Handling Arguments Gracefully and Productively in a Meeting

People spend so much time arguing about different things. Arguments are unavoidable in group conversations and meetings because everyone has their own set of thoughts and opinions. Although this will enliven the conversation at times, it often becomes a hindrance in a team’s progress. These tips can help you go a long way in handling arguments.
Click here to continue.

[from impactcm.co.uk]

Characteristics of a Successful Meeting

In a study conducted by InfoCom, the longer a meeting’s length, surprisingly, the more likely it is deemed to be effective, based on the responses of all those who attend meetings. For meetings one half-hour or less, 58% of respondents indicated they felt they were extremely or very productive. The number jumped to 61% for meetings a half-hour to one hour, 67% for meetings one hour to five hours, and an astounding 80% for 5 hours or more.

Perhaps for meetings of five hours or more, the preparation involved and the mere fact that the group has been sequestered for more than a half business day, helps to increase everyone’s focus.
Click here to continue.

[from breathingspace.com]

Meeting Minutes Format

Minutes are the immediate records of the proceedings in a meeting. They are one of the crucial aspects and need to be critically reviewed, be it corporate meetings or organization meetings.

Click here to continue.

[from buzzle.com]

Meeting Themes

A meeting theme should be such that it makes the business meeting much more effective and result oriented. They should be so interesting that they set the right mood for the attendees and also help them understand the meeting agenda. Below are some tips on how to come up with the perfect and the most appropriate themes..

Click here to continue.

[from buzzle.com]

Best Time to Hold Business Meetings is When?

Best Time to Hold Business Meetings is When?
By Shirley Lee
Studies show there is no best time to hold a business meeting. However, acceptable times for having meetings can depend on the culture of a corporation, career type, work group, or country. The key to finding the best time is what will work for the group who is meeting and for the type of activities that are expected to be carried out in the meetings. If the meeting activity requires information sharing, then this can be done at a leisurely pace if desired or accomplished at a quicker pace to prevent too much irrelevant discussion. If the meeting requires a significant amount of participation, such as problem solving or idea generation, then a time when people tend to be most active and ready to work creatively would be preferred.
Early morning is often considered good for high participation meetings as people are much fresher and more ready to discuss ideas. Also participants have not yet encountered any problems with their regular work day that may distract their concentration. In contrast to early morning, if the desire is to keep meetings short, scheduling time later in the morning or just before lunch break will often keep people from going off-track as they do not wish to miss their lunch break. A pre-lunch meeting should be no longer than one hour.
Lunch meetings can be beneficial as they often save people some time by combining eating with getting work done or information shared in a group setting. Lunch meetings should include light, low-fat, and low-sugar foods containing both carbohydrates and proteins to boost alertness during meeting and decrease the sleepiness factor for the afternoon. Consider small sandwiches or salads containing chicken or turkey. No alcohol should be allowed in the meeting. Instead serve water or tea which is better for participants than sugary soft drinks.
Meetings held too early in the afternoon may conflict with people's lunch schedule which could mean no shows or late comers. This time can definitely relate to their inner clocks, according to some studies many humans are wired for more restful functions from 2:00-4:00 PM. Some countries even encourage restful activities sometime after lunch. Since this could mean nap time to some, if a meeting is planned for mid-afternoon, it should be on a highly participative topic to keep people interested and not a meeting requiring lights-out such as presentations or viewing videos. Whereas, late afternoon meetings may be a more relaxed time as many will have much of their daily work already done and off their minds. However, if the meeting is too close to quitting time people may be thinking about what they need to do after work rather than concentrating on the meeting topic. Participants may get irritated if the meeting goes past the designated stop time as this may make them late for personal plans. If a hurried meeting where little time is wasted is desirable, then late afternoon might be a good time to plan the meeting as long as the agenda is adhered to and the meeting ends on time.
Other things to consider when holding a meeting is how long the meeting will be. Most informational business meetings can be covered in 30 to 90 minutes depending on the number of people sharing data and whether a question and answer period is allowed. Participative meetings may be one to two hours typically. However some meetings may require more time due to complexity of the issue to be discussed, urgency of the problem to solve, or needed training or change management to present to group. If a meeting is longer than an hour, a short break during the meeting should be planned. For meetings where participation is low, a break should be every 45 or 60 minutes to allow group to leave room for 15 minutes or stretch for 5-10 minutes. For high participation meetings like problem solving or idea generation, the breaks can be a little further apart and should be planned at logical changes in meeting activity or topic.
Since there is no best time to hold a business meeting, always plan a culturally acceptable time when people are most ready to work together. The key to finding the best time is what will work for the group who is meeting and for the type of activities that are expected to be carried out in each meeting, such as information sharing or a more participative process.
Shirley Fine Lee has considerable training and expertise in leading effective meetings and projects, as well as training others within the corporate world to be able to do the same. Her book, "R.A!R.A! A Meeting Wizard's Approach", is a much-needed guide to planning and conducting meetings so that they are as productive, effectual, and smoothly run as possible. Find out more about her, her books, and learning options she provides on her website.
http://www.shirleyfinelee.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shirley_Lee
http://EzineArticles.com/?Best-Time-to-Hold-Business-Meetings-is-When?&id=1601606

Professional meeting facilitators have developed a number of "group process" techniques designed to help groups work more effectively in meetings. These group process techniques do make a difference. Research has shown that groups that use group process procedures are more satisfied with their decisions and more committed to their implementation.

Click here to continue.

[from effectivemeetings.com]

The Do's and Don'ts of Business Meetings

The Do's and Don'ts of Business Meetings
By Adam W Young
When properly planned and executed, meetings can be an efficient way to share information or solve problems. When meetings are disorganized, scheduled without reason, too often, or not often enough, they become a waste of time and energy, and are a frustration to everyone. Meetings can be a very useful tool in an organization's productivity. The success of a meeting depends on how it is conducted. Here are a few things to consider, what to do, and what not to do when scheduling and running a meeting.
Don't have a meeting if there is no reason to have one.
Do have a meeting if there is a topic to discuss.
Many organizations have meetings on a regular basis (once a week, bi-monthly, etc.), which is alright if there is something to talk about in the meeting. If a meeting is scheduled, but does not have a point, it ends up wasting time, not only during the meeting, but in the time it takes for everyone to prepare. If you do have regularly scheduled meetings, and you know that one week is particularly slow and there will be nothing to discuss, cancel it and reconvene when you have an issue that needs attention.
Don't include people who aren't involved in the topic.
Do invite those who have valuable input or need to be involved.
Be careful about who you invite to the meeting. Review the subject matter and involve anyone who will have important contributions to make, or will need to know about it in the future. If there are attendees who have no connection with the subject, you are wasting their time. Additionally, if you are not careful about whom you invite, you may exclude people who may need to be included. There may be staff members who may not be working on it at the time being, but may need to participate to understand it later on. If it is a new project, you may want to invite those with more information. There may be people who are not directly associated with the project, but are more knowledgeable about it. In this case, they can provide helpful information that others cannot.
Don't go in unprepared.
Do have an agenda to follow and a basic structure for the meeting.
Every meeting should have a basic plan. You need to know what needs to be addressed and accomplished during a meeting, and how you are going to go about doing it. The agenda needs to specify what should be presented in the meeting, and when. The structure of the meeting is how it is organized. If this is a meeting where everyone needs to participate, determine the best way to do it (give time for questions, going around the room to each person for feedback, etc.). If the purpose of the meeting is to brainstorm, think about how you want to generate ideas. Every meeting needs an agenda and structure, but how each is used will differ based on the meeting.
Don't assume someone else will run it.
Do have a facilitator.
Once an agenda is set, there must be someone who ensures that it is followed. A meeting may have one plan, but the attendees have their own agendas, and a meeting can easily go off track when no one is sticking to the plan. If you cannot facilitate, find someone who will watch the clock, follow the schedule, and keep everyone on track.
Don't be selfish with the time.
Do respect other schedules.
Meetings are effective when used responsibly. Schedule enough time to focus on the matter at hand, but do not use time selfishly. Other members of your team probably have other matters that are just as or maybe more important than the current one, and need time to do their own work. Furthermore, when meetings are too long, attendees lose interest. If it becomes clear that you do not have enough time to resolve the issue in the meeting, schedule another one. The break between the meetings will allow attendees to come back refreshed and open to new information.
Don't own the meeting.
Do give opportunities for input and discussion in the allotted time.
The topic of the meeting is not the sole purpose. The purpose is to share this information. This will not be accomplished if one person is doing all the talking. Always allow time for feedback, questions, and discussion. If you do not have these elements, the meeting becomes a lecture.
The most productive meetings are those that have the most thought put into them. The topic, the attendees, and the structure are all essential components. With the proper attention, and planning, you can get the most out of your meeting, and the staff members who attend.
Adam is a human resources professional who has an extensive education in oral communication, diversity, and team/leadership development from the University of Southern California.
In his recruiting experience, has managed the hiring process for a variety of positions in the IT, media, graphic design and hospitality industries. Adam's background also includes training and development in which he has facilitated new hire orientations and trained different levels of staff in hospitality standards and safety. Adam has also acted as a consultant for non-profit organizations to help improve company wide communication processes.
Visit his weblog at [http://www.coachadamyoung.com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_W_Young
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Dos-and-Donts-of-Business-Meetings&id=2892392

Six Tips for Great Off-Site Meetings

Six Tips for Great Off-Site Meetings
By Dale Kurow
As an executive coach, one of the decisions I help new leaders make is whether, when and where to hold their first off-site meeting.
Off-site meetings can be constructive team-building experiences and can catapult your staff to perform at higher levels.
However, without the proper vision, planning and execution, off-site meetings can have just the opposite effect: disrupting and polarizing your team.
Here are six tips for optimizing your off-site meetings:
1. Focus and clarity of purpose is paramount. If this is your first off-site as a new leader, relationship building should be your priority. Only after the team has learned what to expect from you, should you move ahead to discuss other business topics such as strategy, operating upgrades, etc. Relationship building comes first.
2. Have one (or two goals) max. Trying to tackle too many topics in your first off-site is a mistake. Don't give into the urge to multi-tasking, this will dilute your stated purpose and you'll accomplish less.
3. Prepare written goals and objectives. For example, if you have chosen to employ a relationship building exercise at the off-site meeting, decide when will it be introduced, what will be discussed and for how long, and what activity will ensue after that. Writing down your key goals and objectives, with timetables for each segment, will help ensure a good result.
4. Timing is crucial. Do you need one-on-one meetings with each individual before you schedule an off-site? If you have a disgruntled staff member who wanted your job and this individual brings emotional baggage into the meeting, you'll be courting trouble. Better to wait and/or have individual meetings to avoid exacerbating differences or intensifying coalitions between staff members.
5. Venue and length of meeting can vary from weeklong boondoggles (does anybody do these anymore?) with lavish entertainment, travel and hotel budgets to a one to two-day event in a person's house. Deciding which format to choose should be based on the newness of your staff, the off-site's purpose and the outcome you hope to accomplish.
6. Consider hiring a facilitator who can keep your staff focused and action oriented. Further, if you sense hostility brewing, using a skilled facilitator will signal that you are aware there's a problem and you are serious about dealing with it.
One more thing, don't forget to have fun. While off-sites can serve many important business needs, your staff is also hoping they can laugh with you. The best way to instill loyalty is to show them who you are, and that includes being genuine, open and human.
Dale Kurow, M.S., is an Executive Coach in New York providing leadership strategies for rapid advancement to professionals across all industries and disciplines. Dale works over the phone or in-person. Visit Dale's website at: http://dalekurow.com and blog: http://executivecoachinnewyork.com for strategies to improve your leadership skills.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dale_Kurow
http://EzineArticles.com/?Six-Tips-for-Great-Off-Site-Meetings&id=7213445

How to Communicate Within a Group Meeting at Work

by Charmayne Smith, Demand Media

Circular group meetings help to promote increased interactions between meeting participants.

Meetings are a regular occurrence in many businesses. They are used to convey information, brainstorm ideas and develop strategies towards success. Of course, proper communication within a work meeting requires professionalism and courtesy. Still, a successful group meeting at work requires additional attention to communication details.

Click here to continue.

[from smallbusiness.chron.com]

About the Author

Writing professionally since 2004, Charmayne Smith focuses on corporate materials such as training manuals, business plans, grant applications and technical manuals. Smith's articles have appeared in the "Houston Chronicle" and on various websites, drawing on her extensive experience in corporate management and property/casualty insurance.

Photo Credits

• Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images

Six Tips For More Effective Meetings

1. Don't Meet
2. Set Objectives for the Meeting
3. Provide an Agenda Beforehand
4. Assign Meeting Preparation
5. Assign Action Items
6. Examine Your Meeting Process

Click here to read in detail.

[from www.effectivemeetings.com]