To Meet or Not to Meet…What are the Questions?Written by Susan Friedmann
Meetings can be a total waste of time or a powerful and productive communication tool that solve problems, stimulate ideas, promote team spirit and generate action. The results lie totally in how they are run. Organized and well-managed meetings will inevitably produce effective results. Whereas, meetings that are poorly managed lack purpose and focus are a total waste of an organization’s time and money. From my observations working with hundreds of different companies, I have noticed that people seem to be meeting more, enjoying it less and frustrated that they have so little time to get their “real” work done. They talk about meetings as being a “necessary evil.” Research conducted by Annenberg School of Communications at UCLA and University of Minnesota’s Training & Development Research Center show that executives on average spend 40-50% of their working hours in meetings. The studies also point out that as much as 50% of meeting time is unproductive and that up to 25% is spent discussing irrelevant issues. I have certainly had more than my fair share of good, bad and ugly meetings, both as a paid employee and as a volunteer. I have also experienced wonderful sense of satisfaction from productive sessions, as well as frustration and anger from ineffective sessions. I believe that key to success lies not only in preparation and organization, but also in way in which meeting is managed. When ego and power can be put aside, it is so much easier to get on with task at hand. All of this begs to ask question, “Are meetings really necessary?” Well, sometimes they are and sometimes they aren’t. Wisdom is knowing difference and fully understanding this primary question.Are Meetings Really Necessary? Inherent as part of our society is need to come together with others to share information, make decisions, plan, discuss, talk things over, argue, question, iron out differences, compare notes, gossip, and much more. Families, schools, clubs, businesses and governments comprise groups of men, women and children all coming together for a specific purpose. All of this means that meeting is a natural function of our existence. As humans we need connection with others to survive. Very few people chose to be a hermit and seclude themselves from others. Although, I am sure, like me, many of you reading this may have fantasized about being alone on a desert island, far away from trials and tribulations of everyday life. We also need to belong, communicate and share a common purpose with likeminded individuals. The reality is that doing things alone for any length of time is counterproductive. It is only when we work in partnership with others and pool our resources that things get done in a more efficient and effective way. Meetings are becoming even more necessary for people’s survival with plethora of entrepreneurs operating from home-based businesses, employees telecommuting or working endless hours in front of computer screens. The need for human interaction is critical. Not to mention fact that meetings also minimize or eliminate many of those popular time-wasting activities such as phone tag, unnecessary e-mails, or volumes of paper. But, when we consider myriads of business meetings that take place every year, there are many, you know as well as I, which should never have taken place. Now $64,000 question is “When to hold a meeting (and when not to)? Thirteen Reasons to Hold a Meeting? Deciding to hold a meeting should be a serious consideration since there are so many costs involved, direct and indirect – people’s time and productivity, for example. So, first thing is for person wanting to hold meeting to determine how necessary it is to meet. Here is a list of thirteen major reasons people need to meet: · To communicate or request vital information. · When you need a group consensus. · To respond to questions or concerns. · When you need a decision or an evaluation on an issue. · When you need acceptance or support of an idea. · To sell an idea, product or service. · To brainstorm ideas. · To solve a problem, conflict or difference of opinion. · To generate a sense of team spirit. · To provide training or clarification of a project. · To alter perceptions or attitudes. · To provide reassurance on an issue or situation. · To create an awareness or interest in an idea, situation or project.
| | Grow Your Business The Natural WayWritten by Al Hanzal
Grow Your Business Natural WayDid you know that many of internet references to word, “niche” deal with biological and physical sciences? Nature has been niche building for years! Take example of humming bird. Over years, its beak has been modified to pollinate certain flowers. The cardinal flower has a long tube which has adapted to humming bird’s long beak. This flower went so far as to make itself a color not appealing to bees. The humming bird and cardinal flower have discovered a niche where they can survive crowded world of birds and flowers. Or what of tiny bird that eat insects off skin of giant hippopotamus? The bird picks bugs from hippo’s skin and is provided with food. The hippo is rid of pesky bugs. Nature has again provided a wonderful survival niche. In last month’s issue of The Small Business Tool Box, I addressed topic of small business niche building. I believe niche building is fastest and only way to take your business to next level. In this month’s issue, we will continue exploring how small businesses face same survival issues found in natural order of things. What is nature teaching us about small business niche building? What is Small Business Niche Building? Niche building in a small business starts by narrowing your focus. By creating a narrower business focus, you actually increase number of customers rather than decrease number of customers. Within this narrower business focus, you become an expert. You develop or obtain expertise for this narrow business focus. You become recognized as authority in your area. When you have created narrow focus and developed expertise to match your focus, you begin to attract customers—instead of chasing them. Do you think heart surgeons of world are out chasing clients? When your niche has been developed, you find you are no longer competing on price. Niche Hunting! Many assume you must go outside of your current business to find your business niche. In fact, you can buy online programs that help you find a niche. They will show you 50 or 100 of hottest niche areas to pursue outside your business. Going outside your business is not necessary. There are ways that you can look at your current business operations and find niches that are already present. Every aspect of your current business, your customers, your products and services, your operations, your strengths and weaknesses, your personal preferences, each one of these areas may be a potential niche for your business in future. Niche building is not always going outside your business to find something new. Your current business may contain seeds of very profitable niches. You need to begin seeing your business from a new perspective! Here’s an example.
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