Are your online meetings effective?

Do you use teleseminars to train, or audio conferencing for your meetings? How successful do you think they are? Kolabora's blog recently cited the following reports:

More than 50% percent of the people surveyed in a recent study conducted by Russell Research found that meetings are worth neither the preparation nor the travel they demand.

"A survey sponsored by Raindance Communications, Inc., a premier provider of integrated web and audio conferencing services, indicates that 90 percent of audio conferencers multitask by doing things other than paying full attention to meeting content."

Stephen Downes, who quoted the Kolabora reort, writes "I once wrote a paper called Synchronous Learning on the Web in which I observed that "the less you want to be at the class or the meeting, the more you want to use some form of conferencing, because it's easier and - especially if you're online - you can do other things at the same time.""
It adds a whole new dimension to meeting planning, and making your organisation's meetings relevant and efficiently run.

For tips on making your meetings efficient and effective, subscribe to the Communication Edge , or visit an ITC club to learn and practice.

Leadership is a social function

Leadership is a social function. It is the ability to make people listen to you, follow you, and respect you in the process. Respect cannot be demanded -- it must be earned. Therefore, the more wisely and effectively you practise interpersonal skills, the more respect you will win.
From the ITC Leadership Development Manual

Meeting objectives and making progress in meetings

Thanks for the post on this topic, Lorraine. Need more information on being that strong chairperson? Visit the archived posts on this blog, or book a workshop at ITC

Leadership is ....

  "Whether a man is burdened by power or enjoys power; whether he is trapped by responsibility or made free by it; whether he is moved by other people and outer forces or moves them - this is the essence of leadership."
Theodore H. White ("The Making of the President")

Meeting success means funny business

For meeting success, develop a sense of humour. You can use humour more often than you think. It enables you to make a stronger statement than you would dare make any other way. You might also try fielding an irritating or sexist remark with a joke.

WHAT ARE YOU COMMITTED TO?

Commitment is what drives many of us. We are committed to our organisation, and that gives us the energy to go the extra mile for it. What else are you committed to? Interesting question ... interesting article from John Maxwell ...

What do you think of when you hear the word commitment?
Perhaps you picture a loving husband caring for his invalid wife. Maybe you envision a business owner who puts her resources and reputation on the line to lead her company through a crisis. Perhaps you see a dedicated teacher who spends hours of his own time tutoring underprivileged children. Or maybe the scene that comes to mind is one of a group of soldiers who willingly enters harm's way to protect their countrymen.
These are all wonderful examples of commitment. But have you considered the fact that individuals who act in less admirable ways also are committed? People who watch the clock at work are committed to making it through the day so they can go home. People who spend most of their free time in front of the television are committed to taking life easy. People who cheat on their income taxes are committed to beating the system.
Do you understand what I'm saying? When it comes to living a life of significance, the vital question isn't, "Am I committed?" It's, "What am I committed to?" Click here to read the complete article.

Leadership - "Get your hands dirty"

This tip comes from Ron Sargent, CEO of the big office resources firm, Staples. He made a point of being involved in customer service. "Get your hands dirty," he said. "Before you can be a great leader, you need to understand the inner workings of the business and where and how the greatest impact can be made."

Using email to promote your organisation

Do you use an email signature? This tool provides you with an excellent source of free publicity for your organization. You will have seen others using a signature at the end of their email messages. It is a tool provided by your email programme that allows you to put your contact details at the foot of your email. Here is your chance to publicise your organisation. Whenever you email, take the opportunity to add your website and your slogan, anything that you think might create a positive image of your organisation. Free PR!!

In October 2004 I posted a series on Delegation in the blog ITC Communication Edge. It was basically a "how-to," I have since found this article - gives much more detail on the advantages of delegation.

Why Entrepreneurs Should Delegate

Find out why sharing your responsibilities and authority with employees is essential for business success.

Do you need more hours in your day? Do you have so much work you're not even sure where to dig in? If so, you're like hundreds of other entrepreneurs who say they're overwhelmed with work. But why is that? Some of the most common excuses include these:

You're too busy to take the time to delegate or train someone else.
You don't have the time to explain tasks or projects.
You're the "best" or "only" person who can do the job right.
No one else is available or responsible enough.
If you delegate responsibility, you'll lose control over the project.

Read the whole article.

Leadership Success Tip:

Leadership success is often the result of self-motivation. Energy comes from being motivated ... so does confidence. If you act with confidence, you exude authority. People will take for granted that you have the authority to lead and will react accordingly.

Overcoming Shyness to Become a Business Leader

"Don't let timidity stop you from being an excellent leader. Get over your shyness and get your company on the path to success."

People skills are so important in management, whether you are managing a business or a community organisation. As usual Stever Robbins has the problem and its solution in a nutshell ...

"Q: I am very shy, but very ambitious. I started a company and am up to four employees. I spend much of my time in my office because it makes me uncomfortable to spend too much time being social and having meaningless conversations. I don't think this is a good character trait. How can I become more comfortable around people?
A: Bravo for addressing this now! As your company grows, people will look to you for leadership. Literally. They'll watch how you act on a day-to-day basis and will adjust their tone accordingly. Conversation from the boss, even if it's idle chit-chat, isn't meaningless. It creates culture and lets people know how to respond.

Here's one thing I can guarantee: If you stay in your office, they won't think you're shy." Read the whole article

Two lists for success in your Team Meetings

Ensuring the success of a team meeting can be difficult. Different personalities, different viewpoints, and different agendas all exist and all have their value to a team. But to bring them together to work to effective outcomes is a challenge. Use the checklists here to ensure your team has successful meetings.

Encourage members of the team to fulfil the roles that are needed. There are two kinds of group roles that are necessary for a team meeting to succeed. Task functions ensure the work requirements are met, while maintenance functions help the group with its internal cohesion and interpersonal feelings.

Task functions:

1. Initiating: Proposing tasks or goals: defining a group problem; suggesting a procedure for solving a problem; suggesting other ideas for consideration
2. Information or opinion seeking: Requesting facts on the problem; seeking relevant information; asking for suggestions and ideas.
3. Information or opinion-giving: Offering facts; providing relevant information; stating a belief; giving suggestions or ideas
4. Clarifying or elaborating: Interpreting or reflecting ideas or suggestions; clearing up confusion; indicating alternatives and issues before the group; giving examples
5. Summarizing: Pulling related ideas together; restating suggestions after the group has discussed them
6. Consensus-testing: Sending up “Trial balloons” to see if the group is nearing a conclusion or agreement has been reached.

Maintenance Functions

1. Encouraging: Being friendly, warm and responsible to others and their contributions; listening; showing regard for others by giving them opportunity or recognition
2. Expressing group feelings: Sensing feeling, mood, relationships within the group; sharing one’s own feelings with other members
3. Harmonizing: Attempting to reconcile disagreements; reducing tension through “pouring oil on troubled waters”; getting people to explore their differences.
4. Compromising: Offering to compromise one’s position, ideas or status; admitting error; disciplining oneself to help maintain the group
5. Gate keeping: Seeing that others have a chance to speak; keeping the discussion a group discussion rather than a one-, two-, or three-way conversation.
6. Setting standards: Expressing standards that will help groups to achieve; applying standards in evaluating group functioning and production.

Choose the roles to suit your team members. They will also be able to see the effectiveness of the system and work to keep your meetings successful.

Structure your speech for Maximum Impact

“Tell them what you’re going to say. Say it. Then tell them what you said”

And that is so true!! We have such short attention spans. And so do audiences. If we want to make a point that will stay with an audience after they leave the room, we have to repeat and reinforce it throughout the presentation.

Introduce your well defined theme. Present that theme. And repeat it to conclude.

You will have given your audience a great chance of remembering it.

Learn through constructive evaluation to structure your speeches for maximum impact. Join an ITC club. Visit www.itcintl.com to find a club near you.

A Twelve Step Program For Identifying and Eliminating Organizational Change (Culture)

Read this if you would like a chuckle. Mind you, it has some excellent kernels of truth in it. It also occurs to me that we also need to know how to counteract the strategies, if we need to, as well. Click on the title.

Meeting Success Tip

Prepare a written agenda for your meeting. Make sure that everyone at the meeting is aware of it, and if necessary, have the meeting agree to it. Then you refer to the agenda to keep discussion focussed.

For further meeting success tips subscribe to our ezine: The Communication Edge

Target Marketing for your organisation

So who is your ideal member? What does the profile look like? Is he male, aged 28-35, living within 5 kilometres of the meeting venue, a lawyer by vocation and needing mediation skills? Or is it anyone aged 18-60, living in your town, undergoing changes in their life and needing assertiveness skills? Compile a list of these characteristics. Then this is the group you are targeting with your marketing. Theirs are the needs you are promising to meet. Theirs are the dreams you may be articulating for them and promising to turn into reality. Their needs will govern your venue type. They are the people for whom you will plan and market programmes and training, and they are the people you will target with your “Word of mouth.’

For free articles on growing your organistion, visit our website.

Team-Building

Creating teams within your organistion can be a challenge. Creating a shared vision and the ability to motivate are an excellent start. Read our free article on Delegating which is really about building teams.

But I have also come across this useful set of tips for great team-building.


Building Strong Teams
1/ Have very few rules – If there’s too many no one reads them . Or conversely an organization can be so rule driven that nothing gets done. Don’t set up rules based on hypothetical situations that may never happen. As your team grows and you gain experience through making mistakes your new rules can be built around your mistakes.

2/ What is your Mission - Different from the goal( A goal measures whether your on purpose or if you fallen off purpose. If you want to go to Los Angeles that is a goal if you end up in Chicago you are off goal. Focus on Mission Be on purpose at all times . Continuity keeps you focused with measurable team goals… helps you to measure whether your on purpose

3/ Speak in a manner that supports others or don’t speak.. Demeaning language not acceptable. Drains people. Swearing creates a negative environment. Words are tools… the most powerful tool we have… can hurt someone or build them.

How often have you been hurt by people’s words. The old adage … if you can’t say something good about someone don’t say it.. Bad language changes the whole vibe of an organization

4/ Acknowledge the other persons point of view. Listen to their point of view. You may learn something you didn’t know before. You may gain valuable info.


Continue reading "Building Strong Teams"

For more leadership success tips, subscribe to our ezine.

DO YOU HAVE THE QUALITIES TO BE A GREAT LEADER?

Do you have the personal qualities to be a great leader?

Leaders have

1. Flexibility. Leaders must be able to adapt to change, and have their organisation able to do so too.

2. Judgement. To be able to make the right choice at the right time

3. Courage. Courage is based on belief in one’s decisions, the courage to make a choice and stand by it, or to adapt to changing situations, and new information

4. Knowledge. A leader needs to have the knowledge necessary to do the job – knowledge of the technical side of the organisation and of the people. That knowledge must be kept constantly up to date.

5. Will power. To stick with choices and decisions and to see them implemented. And to be able to stay flexible and responsive to all inputs.

6. Integrity. The foundation stone for all of these is integrity. We all respond to integrity

For other free articles on communication success in leadership, visit

Leadership Success Tip

Peter Garrett, an Australian politician commented on the leadership example of Nelson Mandela:

" ... he had the strength of will to endure a long period of hardship, the change of heart to see his opponents as human and the intelligence to see that offering light at the end of the tunnel is always preferable to blocking the way or trying to blow up obstacles."

For more leadership tips, subscribe to our ezine.

Writing to communicate effectively

With email and text messaging becoming so prevalent, there is a tendency to become slack in all writing and this is something that is impacting on businesses and organisations. This was highlighted in an article in the New York Times entitled What Corporate America cannot build: A sentence."

There are two aspects to communication. Getting your message read and understood, and creating an impression. If the writing is difficult to understand, then the message will not be read. We are all just too busy. If it is too awkwardly written it will not be understood, and in fact could be seriously misunderstood. Put these two together and you have a recipe for an impression that you will definitely not want to create for your organisation.

Ken O'Quinn is a writing coach who provides href="http://www.writingwithclarity.com/writingtip.htm">tips for writers who want to be able to write with clarity.

Take the time to ensure that your organisation and the people you train communicate with clarity and present an acceptable impression of your organistion.
For Communication success tips subscribe to our ezine.