Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
MANAGING
MEETINGS THAT
GET RESULTS
Twenty-one proven ideas you can use to make meetings
shorter, more effective, and more satisfying to everyone
in attendance…Based on years of research and
experience in companies worldwide.
by Brian Tracy
©MCMLXXXVIII
Nightingale-Conant Corporation
www.nightingale.com
1-800-525-9000
750pg
1
THE EFFECTIVE MANAGER SEMINAR SERIES
This fast-paced series of 14 management seminars on DVD, with CD and workbook
accompaniment, has been designed to convey the greatest amount of usable information in the
shortest possible amount of time. The material in each program is based on management
seminars that have been developed for and presented to leading corporations for several years.
Each program is a condensation of 21 valuable ideas, methods, and techniques drawn from years
of practical experience. More than 100 hours of reading, research, and planning have gone into
each mini-seminar, giving you just the essential material that you need to be more effective —
immediately.
Since people learn in three ways — visually, auditorially, and kinesthetically — these mini-seminars
are offered in DVD, CD, and workbook format to assure maximum learning and retention.
The learning process is flexible. You can take these seminars alone in your office or at home, on
DVD and then on CD, to review and reinforce the key ideas. You can follow along with the
workbook and use it as a planning tool for internalization and implementation.
As a busy executive, your most valuable resource is your time. With these DVD-based mini-
seminars, you can learn in one hour what might take you two or three days in a seminar or
workshop — and save the cost of time off, travel, and other expenses.
Because these programs have been developed as presentations for live audiences, they are fast-
moving, entertaining, informative, and enjoyable to watch. Brian Tracy is a master of the video
medium; thousands of people in several countries attend his DVD seminars every month.
The idea behind this series was the discovery that 80 percent of the value of the information on
any subject is contained in less than 20 percent of the material available. In this series, you get
only the top 20 percent of ideas — the techniques you can begin applying today to be more
effective and achieve better results.
You save time, you save money, and you get high-quality, low-cost professional instruction in the
key management areas where you must be knowledgeable if you want to fulfill your potential in
your organization.
The Effective Manager Seminar Series is a production of the Institute for Executive Development
and Nightingale-Conant Corporation.
2
HOW TO BENEFIT MOST FROM THIS PROGRAM
The Creative Manager has been designed to save you time in learning the things you need to know
to be more effective.
Research in accelerated learning suggests several ways to learn faster and remember more. This
program is based on advanced learning techniques that can help make you a “mini-expert” in the
principles of effective leadership in a very short period of time.
You remember only about five percent of what you hear. You remember 20 percent of what you
see. You remember 40 percent to 50 percent of what you see and hear. You remember up to 80
percent of what you see, hear, write, and review. After six exposures to the material, spread
over a period of time, you can achieve almost total recall.
You also learn and remember more if you have a clear purpose for learning, a purpose that
affects you personally. If you set goals for applying what you learn, you will remember more.
You also learn faster if you discuss what you are learning and how it can be applied to your
personal situation.
Finally, you reinforce and expand upon what you’ve learned when you teach others.
3
CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
4
INTRODUCTION
As a manager, one-quarter or more of your career will be spent in meetings. Meetings are an
essential part of the life of every organization. The more people there are, and the greater the
complexity required for the performance of interrelated tasks, the more necessary it is for people
to meet in groups to solve problems, make decisions, share information, and exchange views and
opinions.
Meetings are “management in action,” a major opportunity to display managerial competence (or
lack thereof), to develop communication skills, to influence and to persuade others, and to
advance the goals of the organization.
However, meetings are like advertising. It is estimated that 50 percent of the dollars spent on
advertising is wasted, but nobody knows which 50 percent it is. It is also estimated that half the
time spent in meetings is wasted, but nobody knows how to eliminate the unnecessary half. The
purpose of this program is to show you how to manage and participate in meetings more
effectively so that you get the maximum return on time invested in meeting with other people.
As a manager, the way you conduct a meeting and the way you perform in a meeting is a major
factor in your career success. In a meeting, you are being observed by both your superiors and
your subordinates. You can shine — be a star contributor — or you can bomb. It’s up to you. But
you can’t hide.
Effective executives are those who know how to run meetings well and to perform effectively in a
meeting environment. Since a major part of your career will be spent in meetings, it is essential
for your success that you learn how to get the very most out of meetings, and how to assure that
the meetings in which you participate get the results desired.
5
TWENTY-ONE IDEAS YOU CAN USE TO MAKE
BUSINESS MEETINGS MORE EFFECTIVE
1. Types of Meetings
The starting point in making meetings more effective is to determine what kind of a
meeting is being held and then to structure the meeting in such a way that you maximize
the time of the participants.
B. Problem-solving meetings. Mission oriented. The purpose of the meeting is to find a solution
to a specific problem.
C. Staff and operational meetings. Interdepartmental. The purpose of the meeting is to acquaint
representatives of different departments with “the big picture.”
D. Committee meetings. The purpose of the meeting is to review and plan ongoing activities, to
monitor progress, to get and give feedback.
6
E. Teaching and training meetings and seminars. The purpose of the meeting is to teach, instruct
participants in some subject.
Many meetings have elements of all of the five types. But to make a meeting effective, it
must be clear to everyone which basic type of meeting is being held.
D. What is the worst thing that could happen if no meeting were held at all?
7
E. Can you define the purpose of the meeting in 25 words or less?
A. To determine the cost, multiply the hourly wages of the participants times the number of
hours of the meeting.
C. Prior to and during the meeting, work to increase the return on investment.
8
B. Organize the topics in their order of importance.
C. So people can be prepared, distribute the agenda at least 24 to 48 hours in advance of the
meeting.
A. Begin with an outline of the purpose of the meeting. (Spend five to seven minutes on this.)
9
D. Encourage open discussion. Take the round-robin approach: Go around the table and have
people take turns making their contributions, to assure that everyone gets to speak.
I. Summarize at the end of each discussion point and at the end of the meeting.
10
J. Have the minutes of the meeting typed and distributed within 24 hours.
6. Participating in Meetings
How you participate in a meeting is carefully observed by everyone at the meeting - your
superiors and subordinates alike.
B. Get involved early, with questions. The first five minutes are critical.
D. Potential leaders are identified by the quality and quantity of their participation in meetings.
11
7. Problem-Solving Meetings
The most common and often the most important type of meeting is the problem-solving
meeting. To make these meetings more effective:
A. Restate and define the problem until all agree on the definition. (What else is the problem?)
12
G. Assign specific responsibility for implementing the decision.
A. Have free discussion. Make certain all points of view are aired.
C. Gain full support. All participants should agree to support the decision made, even though
some may not agree with it.
13
9. Problems in Meetings
Following are reasons why problem-solving meetings are often counterproductive and
frustrating:
A. The members of the group fall into group think, which is a tendency to rush to a conclusion
without considering enough alternative solutions.
B. Group members want to avoid conflict (“Let’s not argue”). Conflict avoidance takes priority
over solution quality.
C. The group values “getting a decision” more highly than getting a good decision.
D. The group is unduly influenced by those who speak more, louder, or faster.
E. The group has a tendency toward convergent thinking — a momentum toward one answer,
often based on politics.
14
10. Reasons for Ineffective Meetings
Following are reasons why meetings in general don’t get results:
C. The group leader dominates the discussion — uses power or intimidation to control
the meeting.
15
11. One-on-One Meetings
One-on-one meetings are for information sharing.
B. They are held once weekly, for 60 to 90 minutes, in the subordinate’s office.
D. The purpose is learning and teaching. The superior learns what is going on in the
subordinate’s work and life; the superior teaches the subordinate how to be more effective,
gives counseling and guidance.
16
B. Explain why — its meaning or purpose.
F. End the meeting with an expression of confidence in the employee and positive expectations
for him.
17
B. Arrange for necessary chairs and other furniture, materials.
C. Assure proper lighting and ventilation (68 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal meeting room
temperature).
A. “Hotels lie.” Leave nothing to chance. Assume that whatever can possibly go wrong will go
wrong when meeting in hotels.
18
B. Check out the room in advance — layout, columns, lighting, sound system, kitchen access.
C. Recheck the meeting room at least one hour before the meeting is to be held.
D. Carefully read the “function contract” from the hotel. (Murphy’s law was probably
formulated after Murphy held a meeting in a hotel.)
A. When you’re leading a small meeting and are using a round or rectangular table, position
yourself opposite the entrance, so that participants are facing you and have their backs to
latecomers and other interruptions.
B. When you’re a participant in a meeting, position yourself where you can have direct eye
contact with the meeting leader, and where you are facing the entrance.
19
C. For medium-size meetings, horseshoe-shape or box-shape seating is ideal, to assure
maximum group eye contact and relaxed interaction.
D. For large group presentations, position the chairs in chevron style — that is, rows are at 90
degrees to each other; everyone is facing the front stage directly; there is some eye contact
across rows.
E. If you’re using an overhead projector, or giving a slide presentation, place the screen in the
front left-hand corner of the room — not directly behind the podium — for maximum
visibility.
F. To assure the best possible meeting, carefully check out every detail in advance.
A. Flip charts should be prepared in advance. Put one blank sheet between each page of
information.
20
B. Use a tripod.
C. Write, speak, and ask questions as your presentation unfolds, to hold your viewers’
attention.
D. As you go along, if appropriate, tear off and tape up pages with masking tape.
F. Practice your presentation — run through it in advance, preferably with a small audience.
G. An effective presentation can advance your career — it can make you a star!
21
17. Developing Self-Confidence in Meetings
Self-confidence is essential to your success.
C. Visualize. Prior to a meeting, create a clear mental picture of yourself performing effectively.
D. “Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” Practice systematic desensitization
by speaking up and contributing to every meeting.
22
18. Parkinson’s Law in Meetings
Meetings expand to fill the time allotted for them.
A. Group meetings. Set specific times to start and stop, and stick to them.
B. One-on-one meetings. When you begin, set a specific time period for the meeting.
B. As a participant, have the item or items that affect you discussed first. Then depart.
C. As a meeting leader, give people permission not to attend if their participation is not
essential.
23
D. As a leader, give people permission to leave when they have made their contribution.
E. Ask for help. Ask for the cooperation of everyone to make the meeting more effective.
24
E. Stay on track.
H. Keep complete notes. (The power is on the side of the person with the best notes.)
25
C. Remember, preparation is key.
You can turn regular management meetings into high-payoff opportunities for yourself and
your company. You can guide, direct, and build your subordinates. You can impress your
superiors. You can get work done that can be done in no other way. You can solve problems,
make decisions, influence, persuade, and control the flow of events. You can do all this by
practicing the ideas in this program.
26
SUGGESTED LISTENING FOR FURTHER HELPFUL
INSIGHTS BY BRIAN TRACY
27
SUGGESTED VIEWING FOR FURTHER HELPFUL
INSIGHTS BY BRIAN TRACY
10 Keys to a More Powerful Personality
64 Minutes Viewing Time
Enjoy Brian Tracy’s dynamic and forceful personality on video as
he shares a lifetime success system with you. It’s the 10 Cs of
success: clarity, competence, concentration, common sense,
creativity, consideration, consistency, commitment, courage, and
confidence. Learn to put them to work in your life, and
accomplish more than you ever thought possible.
One Videocassette (or DVD when available) — 5711V
28
Choose One...
Several... or All
of Brian Tracy’s Exciting,
Pragmatic, Multimedia Seminars
Call toll-free 1-800-525-9000 to place an order or to
receive further information on any of these programs.
29