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Member You - How To Make Meetings More Productive
IN PART 1 of this two part article, we looked at Quality of the Product and Friendliness of the Service. In Part 2 we will consider alignment to particular requirements, responsiveness to needs, ability to deliver to schedule, and cost to the purchaser. Let’s get started.ALIGNMENT TO REQUIREMENTSA big part of competitiveness is found in the alignment of the product to the customer’s requirements -- if it does what it’s supposed to do, they’re gonna consider buying it. This was discussed back in Quality of the Product, but it also means that you, as the producer, have to consider needs that the customer has in keeping his/her own costs down. You will have done that, of course, when you set up initial sales with the client, but it should be done on an ongoing basis, too.RESPONSIVENESS TO NEEDSDo you know what your customer is dealing with, and what new challenges are being faced by that company? Worthington Steel, based out of Colu
The leader of the meeting should start off with an orientation speech lasting three to five minutes. This should serve as the foundation for the entire meeting. It also orients the participants on the procedures of the meeting, provides an information base, and reaches clear agreement on how the meeting should proceed.
After the orientation speech the meeting leader should review the agenda and reinforce the purpose of the meeting. It’s alright to modify
A murder mystery dinner theater fundraiser is a fun way to raise funds. Here's how to host a murder mystery as a fundraising event. First, you need a location and that choice is critical to your success.Your location must combine good food with exclusive use of the facility because your theater performance takes place in acts divided by dinner courses. You don't want other restaurant patrons coming and going during the critical scenes, so it's best to book a reserved dining room at an inn or a large restaurant.Make sure the room seats a large enough crowd to actually produce a good profit. Negotiate a flat group rate that includes dinner and dessert. Check and see if there are deals that include wine with dinner or if there's a corkage fee if they bring their own bottle.Theater Event Ticket Pricing A basic rule of thumb is to set the ticket prices at double the cost. For example, if the group dining rate including meal is $25, then price yo
If you learn to plan, structure, and participate in meetings effectively, you will be able improve your own time management and productivity as well as that of other participants.
For a meeting to be effective, the preparation must start long before it ever starts. You first have to determine the purpose of the meeting. The best way to do this is by writing down the purpose of the meeting in one clear sentence, and the expected outcome in another. For example, “To decide on a marketing plan and determine the implementation responsibilities for everyone in the group. To be completed by September 30th.
Once you have determined the purpose you need to consider the other available communication media that are available to you for that purpose. For example, could you address the issue or solve the problem by communicating by e-mail? So much valuable and productive time is wasted by having meetings on things that could be effectively dealt with by other forms of communication.
If you must have a meeting, first select the participants based on their abilities to contribute to and profit from the meeting. If participation is important, and it usually is, limit the number of participants to five or six. It’s difficult for a dozen or more people to participate effectively in a discussion.
Prepare a draft agenda. List the items the meeting can usefully discuss, and the times allotted to each topic. Then circulate this draft agenda to the participants, and set a firm return date for their comments.
Once you’ve received all the comments back from the participants, prepare the firm agenda. Include the topics to be discussed, the date, time, place of the meeting, a list of participants and their functions, and how messages will be delivered to the participants during breaks in the meeting.
You should then arrange the logistics of the meeting, such as the room, any necessary audio-visual support that is needed, and the amenities such as, pencils, notepaper, water, and coffee breaks. Always prepare sufficient copies of any documents to be used at the meeting. If the flow of the meeting would smoothed by an advance reading of certain documents, then make sure you send them to the participants prior to the meeting.
Select a meeting leader. If it is going to be someone other than yourself select that person based on his or her ability to make the meeting work. Always select someone to take notes. And it is always a good idea to prepare an attendance sheet, not to record who is late or absent, but rather to help the note taker prepare the meeting minutes.
Once you have all the preparation in place for the meeting, start it on time. The people who are on time deserve this courtesy. When you start the meeting on time you are sending a message to all the participants that this will be an orderly meeting which deserves their listening attention.
The leader of the meeting should start off with an orientation speech lasting three to five minutes. This should serve as the foundation for the entire meeting. It also orients the participants on the procedures of the meeting, provides an information base, and reaches clear agreement on how the meeting should proceed.
After the orientation speech the meeting leader should review the agenda and reinforce the purpose of the meeting. It’s alright to modify t
Copyright 2006 Mary FoleyThe sad fact is that most Americans hate their jobs. Its pure drudgery and they’re just in it for the paycheck. It doesn’t have to be this way. You really can have a dream job, one that you really love and that pays you well.No, I’m not in fairy tale land. For the 10 years I worked for AOL, I can honestly say there were few days I didn’t want to go to work. The challenges of each position and the company’s ups and downs were never easy, but I always believed my contribution meant something and I felt that I was being fairly compensated. When this was no longer the case, I found another way to grow my career.But, unfortunately, my experience is not common. After even a few years into your career, you might be frustrated by any number of things – work that’s not challenging, people who don’t value your abilities, being paid less than you’re worth, to name a few. You might even fantasize walking into your boss’ o
Once you have determined the purpose you need to consider the other available communication media that are available to you for that purpose. For example, could you address the issue or solve the problem by communicating by e-mail? So much valuable and productive time is wasted by having meetings on things that could be effectively dealt with by other forms of communication.
If you must have a meeting, first select the participants based on their abilities to contribute to and profit from the meeting. If participation is important, and it usually is, limit the number of participants to five or six. It’s difficult for a dozen or more people to participate effectively in a discussion.
Prepare a draft agenda. List the items the meeting can usefully discuss, and the times allotted to each topic. Then circulate this draft agenda to the participants, and set a firm return date for their comments.
Once you’ve received all the comments back from the participants, prepare the firm agenda. Include the topics to be discussed, the date, time, place of the meeting, a list of participants and their functions, and how messages will be delivered to the participants during breaks in the meeting.
You should then arrange the logistics of the meeting, such as the room, any necessary audio-visual support that is needed, and the amenities such as, pencils, notepaper, water, and coffee breaks. Always prepare sufficient copies of any documents to be used at the meeting. If the flow of the meeting would smoothed by an advance reading of certain documents, then make sure you send them to the participants prior to the meeting.
Select a meeting leader. If it is going to be someone other than yourself select that person based on his or her ability to make the meeting work. Always select someone to take notes. And it is always a good idea to prepare an attendance sheet, not to record who is late or absent, but rather to help the note taker prepare the meeting minutes.
Once you have all the preparation in place for the meeting, start it on time. The people who are on time deserve this courtesy. When you start the meeting on time you are sending a message to all the participants that this will be an orderly meeting which deserves their listening attention.
The leader of the meeting should start off with an orientation speech lasting three to five minutes. This should serve as the foundation for the entire meeting. It also orients the participants on the procedures of the meeting, provides an information base, and reaches clear agreement on how the meeting should proceed.
After the orientation speech the meeting leader should review the agenda and reinforce the purpose of the meeting. It’s alright to modify
Shipping packages internationally can be tedious. Each country sets its own regulations for what can be imported and what documentation is required for customs. Even shipments to Canada and Mexico require customs documentation (what ever happened to NAFTA?). The most common customs documentation may include:1) commercial invoice - this document details the contents of the package, including a description of the item(s), value, weight, quantity, shipper, and receiver (i.e., "consignee")2) power of attorney - this document is signed by the shipper to give the shipping company authorization to act as the shipper's broker to get the shipment through customsSometimes, additional documentation is required for international shipments. To simplify the process, visit your local The UPS Store. The friendly staff will expedite your shipment to its destination with automated systems to complete most of the paperwork for you!Keep in mind that ship
Prepare a draft agenda. List the items the meeting can usefully discuss, and the times allotted to each topic. Then circulate this draft agenda to the participants, and set a firm return date for their comments.
Once you’ve received all the comments back from the participants, prepare the firm agenda. Include the topics to be discussed, the date, time, place of the meeting, a list of participants and their functions, and how messages will be delivered to the participants during breaks in the meeting.
You should then arrange the logistics of the meeting, such as the room, any necessary audio-visual support that is needed, and the amenities such as, pencils, notepaper, water, and coffee breaks. Always prepare sufficient copies of any documents to be used at the meeting. If the flow of the meeting would smoothed by an advance reading of certain documents, then make sure you send them to the participants prior to the meeting.
Select a meeting leader. If it is going to be someone other than yourself select that person based on his or her ability to make the meeting work. Always select someone to take notes. And it is always a good idea to prepare an attendance sheet, not to record who is late or absent, but rather to help the note taker prepare the meeting minutes.
Once you have all the preparation in place for the meeting, start it on time. The people who are on time deserve this courtesy. When you start the meeting on time you are sending a message to all the participants that this will be an orderly meeting which deserves their listening attention.
The leader of the meeting should start off with an orientation speech lasting three to five minutes. This should serve as the foundation for the entire meeting. It also orients the participants on the procedures of the meeting, provides an information base, and reaches clear agreement on how the meeting should proceed.
After the orientation speech the meeting leader should review the agenda and reinforce the purpose of the meeting. It’s alright to modify
Risk management has always been a critical issue in business. Banks lending money to tens of thousands of Customers, are in absolute need of an internal automated credit risk management system. Businesses which sell products or services on credit, also need to manage credit risk. High value transactions need to be carefully evaluated, vis-a-vis risks of non payment. Customer-information-based credit risk rating systems, allow individual Customer as well as aggregate credit risk evaluation. Past customer payments behavior information, should be captured and used to evaluate future transactions. Dunning systems used in the Telecom sector, aim to manage non-payment risk, while not hurting the Customer relationship.Risk scoring is usually done in the banking sector, during loan approval procedures. Aggregated credit risk scores (e.g. for all outstanding loans), provide management with information on total credit risk.Risk scoring systems shape and refl
Select a meeting leader. If it is going to be someone other than yourself select that person based on his or her ability to make the meeting work. Always select someone to take notes. And it is always a good idea to prepare an attendance sheet, not to record who is late or absent, but rather to help the note taker prepare the meeting minutes.
Once you have all the preparation in place for the meeting, start it on time. The people who are on time deserve this courtesy. When you start the meeting on time you are sending a message to all the participants that this will be an orderly meeting which deserves their listening attention.
The leader of the meeting should start off with an orientation speech lasting three to five minutes. This should serve as the foundation for the entire meeting. It also orients the participants on the procedures of the meeting, provides an information base, and reaches clear agreement on how the meeting should proceed.
After the orientation speech the meeting leader should review the agenda and reinforce the purpose of the meeting. It’s alright to modify
The most successful entrepreneurs rely on their advisory boards to help spot new opportunities and potential pitfalls.Now you can have your own advisory board: a shadow board of directors.A shadow board of directors is a low-tech technique for accessing the expertise of others and increasing your confidence and options. A shadow board can help you get a variety of perspectives and access to information just like a regular board. Shadow boards of directors can push you out of your rut and help you find alternative solutions and expert advice. The only difference between a regular board and a shadow board is that shadow boards exist only in your own imagination.Because your shadow board is portable, light and easy to carry, it's always available. It will challenge you to sharpen your thinking skills and expand your perspective. Your shadow board of directors teaches you to consider the views of others whether you ag
The leader of the meeting should start off with an orientation speech lasting three to five minutes. This should serve as the foundation for the entire meeting. It also orients the participants on the procedures of the meeting, provides an information base, and reaches clear agreement on how the meeting should proceed.
After the orientation speech the meeting leader should review the agenda and reinforce the purpose of the meeting. It’s alright to modify the agenda if any last-minute developments have to be taken care of. As the leader moves into consideration of the agenda items, he or she should summarize and note any action items or agreements. A good leader should always keep his or her eye on the clock and match the meeting’s pace with the time available. If people know that the meeting will start and end on time, they won’t be distracted by worry that the meeting will run overtime.
The person leading the meeting is crucial to the success of any meeting. A strong meeting leader or chairperson is a person who can adapt leadership styles to different groups, members, and tasks. A poor leader is the person who uses only one role, usually authoritarian, when the group expects another.
The role of any meeting leader is closely linked to the purpose of the meeting. For example, a meeting to inform subordinates of a decision calls for one approach whereas a meeting to gain the commitment of employees to carry out a decision made by upper management would require a completely different approach.
To be an effective the leader of any meeting the leader must consider all the participants as equals. He or she must respect each person for having information and judgment at least equal to and often superior to his or hers. And it is this attitude from the leader that will set the appropriate tone for the meeting.
Effective meeting leaders recognize that dissent is essential. They make it a plan that disagreement and constructive criticism are encouraged and expected in any group deliberations. It is the only way to achieve free and open participation in decision-making. This is why it is very important that the leader makes absolutely clear the role of each participant in the decision-making prior to the meeting.
A meeting cannot be successful and productive without active participation from everyone involved. As a participant, you should always prepare for the meeting, and then have something to offer. You should be prepared to influence the group effectively and manage conflict if it arises. If you haven’t received an agenda prior to the meeting, ask the meeting leader or chairperson for one.
Conduct research into topics or problems that will be discussed so that you can offer stimulating, well-grounded views. If you’re strongly involved in the topic or problem, try to sell your ideas in advance to the other participants.
To really enhance your contributions to the meeting you first have to organize them. Think before you speak. If what you’re going to say is complicated, rehearse it before the meeting. Make one point at a time. Speak clearly and forcefully, offering strong factual support for each point rather than vague statements.
Listen to the discussion among the participants. Then speak when your contribution is relevant. When you do speak, talk for only thirty to sixty seconds but do it a way that is both fluent and forcefu
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