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June 9, 2008

By Karen Cortell Reisman, MS

Have you met the Tate family?*

There's Dic Tate, who wants to run everything. There's Ro Tate who always tries to change things. There's Agi Tate, who stirs up trouble whenever possible with a helping hand from Irri Tate. Devas Tate loves to interrupt, while Poten Tate wants to be the big shot. Every time new ideas are suggested, it's Hesi Tate and Vegi Tate who are there to say it can't possibly work, and Imi Tate who would rather copy other organizations than try something new. Thankfully, there's Facili Tate who gets everyone pulled together.

According to a study done by the University of Southern California, the Tate family is thriving. 65% of meeting attendees feel that underlying issues outside the scope of the official agenda are the real subjects under discussion. 33% feel pressured to publicly espouse opinions with which they privately disagree, while another 33% feel they have minimal or no influence on the discussion.

Basically, the average meeting is just that — average. The purported purpose is completed only 50% of the time.

Here's how to add the other vital 50%. This info will help you when you plan your larger pow wows for your team. I'm sure you have a great procedure already for your daily morning huddles.

To make your meetings inspire productivity, and to make everyone feel that the time has been well spent, follow these strategies BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER the meeting.

Typically, most meeting management energy is spent at the meeting itself. Wrong. To make your meetings work, put more care into the behind-the-scenes preparation and into the post-meeting follow-up.

Let's use a delicious piece of cake as an analogy to a fabulous meeting. The time you spend making and baking the cake equates to the time you spend planning the meeting. The actual meeting is the "icing on the cake." Eating the cake parallels to your post-meeting follow-up.

Before the meeting: "Making and baking the cake."

• What's your goal? Visualize. What do you want to accomplish?

• Who are you? Know your group, speak their language, and appeal to their interests.

• What do you want to say? What's your agenda? On your written agenda include:
* A brief description and who will talk about it.
* A time limit for each item.

• Where will you meet? Figure out your room arrangement and where you want to sit. A smaller room with just the right amount of chairs increases the energy. Conversely, a bigger space with some empty chairs diffuses energy. Depending on your issues, you may want the latter if you're discussing controversial topics.

• Anticipate. Know who your allies are; know who your detractors are. Know your stumbling blocks.

• Troubleshoot. Figure out your challenges and handle them before the meeting. Examples: Have a "no cell phone" policy if the distractions create havoc. Have set time limits if your meetings tend to groan on and on. Talk to your Poten Tates, Agi Tates, and Vegi Tates before the meeting to get them on your team.

• What's your hidden agenda?

During the meeting: "Icing the cake."

• Use the most popular word: their names.

• Ban Styrofoam cups! They are bad for ecology and bad for fidgeters who are compelled to rip the cup into a heap of 83 little pieces.

• Find something in common. Build camaraderie, which will lead to positive relationships and more fun.

• Use a clock. Begin on time and end on time. If you do nothing else in this chapter, heed this rule, and you will be perceived as a phenomenal communicator and leader.

• Empower with praise. People will continue doing what they're recognized for, and you get the chance to do this in public, in front of everyone else.

• Discuss good things first. Try not to get off to a negative start.

• Summarize and paraphrase frequently. This will keep your meeting moving forward rather than getting caught on the tangent road to nowhere.

• Stay in control. Follow your agenda. To get others to stop over-talking, stand up to shut them up.

• Stimulate group discussion by asking questions.

• Delegate when possible.

• Figure out who will be responsible for the result of each item on the agenda.

• Say thank you. Even if your team is required to be at your meetings, thank them. Common rules of graciousness cost nothing, have great impact, and are often overlooked.

• Ask for what you want.

• Accomplish something and TELL THEM WHAT THE GROUP HAS ACCOMPLISHED.

After the meeting: "Eating the cake."

• Follow-up.

• Follow-up.

• Follow-up.

The difference between a dumb meeting and a smart meeting is making sure there is progress and action as well as positive outcomes. Follow-up to ensure this forward movement happens.

How can you improve meeting effectiveness if you are not the facilitator — "the cake oven component"?

If you're saying, "I'm just the attendee. I have no authority over whether anything gets accomplished," think again. You can be a powerful tool in helping to facilitate success.

• Ask this question during a meeting: "In the next hour (or insert the amount of time left for the meeting), what would you like to have accomplished? This forces the facilitator to focus on the goals.

• Summarize and paraphrase. This task helps the meeting move forward and does not have to be done by the facilitator.

• Plan the time of the meeting. If your meetings drag on and on, arrange to begin the meeting at a time with a built-in ending, such as when the store opens for business.

The cliché "to have your cake and eat it too" implies that you really can't have everything you want. That's true. However, when you use these strategies to facilitate a successful meeting, you will have your cake, ice the cake, eat the cake, and have the support to make another one. Of all the Tates in the Tate family, become Facili Tate.

How to flaunt meetings with finesse:

• Make and bake the cake — prepare for effective meetings.

• Ice the cake — run your meetings using your skill to communicate.

• Eat the cake — follow up for accountability.

• Provide a good oven — be an active participant that helps make your meetings productive.

*Source: Anonymous.

© Karen Cortell Reisman, MS

Karen Cortell Reisman, MS, author of two books, speaks about Einstein, her cousin, in a one-woman show, "Letters from Einstein," intertwining personal letters from Einstein in a message about how to thrive in this crazy world. She also speaks about how to Speak For Yourself® so others listen and trust you. To buy Karen's books or purchase other learning tools, go to www.LettersFromEinstein.com or www.SpeakForYourself.com.

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