5 Hidden Traps in Meetings

If you have already attended meetings bad one, must be experienced, you the following traps. Here they are and how to fix it.
1) people think they are experts.

Many people tell me they know how to hold the meeting. In fact, all they do is host a party. They invite and provide treatment, and the presidency of the conversation. People talk. People eat. And nothing happens. Or, if they can somehow reach an agreement, did not apply to him.

> What to do: learn to drive a real encounter. Workshop plan or buy a book. When results really matter, hire a facilitator. We recognize that there are modern tools that help people make progress towards a systematic results. These tools are convenient and easy to use. Of course, you must know what it is to be used. Call me (714-528-1300) for more details.

2) People think they are a source of inspiration.

Many people think that long-term ads to convince others. In fact, the opposite is true. Long speech quickly becomes boring (and sometimes offensive) harangue. Why? Most employees want to play an active role in contributing to the company, and listen to a sermon therefore feels like a waste of time.

> What to do: Design meetings that give the opportunity to contribute to the audience. Plan questions that direct thinking toward the results you want. Use activities that help people make decisions. Advertising messages, memos or e-mails. Or, if you need a meeting, announcements of short duration (less than a few minutes).

3) People think others agree with them.

Many people rely on gestures and smiles, and eye contact to assess acceptance. In fact, most employees do everything to please the boss. If the coach seems to be upset, and staff to become more modest. Then, once the end of the meeting, the staff will do one of three things: 1) Reading forget, 2) ignore the message, or 3) the idea of ​​sabotage.

> What to do: Conduct of Meetings during the process that everyone is considered fair. Use consensus to reach agreements and make decisions. People will accept decisions that helped make.

4) Some people think that the other clairvoyant.

Many people call meetings without an agenda that everyone expects will share their vision of what needs to be done. In fact, everyone brings his hopes and fears, and vision to the meeting. Without a clear program, and the result is something between moonlight and chaos, and it depends on the complexity of the issue.

NOTE: Agenda mysterious, like a list of topics, it is almost useless because no agenda.

> What to do: Write your goal for the meeting. Then prepare the agenda for the completion of another person can be used to run the meeting without you. Identify each step and provide a time budget. Send the agenda at least one day prior to the meeting so that it can be used to assist in the preparation. Call the main participants before the meeting to see if they have any questions or if you want to talk about the agenda.

5) People think that meetings are necessary.

Many people respond to his every move emergency or surprise by calling a meeting. In fact, it is an exclusive (and expensive) process. And must not be used to obtain results that require the efforts of a group of people working as a team. A meeting is not a cure all over the world. The meetings for the wrong reasons, wasting time for all.

> What to do: The challenge of each meeting of the ability to make a profit for your business. In other words, make sure that the value of the results exceed the cost of holding the meeting. If any other activity that can achieve the same result, the use of this other activity.