 |
 |
 |
Greetings!
I hope you had a bountiful Thanksgiving and survived the rigors of Black Friday.
This month's newsletter focuses on tips to help you facilitate meetings more effectively. Effectively facilitated meetings and sessions can maximize results! If I can
help you improve the success of your planning or problem-solving meetings,
please give me a call at 618-204-5540.
As we near the end of 2009 I would like to thank you for your patronage this last year and wish you all the happiness and joy of the Holiday Season!
Warm Regards,
Jane Sanders
| |
 |
10 Tips for Successful Meetings and Planning Sessions
|
|
| |
Perfect Timing for 2010 Plans!
...by Jane Sanders
As the pace in the business world continues to escalate, executives' minds are whirling with ongoing and newly hatched problems and opportunities. In many cases, their minds are spinning and groaning simultaneously.
Groans be gone! Skilled managers of any size company, department or team can facilitate a productive and effective meeting, walking out with specific goals and action plans addressed and achieved. Below are 10 tips to help managers facilitate more successfully.
To further ensure success, if possible, use a professional facilitator for your problem solving, brainstorming, and strategic planning meetings or retreats. This strategy ensures objective and expert work, sends a message to the group that the meeting is of considerable importance, significantly diffuses any potential conflict and contentious tone, and helps both plan and achieve desired goals and objectives. A professional facilitator can also help set realistic expectations for the group relevant to process, tone, purpose, and behavior.
10 Tips for More Effective Facilitation
1. Identify clear objectives. What specifically do you want to leave the meeting with? An action plan for achieving upcoming fiscal year goals? An employee recognition program? More productive work processes? Cost-saving ideas? Customer service ideas? Organized sharing of best practices? Solutions to a specific problem? Be very specific and clear about exactly what you want to accomplish in the meeting.
2. Plan the agenda. Determine activities to accomplish your objectives, and the time required for each. Include time for opening comments, instructions, breaks, lunch, etc. Don't schedule too tightly, as meeting segments and activities often take longer than estimated, especially debriefing and discussion of small group activities.
3. Establish and post ground rules. Effective ground rules communicate a professional tone and set appropriate expectations. They can include timeliness (begin and end at the announced times, including breaks, regardless of late arrivals), participation (encourage participants to contribute and ask questions), respect for others, commitment to the meeting's objectives, open-mindedness, no rejection of ideas, no side-talking, confidentiality, trust, a volunteer spirit, taking notes, no cell phones, etc.
Learn more on how to improve the productivity of your meetings.
Click here to read more Jane Sanders' Articles |
|
GENDERSMART TIP
|
|
|
Time for Facilitation
Actually any meeting is the time for facilitation, but
I'm referring to the timing of or during a successfully facilitated meeting. Timing comes into
play relevant to two key elements: 1. Starting and ending times, and 2. Time
allotted for each module of the agenda. For this tip I want to expand on the first key element:
Starting and ending on time is important for several reasons. Doing
so demonstrates respect for those who arrive as scheduled. It sends a message
that tardiness to any meeting will result in missed information or
participation. Ending at the announced time lets people confidently plan their
day. As I imagine you have already experienced, once you start the habit of
waiting for people to arrive, the meetings begin later and later because no one
wants to sit around until all attendees show up. Productivity goes out the
window. Set a schedule and stick to it for the best results!
|
|
Quotes Of The Month |
|
|
"I am not interested in the past. I am interested in the future, for that is
where I expect to spend the rest of my life." Charles F. Kettering.. An American Inventor and founder of Delco
"A
horse is a thing of such beauty...none will tire of looking at him as long as he
displays himself in his splendor." Xenophon...An ancient Greek writer, soldier and mercenary
|
|
| |
 |
You are welcome to reprint any part of this newsletter as long as
you include "By Jane Sanders, GenderSmart® Solutions, 877-343-2150, http://www.janesanders.com."
Contact Information
Phone: 618-204-5540 Toll-Free: 877-343-2150
|
Join our mailing list Click Here
|
|
| |
|
|
