (47%)

· Invite only essential personnel (46%)

· Write an agenda, with time frames (36%)

· Specify questions for each issue (12%)

71 percent of respondents were working in companies with annual sales of less than $10 million.

Moving Forward

Now that you've learned a little about how to handle yourself in a meeting conducted by someone else, it's time to look at how to manage your own meeting. We'll cover that in the next lesson.

Overcoming Procrastination

Overcoming Procrastination

Often called the "thief of time", procrastination is the habit of intentionally delaying work on important tasks that need to be done. While everyone procrastinates to some degree, procrastination becomes a real problem when it starts interfering with your goals and work. Left unchecked, procrastination can significantly decrease your effectiveness and lead to serious negative consequences in your career and personal life.

Major Causes of Procrastination

Below are the main causes of procrastination. In all likelihood, you may be facing several of these causes at the same time, which means that you may need to use multiple strategies to overcome your procrastination habit.

1. Avoiding an unpleasant task

2. Lack of energy/motivation

3. Escaping from an overwhelming project

4. Don't know where or how to get started

5. Don't know what to do next

6. Overwhelm created by too much work

7. Unclear goals and priorities

8. Urgency addiction

You can see how moving from procrastination patterns to productive patterns could make a significant difference in your approach and results.

Five Tips to Overcome Procrastination

Here are five simple tips to help you overcome procrastination:

4 This is a task that I CHOOSE to do, not a task I HAVE to do

Shift your thinking away from a "have to" mentality into a "want to" mentality. Make a conscious choice and commitment to either do the task now, or do what is necessary to get out of it. Don't let it linger around in the back of your mind.

4 I don't have to FINISH this task now, I just have to BEGIN the task now

Don't get overwhelmed by the idea of having to complete the task. Instead, focus your thoughts and energy on getting it started and let your momentum carry you through.

4 I don't have to be PERFECT, I'll do the best I can

Don't let perfectionism ruin your productivity. Accept that you are human and that there is no such thing as PERFECT. Focus your efforts on tasks where excellence will make a difference. All the other tasks just need to get done.

4 I don't have to do this task all at once, I can break it up into smaller steps

Break large on complex projects into smaller steps and focus on taking each individual step. Treat each step as a mini-goal. Don't worry about taking future steps, just focus on getting started on the current task and take time to celebrate after completing it.

4 I don't have to work all day on this task, I can set time limits and take breaks when I need to

Scheduling breaks and other recreational activities in your schedule will help you see that your life is not all work. If you want, you can set time limits to help you get started on a particular task.

Commit to work for 30 minutes on the task and then give yourself permission to take a break. If you feel inspired to continue with the task, go for it and allow your momentum to carry you through. Otherwise, just take a guilt-free break. You deserve it for getting started.

One of the keys to overcome procrastination is to realize that its causes can vary from one situation to the next. Similarly, there is no one single solution to the problem of procrastination because each strategy only works for some of the causes.

You first need to diagnose the reasons why you are procrastinating on a particular task, and then apply the right strategies for those reasons.

(Article courtesy: www.timethoughts.com ...)

ATTITUDE AND SELF AWARENESS

When someone is doing something or about to do something, in a way I dont want it to be done - and i m not able to accept it - i become angry.
When someone is doing something or about to do something, in a way I dont want it to be done - and i m able to accept it - i remain tolerant.

When someone is having something or someone is able to produce the results which i m not able to produce - and I m not able to accept it - I become jealous.
When someone is having something or someone is able to produce the results which i m not able to produce - and i m able to accept it - i get inspired.

When i m encountering uncertainty or is about to encounter uncertainty, which i m not sure how i m going to handle - and i m not able to accept it - it causes fear in me.
When i m encountering uncertainty or is about to encounter uncertainty, which i m not sure how i m going to handle - and i m able to accept it - i feel adventurous about it.

When someone has done something that has emotionally hurt me - and i m not able to accept it - it develops hatred in me.
When someone has done something that has emotionally hurt me - and i m able to accept it - it helps me forgive them.

When someone is present in my thoughts, but is not physically present - and i m not able to accept it - i say i m missing u.
When someone is present in my thoughts, but is not physically present - and i m able to accept it - i say i m thinkin of u.

Thus, Emotional Equation becomes:

Something + acceptance = positive emotion
Something + non-acceptance = negative emotion

So, it is not something or someone who is making me feel positive or negative, but its my acceptance or non-acceptance of something or someone, which impacts things.

Save An Hour Each Day... Get Organized!!! by Jeffrey J. Mayer What does your desk look like? * A toxic waste dump? * A bomb exploded? * Burglars had ransacked your office? In corporate America, most business people associate a messy, dis-organized desk/office with being productive, effective and efficient. Are you a member of this club? Did you know that most people are “wasting” an hour each day looking for “STUFF” that’s lost on their desk? How about you? (Do you wish it was “only” an hour?) And it always happens at the most inopportune time. How many times last week did you call someone up, ask them a question, and they responded, “Hold on a second and let me find the letter/file/proposal. I know it’s here... somewhere.” And five minutes later they come back and sheepishly said: “I can’t find it, let me call you back later.” Thus beginning another round of telephone tag, stretching a quick five-minute conversation into a five-day odyssey. If you want to get ahead in life, make more money, and even get home for dinner every once in a while, follow these 6 steps and you’ll be organized. (This complete procedure is explained both in my best-selling “Success is a Journey” and “Time Management for Dummies” books.) Step #1. Schedule An Appointment With Yourself For most people, it takes about 2 hours to get organized. Write it on your calendar, and KEEP THE APPOINTMENT!!! Step #2. No Interruptions Turn off the telephone, close the door (or put up a Do Not Disturb sign across the entrance to your work space), and allow NO INTERRUPTIONS! Think of this session as a meeting with your boss or most important client. Step #3. Bring A Dumpster Sixty percent of the stuff on most peoples desk can be tossed. That includes you!!! So keep the papers, documents, and files you need, and throw the rest away. Remember: Don’t succumb to Cleaner’s Remorse. (Going thru the trash and pulling out the stuff you just threw away because you think you may “Need It Again.” Step #4. Pickup A Piece Of Paper Now that you’ve closed the door and turned off the phone, pick up a piece of paper - any one will do - and ask yourself 3 questions What is it? Why do I have it? What am I going to do with it? If you can’t come up with a good answer, THROW IT AWAY!!! Step #5. File Your Papers If you need to keep a piece of paper, (file or proposal), put it in a properly labeled file folder. If one doesn’t exist, create one on the spot. Step #6. Record Your To-dos On A Master List If there’s work to do, note it on your Master List, which is a to-do list written on a big piece of paper - like a legal tablet. You can also record your tasks inside your contact manager - like ACT!, or your PIM - like Outlook, or your PalmPilot, Black Berry. Before you know it, your desk will look like the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, and your garbage can will be filled to the brim, overflowing, and spilling onto the floor. You’ll be organized, efficient and productive. You’ll spend your time doing things that make you successful.

Protect Your Organization by Managing Change

Protect Your Organization by Managing Change

Ben Franklin years ago said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. But in the business world there is another thing certain, and that’s change. Just note the many changes in technology over the last 10 years or the sweeping changes we have witnessed in the competitive landscape, such as outsourcing and globalization.

And what about the ongoing changes in customer preferences or the many geopolitical changes? Change is the mantra in the upcoming U.S. election. It’s fair to say that in the business world, things are always changing and will continue to change. We can all attest to the wise proverb from centuries ago that now seems more relevant than ever – the only constant is change.

Yet for it’s widespread and enduring nature, change is unpredictable and elusive. In business, we are challenged by it and struggle to successfully manage it. In fact, many companies still conduct business as though their environment will not be affected by it, yet we know the peril of not anticipating or adapting to change. We can all name companies once household names that now no longer exist. So what is it about change that makes it so hard to manage?

For starters, companies make well-intended investments in assets such as buildings, equipment and people. These investments are not reversible or easily changed when needed and we continue to do business the same way for long periods of time, reinforcing consistency across the organization. It’s also a fact that much of organizational life is an adherence to structures that have been developed to help manage operations and control costs and further perpetuate doing things in a rigid, frequently inflexible manner. And we reinforce it by our behaviors and the actions or lack of actions we take.

From hiring leaders and experts who know their business but have a narrow perspective and are unable to “see” another way to the low value organizations place on scanning or searching for alternative practices, we all contribute in some way to continuing the status quo and leading our companies to stagnation rather than creativity and advancement. Even organizations that are able to overcome these forces of inertia by building a more fluid and flexible culture to enable a readiness for change are not guaranteed success in managing change. Change is often confusing and unpredictable and the outcome may bring a new set of issues and problems. But the risk of not changing is also high, perhaps too high.

It’s imperative organizations understand what it takes to successfully manage change and develop the conditions to ensure it. Experts indicate that successful change requires a transition from a current state to a desired future through a process that engages the people affected. Too often organizations undertaking change fail to recognize and incorporate their key stakeholders. Models for successful change management suggest evaluating and addressing several key facets to enable the desired state to be realized and lasting. These include awareness of why the change is needed, desire to support/participate in the change, knowledge of how to change, ability to implement new behaviors, and reinforcement to sustain the change.

It’s not surprising there is no silver bullet for successful change management since situations are unique and contexts vary widely. But reviewing some common attributes shared by companies that have been able to successfully manage change do can serve as some valuable lessons learned as we help our organizations become better at change management.

Listen to stakeholders. Organizations that embrace and encourage feedback from those impacted by change, rather than seeing opinions as obstacles, are better able to adapt and respond to a changing business environment. Such organizations actively establish systems and processes to support and involve customers and users. And this doesn’t mean everyone gets what they want, as there will always be individuals unhappy with some aspect of change.

Establish a change-friendly culture. Instead of rigid structures, organizations that successfully manage change have fluid processes and many assemble teams with diverse employees as needed to solve problems and work on projects. They are constantly scanning their environment and focus on designing and redesigning the organization to best meet current and future needs. And they do this by balancing change with staying true to who they are by not making radical changes that are inconsistent with their values.

Develop an agile leadership style. Organizations that successfully manage change lead by inspiring, empowering, collaborating and involving rather than directing staff to achieve the organization’s vision. They also tend to hire employees who are constantly evolving new approaches for providing value to their customers, who see the world differently and have demonstrated that they are “early” rather than “late” adopters.

Commit for the long-term. Many companies have good intentions but only provide short-term support for change management, such as sending employees to classes or training and then expecting quick results. Organizations that successfully manage know that unless mandated and measured across the organization, new practices will not be implemented and incorporated into the culture of the organization and commit for the long term.

Internalize change. Companies that successfully manage change understand that individual motivation and emotion to something new is driven by meanings attached to situations and that a framework is needed to get to the “heart” and not just the “head” of change to achieve the desired state. They recognize that excitement and fear are healthy and necessary emotions by employees and match their style to the needs of the situation to allow change to be internalized.

So go forward and help lead your organization to an enlightened path and debunk that old notion that the more things change, the more they stay the same. After all, you can’t afford not to change.

By Tony Roig, SPHR

Save An Hour Each Day... Get Organized!!!

Save An Hour Each Day... Get Organized!!! by Jeffrey J. Mayer (Author of “Success is a Journey” and “Time Management for Dummies” books) What does your desk look like? * A toxic waste dump? * A bomb exploded? * Burglars had ransacked your office? In corporate America, most business people associate a messy, dis-organized desk/office with being productive, effective and efficient. Are you a member of this club? Did you know that most people are “wasting” an hour each day looking for “STUFF” that’s lost on their desk? How about you? (Do you wish it was “only” an hour?) And it always happens at the most inopportune time. How many times last week did you call someone up, ask them a question, and they responded, “Hold on a second and let me find the letter/file/proposal. I know it’s here... somewhere.” And five minutes later they come back and sheepishly said: “I can’t find it, let me call you back later.” Thus beginning another round of telephone tag, stretching a quick five-minute conversation into a five-day odyssey. If you want to get ahead in life, make more money, and even get home for dinner every once in a while, follow these 6 steps and you’ll be organized. (This complete procedure is explained both in my best-selling “Success is a Journey” and “Time Management for Dummies” books.) Step #1. Schedule An Appointment With Yourself For most people, it takes about 2 hours to get organized. Write it on your calendar, and KEEP THE APPOINTMENT!!! Step #2. No Interruptions Turn off the telephone, close the door (or put up a Do Not Disturb sign across the entrance to your work space), and allow NO INTERRUPTIONS! Think of this session as a meeting with your boss or most important client. Step #3. Bring A Dumpster Sixty percent of the stuff on most peoples desk can be tossed. That includes you!!! So keep the papers, documents, and files you need, and throw the rest away. Remember: Don’t succumb to Cleaner’s Remorse. (Going thru the trash and pulling out the stuff you just threw away because you think you may “Need It Again.” Step #4. Pickup A Piece Of Paper Now that you’ve closed the door and turned off the phone, pick up a piece of paper - any one will do - and ask yourself 3 questions What is it? Why do I have it? What am I going to do with it? If you can’t come up with a good answer, THROW IT AWAY!!! Step #5. File Your Papers If you need to keep a piece of paper, (file or proposal), put it in a properly labeled file folder. If one doesn’t exist, create one on the spot. Step #6. Record Your To-dos On A Master List If there’s work to do, note it on your Master List, which is a to-do list written on a big piece of paper - like a legal tablet. You can also record your tasks inside your contact manager - like ACT!, or your PIM - like Outlook, or your PalmPilot. Before you know it, your desk will look like the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, and your garbage can will be filled to the brim, overflowing, and spilling onto the floor. You’ll be organized, efficient and productive. You’ll spend your time doing things that make you successful.

The Eleven Biggest Time Management Lies !!

The Eleven Biggest Time Management Lies !!

In the world of Time Management there are things said to us that we 

accept as truth and we act accordingly. The problem is sometimes they 

are not truths. They are lies and as we believe them, they waste our 

time. 

  Those who speak these lies to us are not bad people at all because 

you and I are among them. We all speak these untruths to one another from 

time to time. So let's not wish harm and doom to the liars. Let's avoid 

the time traps their lying may cause us. 

  Here are the eleven biggest lies to shield yourself from. 

  1. "This will just take a minute." Has anyone grabbed you with that 

line? Does it ever "just take a minute"? Rarely. What typically "just 

takes a minute", generally consumes several minutes and more. 

  Next time, when someone asks for your time and assures you," This 

will just take a minute", tell them, "You're lying. You may not realize 

you're lying, but you are. I'll give you five minutes. You may begin 

now." 

  2. "I need this as soon as possible." No you don't. That's a lie too. 

You need it by a certain date and time because you are going to do 

something with what I provide for you. And if you're not going to do 

anything with what I provide for you, why am I doing it for you in the first 

place? 

  Don't lie to me. Tell me when I have to get it to you. Be specific. 

You and I probably have two difference dates in mind when we think in 

terms of "as soon as possible". 

  3. "I want this now." I doubt it. In this 24/7/365 world, everyone is 

under a sense of artificial pressure to get it done "now" or worse," 

yesterday". 

  Things are generally not that urgent. Don't get caught up in someone 

else's urgent trivialities. 

  Call the liar to task. "I'm not sure I can get that done now. What if 

I got it to you one week from today?" Use an outside deadline to give 

yourself ample time to prevent getting into crisis management. 

  Oh, and if they reject that alternative, try three better dates for 

you. Why? Because they may keep lying to you. 

  4. "It's not about the money." When it's not about the money, it's 

about the money. 

  5. "This is the best (investment, business opportunity, book, movie, 

restaurant, boss, job, etc.) you'll ever find." Not true. There's 

always something better. The best is yet to come. 

  6. "I can get this done in an hour." It's a fib. Ever notice how it 

almost always takes twice as long to get something done as what you 

thought it would? That's because few of us have a very accurate internal 

clock to estimate the time required to complete most tasks. 

  7. "He's a' late' person." Most people who are "late" have a 

consistency about their behavior. My friend Dwayne is 20 minutes late all the 

time. If we need to meet for lunch tomorrow, it will take him 24 hours 

and twenty minutes to get there. 

  Dwayne is not "late". He's "On-time; 20 minutes later". 

  8."No Cost." You don't get "nothing for nothing". Everything has a 

cost. It may not cost you your money but more often it will be your time 

and more of it than what you are getting in return for "no cost". 

  9. "I'll prove you're wrong if it's the last thing I do." And it may 

well be. No one wants to be proven wrong. Everyone likes to be caught 

doing things "right". Most, however, don't mind being shown how to do 

things better. 

  10. "By the time I show him how to do it I could just as quickly have 

done it myself." If it's a one-time proposition this may be true. It 

doesn't make a lot of sense to spend an hour to show someone how to do a 

task that takes only 10 minutes. 

  But if it's a repetitive task, it's a lie. If that one hour 

investment will save you 10 minutes every day, then in about a week you have 

your investment back and now you have a dividend of 10 extra minutes a 

day. What if you do that six different times? You get an extra hour in 

your day and 365 hours over the next year. 

  11. "This is going to be really hard." Not true. Going through 

whatever you have to go through is almost never as difficult as you imagined 

it to be. 

  Mr. Rajeev, my high school principal, taught me that 95% of what we 

fear coming at us will never hit us. It will ditch itself before it ever 

reaches us. And as to the remaining 5%, God has given us the tools to 

deal with it.