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Casual Articles - Productive Meetings: How to Make Your Meetings More Productive
Incorporation in Georgia is a fairly easy process, and you can do it by yourself or hire an attorney or make use of the services of firms that specialize in helping people incorporate for a reasonable fee. People have begun to realize the benefits of incorporation, which are many and have begun to incorporate without hesitation.Incorporating In Georgia: 1. Make sure which legal structure to opt for your new venture and proceed carefully making sure all conditions are met.2. A name has to be selected and registered after making sure that it is no copy of any existing registered business name or that it is not one that has been reserved. The name has to be appropriate for the nature of your business and not be obscene and must not exceed 80 characters including any punctuation or space used. It has to end in the words or their abbreviation “Incorporated,” “Corporation,” “Company,” or “Limited.”3. There has to be a minimum of one or more inc
What are we doing? What is the agenda for the meeting? Avoid time-wasting meetings by not accepting invitations to meetings that don’t have a clear agenda.
Who else is coming? Ask this question to ensure that the meeting is set at the right level for you and that the appropriate people are involved.
What can I do? Find out why you’re being invited to the meeting. Make sure there is a good reason for you to attend.
What time? Be strict with your time. Find out what time the meeting is set to start and finish. Make sure you are on time and if the meeting looks like going over, let people know that you’ll be leaving at the allocated finishing time.
Is it necessary? Where possible, only attend for your section of the agenda. Don’t sit through unnecessary meeting discussions waiting to get to the part that concerns you.
What’s required? Find out what you need to prepare beforehand. If you don’t need to prepare anything, be sure you are clear about why your presence is necessary.
Where is it? Ask for clear instructions including the address, floor number and meeting room number to avoid wasting time looking for the meeting venue. If possible, get a contact phone number you can call if you are delayed or having trouble finding the location.
Can we teleconference? It’s not always necessary to be there in person – could you save the travel time and teleconference instead?
W
What is the aspect of the role where CIOs can make the biggest impact? What can we do to make that impact? In Change Management, you have to identify a compelling need to change. Do you have an organization that will support you? Do you have the skills? Do you have the relationships? What's your mission?The door between the Chief Information Officer CIO and CFO offices is opening wider, and the executives are building a path to regular interaction that allows the Information Technology IT function to excel in meeting the business' needs, not simply to comply with regulatory mandates or budgetary strictures.The most time-absorbing activity is ensuring that Information Tecnology IT systems are efficient across an organisation, through careful delegation, "You won't get into the chief executive's office if his PC is down!"Companies are increasingly handing CIOs the role of change agent. They're getting that responsibility because of
Before the Meeting
Circulate an agenda. Never schedule a meeting without making it clear to your attendees what the purpose, timeframe and outcomes of the meeting will be. Send out a draft agenda to everyone who will be attending. If appropriate, ask for their input to refine, add or delete agenda items. Revise and re-send the final agenda the day before the meeting to everyone planning to attend. This way everyone has notice of the meeting content, the opportunity to put their own issues and interests on the table, and time to prepare.
Phone ahead. Call the meeting attendees (or your key contact) the day before to confirm the meeting time, location, number of people attending (and their names and titles) and availability of any resources you might need for your presentation.
Who’s in charge? Find out who the decision makers are – this will help you to direct your attention toward the key players as well as to get a feel for the progress of the meeting based on their input and responses.
During the Meeting
Start with the agenda. Before you open your laptop or launch into your presentation, take a few minutes to write up an agenda that everyone can see. This is far more appropriate in creative or free-flowing meeting environments as opposed to formal meetings where last minute additions to the agenda may not be at all welcomed.
Use your pre-meeting agenda as a base and give people the opportunity to suggest any last minute topic areas or refinements. Write their responses on a whiteboard or piece of paper taped to a wall, using different coloured pens or initials to indicate which input belongs to which person. This allows you to quickly identify what is important to different individuals – and if you’ve identified the decision makers – what they’re particularly interested in. Some people may be surprised at the opportunity to contribute in this way, so allow time for people to consider their responses.
Keep asking. You may need to continue asking, “Is there anything else?” If everyone says no, and you suspect there may be something that has remained unsaid, ask, “If there was something else, what would it be?” This gives everyone permission to think laterally, to ‘imagine’ other items which they might not have yet thought of, or wanted to suggest.
Hidden agendas. In most meetings there are many agendas – the stated agenda and the hidden agendas of the individuals attending – what is it that they want to get out of the meeting for themselves? It’s quite simple to find out – just ask the question – “What other agendas are there for this meeting?” Alternatively you might state, “There always seems to be another agenda with most meetings I attend, is there another agenda today?” It is important to find out if there are other drivers, decision-making criteria or concerns before you begin the meeting.
Global vs local. Review the agenda to identify global (strategic) and local (specific) items. Make note of whom they belong to and address these issues to their ‘owners’ throughout the meeting.
This agenda-setting process may seem long, but it is so valuable. Setting effective agendas for meetings shows that you value the attendees’ time and that you want to cover information and content that is relevant to them. Once your agenda is set you can speed up the meeting by addressing each item, focusing your presentation on the aspects most important to your audience and demonstrating respect for their issues, concerns and feelings.
Check the time. Make sure you always begin (regardless of whether everyone has arrived) and finish meetings on time and at the start of the meeting confirm the amount of time available with the attendees, “Do we have until 1.00pm together today?” This gives everyone the opportunity to confirm their availability for the duration of the meeting, or to alert you if they need to leave early. This can be crucial information – it allows you prioritise your agenda items to ensure you spend time on the right topics, while the right people are still in the room. By always starting and finishing on time people will learn what to expect and make an extra effort to also be on time, rather than risk missing out on content or the embarrassment of coming in once the meeting has started.
How are you feeling? It is important to get a sense of how people are feeling about the meeting – including their investment of time, anticipation about what will be discussed or what the outcomes might be as well as their concerns about issues affecting them. You can achieve this simply by asking, “How is everyone feeling about today’s meeting? Are there any issues or concerns?” In business we don’t always take time to acknowledge the feelings that enter a meeting, but feelings affect decision-making.
Take note. Ensure that someone has been given the task of taking minutes, notes, or simply recording action items during the meeting – and make sure these are distributed promptly, within 24-hours of the meeting is ideal. If the meeting is fairly informal it might even be appropriate to photocopy the minute-taker’s notes as the meeting is winding-up and give a copy to everyone before they leave. Avoid the extra work of typing minutes unless it is absolutely necessary.
Questions to ask before accepting a meeting
What are we doing? What is the agenda for the meeting? Avoid time-wasting meetings by not accepting invitations to meetings that don’t have a clear agenda.
Who else is coming? Ask this question to ensure that the meeting is set at the right level for you and that the appropriate people are involved.
What can I do? Find out why you’re being invited to the meeting. Make sure there is a good reason for you to attend.
What time? Be strict with your time. Find out what time the meeting is set to start and finish. Make sure you are on time and if the meeting looks like going over, let people know that you’ll be leaving at the allocated finishing time.
Is it necessary? Where possible, only attend for your section of the agenda. Don’t sit through unnecessary meeting discussions waiting to get to the part that concerns you.
What’s required? Find out what you need to prepare beforehand. If you don’t need to prepare anything, be sure you are clear about why your presence is necessary.
Where is it? Ask for clear instructions including the address, floor number and meeting room number to avoid wasting time looking for the meeting venue. If possible, get a contact phone number you can call if you are delayed or having trouble finding the location.
Can we teleconference? It’s not always necessary to be there in person – could you save the travel time and teleconference instead?
Wh
Hurricane. Terrorist attack. Avian flu outbreak. Staff strike. Missing attendees. Is your heart beating fast yet? Meeting planners today have more worst case scenarios that need to be planned for than in the past. September 11th completely changed our idea of risk management and the Avian flu was not something that meeting planners considered a year ago. This past May, two attendees at a conference in California went missing during a Saturday tour trip. Luckily, that story had a happy ending, but what if it didn’t? You don’t need to have a plan for each and every situation that might arise, but some thought and planning can help reduce your risk and help things run smoothly if a situation arises.Make a PlanThe first step is to draft a risk management plan, including planning for risks such as natural disasters, accidents, technology situations (ie. power outage) and human-caused risks (ie. speaker is a no-show). Risks specific to the desti
During the Meeting
Start with the agenda. Before you open your laptop or launch into your presentation, take a few minutes to write up an agenda that everyone can see. This is far more appropriate in creative or free-flowing meeting environments as opposed to formal meetings where last minute additions to the agenda may not be at all welcomed.
Use your pre-meeting agenda as a base and give people the opportunity to suggest any last minute topic areas or refinements. Write their responses on a whiteboard or piece of paper taped to a wall, using different coloured pens or initials to indicate which input belongs to which person. This allows you to quickly identify what is important to different individuals – and if you’ve identified the decision makers – what they’re particularly interested in. Some people may be surprised at the opportunity to contribute in this way, so allow time for people to consider their responses.
Keep asking. You may need to continue asking, “Is there anything else?” If everyone says no, and you suspect there may be something that has remained unsaid, ask, “If there was something else, what would it be?” This gives everyone permission to think laterally, to ‘imagine’ other items which they might not have yet thought of, or wanted to suggest.
Hidden agendas. In most meetings there are many agendas – the stated agenda and the hidden agendas of the individuals attending – what is it that they want to get out of the meeting for themselves? It’s quite simple to find out – just ask the question – “What other agendas are there for this meeting?” Alternatively you might state, “There always seems to be another agenda with most meetings I attend, is there another agenda today?” It is important to find out if there are other drivers, decision-making criteria or concerns before you begin the meeting.
Global vs local. Review the agenda to identify global (strategic) and local (specific) items. Make note of whom they belong to and address these issues to their ‘owners’ throughout the meeting.
This agenda-setting process may seem long, but it is so valuable. Setting effective agendas for meetings shows that you value the attendees’ time and that you want to cover information and content that is relevant to them. Once your agenda is set you can speed up the meeting by addressing each item, focusing your presentation on the aspects most important to your audience and demonstrating respect for their issues, concerns and feelings.
Check the time. Make sure you always begin (regardless of whether everyone has arrived) and finish meetings on time and at the start of the meeting confirm the amount of time available with the attendees, “Do we have until 1.00pm together today?” This gives everyone the opportunity to confirm their availability for the duration of the meeting, or to alert you if they need to leave early. This can be crucial information – it allows you prioritise your agenda items to ensure you spend time on the right topics, while the right people are still in the room. By always starting and finishing on time people will learn what to expect and make an extra effort to also be on time, rather than risk missing out on content or the embarrassment of coming in once the meeting has started.
How are you feeling? It is important to get a sense of how people are feeling about the meeting – including their investment of time, anticipation about what will be discussed or what the outcomes might be as well as their concerns about issues affecting them. You can achieve this simply by asking, “How is everyone feeling about today’s meeting? Are there any issues or concerns?” In business we don’t always take time to acknowledge the feelings that enter a meeting, but feelings affect decision-making.
Take note. Ensure that someone has been given the task of taking minutes, notes, or simply recording action items during the meeting – and make sure these are distributed promptly, within 24-hours of the meeting is ideal. If the meeting is fairly informal it might even be appropriate to photocopy the minute-taker’s notes as the meeting is winding-up and give a copy to everyone before they leave. Avoid the extra work of typing minutes unless it is absolutely necessary.
Questions to ask before accepting a meeting
What are we doing? What is the agenda for the meeting? Avoid time-wasting meetings by not accepting invitations to meetings that don’t have a clear agenda.
Who else is coming? Ask this question to ensure that the meeting is set at the right level for you and that the appropriate people are involved.
What can I do? Find out why you’re being invited to the meeting. Make sure there is a good reason for you to attend.
What time? Be strict with your time. Find out what time the meeting is set to start and finish. Make sure you are on time and if the meeting looks like going over, let people know that you’ll be leaving at the allocated finishing time.
Is it necessary? Where possible, only attend for your section of the agenda. Don’t sit through unnecessary meeting discussions waiting to get to the part that concerns you.
What’s required? Find out what you need to prepare beforehand. If you don’t need to prepare anything, be sure you are clear about why your presence is necessary.
Where is it? Ask for clear instructions including the address, floor number and meeting room number to avoid wasting time looking for the meeting venue. If possible, get a contact phone number you can call if you are delayed or having trouble finding the location.
Can we teleconference? It’s not always necessary to be there in person – could you save the travel time and teleconference instead?
W
According to the results of a study presented at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society in April 2005, more than one in eight people admit to being bullied at work, and ganging up against the boss - often a middle manager - is on the increase. But what are ‘bullying behaviours’, and how can you tell if you yourself are being bullied?According to the trade union AMICUS in their publication ’Bullying at work: How to tackle it’, the type of workplaces where bullying is more prevalent are those where one or more of the following factors exist:• An extremely competitive environment• Fear of redundancy or downsizing• Fear for one’s position of employment• A culture of promoting oneself by putting colleagues down• Envy among colleagues• An authoritarian style of management and supervision• Frequent organisational change and uncertainty• Little or no participation in issues affecting th
Hidden agendas. In most meetings there are many agendas – the stated agenda and the hidden agendas of the individuals attending – what is it that they want to get out of the meeting for themselves? It’s quite simple to find out – just ask the question – “What other agendas are there for this meeting?” Alternatively you might state, “There always seems to be another agenda with most meetings I attend, is there another agenda today?” It is important to find out if there are other drivers, decision-making criteria or concerns before you begin the meeting.
Global vs local. Review the agenda to identify global (strategic) and local (specific) items. Make note of whom they belong to and address these issues to their ‘owners’ throughout the meeting.
This agenda-setting process may seem long, but it is so valuable. Setting effective agendas for meetings shows that you value the attendees’ time and that you want to cover information and content that is relevant to them. Once your agenda is set you can speed up the meeting by addressing each item, focusing your presentation on the aspects most important to your audience and demonstrating respect for their issues, concerns and feelings.
Check the time. Make sure you always begin (regardless of whether everyone has arrived) and finish meetings on time and at the start of the meeting confirm the amount of time available with the attendees, “Do we have until 1.00pm together today?” This gives everyone the opportunity to confirm their availability for the duration of the meeting, or to alert you if they need to leave early. This can be crucial information – it allows you prioritise your agenda items to ensure you spend time on the right topics, while the right people are still in the room. By always starting and finishing on time people will learn what to expect and make an extra effort to also be on time, rather than risk missing out on content or the embarrassment of coming in once the meeting has started.
How are you feeling? It is important to get a sense of how people are feeling about the meeting – including their investment of time, anticipation about what will be discussed or what the outcomes might be as well as their concerns about issues affecting them. You can achieve this simply by asking, “How is everyone feeling about today’s meeting? Are there any issues or concerns?” In business we don’t always take time to acknowledge the feelings that enter a meeting, but feelings affect decision-making.
Take note. Ensure that someone has been given the task of taking minutes, notes, or simply recording action items during the meeting – and make sure these are distributed promptly, within 24-hours of the meeting is ideal. If the meeting is fairly informal it might even be appropriate to photocopy the minute-taker’s notes as the meeting is winding-up and give a copy to everyone before they leave. Avoid the extra work of typing minutes unless it is absolutely necessary.
Questions to ask before accepting a meeting
What are we doing? What is the agenda for the meeting? Avoid time-wasting meetings by not accepting invitations to meetings that don’t have a clear agenda.
Who else is coming? Ask this question to ensure that the meeting is set at the right level for you and that the appropriate people are involved.
What can I do? Find out why you’re being invited to the meeting. Make sure there is a good reason for you to attend.
What time? Be strict with your time. Find out what time the meeting is set to start and finish. Make sure you are on time and if the meeting looks like going over, let people know that you’ll be leaving at the allocated finishing time.
Is it necessary? Where possible, only attend for your section of the agenda. Don’t sit through unnecessary meeting discussions waiting to get to the part that concerns you.
What’s required? Find out what you need to prepare beforehand. If you don’t need to prepare anything, be sure you are clear about why your presence is necessary.
Where is it? Ask for clear instructions including the address, floor number and meeting room number to avoid wasting time looking for the meeting venue. If possible, get a contact phone number you can call if you are delayed or having trouble finding the location.
Can we teleconference? It’s not always necessary to be there in person – could you save the travel time and teleconference instead?
W
There is much talk today about ethics in business - as there should be, but there should be more than talk; there should be a high moral code for all executives who are responsible to both their customers and their shareholders.I have been the president and CEO of one publicly owned company and also was president of another that was responsible to customers who traded equities. This carries a high responsibility to all concerned. You have to be more than worried if you do something wrong because you will go to jail. You must have the desire to try to always do your best for everyone who works for you as well as all the customers or investors that deal with your company.Ethics is supposed to be either black or white, right or wrong, but today it is many shades of grey. If any company does shady business you can be sure it starts at the top and filters down because the president is the one who sets the example for the actions of the entire company.
How are you feeling? It is important to get a sense of how people are feeling about the meeting – including their investment of time, anticipation about what will be discussed or what the outcomes might be as well as their concerns about issues affecting them. You can achieve this simply by asking, “How is everyone feeling about today’s meeting? Are there any issues or concerns?” In business we don’t always take time to acknowledge the feelings that enter a meeting, but feelings affect decision-making.
Take note. Ensure that someone has been given the task of taking minutes, notes, or simply recording action items during the meeting – and make sure these are distributed promptly, within 24-hours of the meeting is ideal. If the meeting is fairly informal it might even be appropriate to photocopy the minute-taker’s notes as the meeting is winding-up and give a copy to everyone before they leave. Avoid the extra work of typing minutes unless it is absolutely necessary.
Questions to ask before accepting a meeting
What are we doing? What is the agenda for the meeting? Avoid time-wasting meetings by not accepting invitations to meetings that don’t have a clear agenda.
Who else is coming? Ask this question to ensure that the meeting is set at the right level for you and that the appropriate people are involved.
What can I do? Find out why you’re being invited to the meeting. Make sure there is a good reason for you to attend.
What time? Be strict with your time. Find out what time the meeting is set to start and finish. Make sure you are on time and if the meeting looks like going over, let people know that you’ll be leaving at the allocated finishing time.
Is it necessary? Where possible, only attend for your section of the agenda. Don’t sit through unnecessary meeting discussions waiting to get to the part that concerns you.
What’s required? Find out what you need to prepare beforehand. If you don’t need to prepare anything, be sure you are clear about why your presence is necessary.
Where is it? Ask for clear instructions including the address, floor number and meeting room number to avoid wasting time looking for the meeting venue. If possible, get a contact phone number you can call if you are delayed or having trouble finding the location.
Can we teleconference? It’s not always necessary to be there in person – could you save the travel time and teleconference instead?
W
At this point you have posted your resume online and even applies for a few of the positions you have seen listed. You are also scouring the online classifieds postings as well as the newspaper classified ads. You have of course been sending off cover letters and resumes by email, fax and snail mail for the entire job opening that seem appropriate for you.Is there anything else that you can do to look for that job you wish? You bet! In fact, the more diverse and wide spread your job hunting strategies, the more effective it is likely to be.First you should contact the professional organizations in your chosen field or wide scope of employment area.National. Regional and local professional organizations exist in a great part to help their members with career development as well as employment search. Many of these organizations include field specific job listings on their web sites or in their printed publications. Check out the career
What are we doing? What is the agenda for the meeting? Avoid time-wasting meetings by not accepting invitations to meetings that don’t have a clear agenda.
Who else is coming? Ask this question to ensure that the meeting is set at the right level for you and that the appropriate people are involved.
What can I do? Find out why you’re being invited to the meeting. Make sure there is a good reason for you to attend.
What time? Be strict with your time. Find out what time the meeting is set to start and finish. Make sure you are on time and if the meeting looks like going over, let people know that you’ll be leaving at the allocated finishing time.
Is it necessary? Where possible, only attend for your section of the agenda. Don’t sit through unnecessary meeting discussions waiting to get to the part that concerns you.
What’s required? Find out what you need to prepare beforehand. If you don’t need to prepare anything, be sure you are clear about why your presence is necessary.
Where is it? Ask for clear instructions including the address, floor number and meeting room number to avoid wasting time looking for the meeting venue. If possible, get a contact phone number you can call if you are delayed or having trouble finding the location.
Can we teleconference? It’s not always necessary to be there in person – could you save the travel time and teleconference instead?
What’s next? At the end of the meeting (or at the end of the section you’re staying for) find out when minutes and action plans will be available.
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