The old saying of meetings make the world go round, still applies. However, with the advent and expansion of the Internet and 24/7 mass communications... less and less of these planning sessions, training sessions, new product introductions, sales meetings, weekly meetings and update sessions are face to face or with all the players involved being at the same meeting. The result? -- Another meeting will follow to keep everyone on the same page. Worse, a current business best seller talks about 'death by meetings'...with the premise that never ending meetings drain the energy of the business, the enterprise or the company and everyone involved suffers from the painful process of poorly organized and executed meetings.
A professional colleague was overheard recently saying, " I used to be judged by the number of clients I see, now it's by the number of meetings I attend." and he wasn't at all enthused about the change in his now all too regular schedule. His frustrating claim about all the meetings he attends is that they all can be summarized with one common theme. ..."not much gets accomplished in them".
Building a Better Business Meeting
What to do about this non-productive spiral of activity? Start to take meetings seriously, view them as opportunities to reimagine the status quo, to revive the creative energies of your team, staff, department...make your meetings an event and an on-going activity that your attendees actually want to attend.
How to accomplish all of this?
Start by making a Resolution to do something about making a difference in the meetings you will host or attend in the coming months. Meetings, often are fit into and between every attendees busy daily schedule. Stop! Get away...move people away from the distractions of an interrupting phone call, being late for the next appointment, interruptions in general. Plan a destination meeting, training session, or update session.
Get the full attention of the people you are trying to reach. Make a friendly deal with your staff - give me four hours of full concentration, and I'll give you four hours off. Your meetings will be much more focused, more creative, more successful and will have everyone's undivided attention. You will get much more accomplished. Encourage an extension of the meeting so that people are sharing ideas over dinner or lunch or in a casual atmosphere, sitting by the pool or taking a walk. Let people with interesting discoveries report back to the group in the next organized part of the schedule.
To make your next company or business meeting an effective one, an enriching one, a memorable one...consider any number of creative meeting packages offered by Inns and Hotels and Resorts throughout Vermont who want to help you do it and do it right.
© 2012 
