June 27, 2008
Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas or goods and services, that will ultimately satisfy a customer demand.
Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us does render some service or another, maybe an idea even. So why there such a high percentage of products on the market that just don’t survive? Well in most cases, the problem lies not in the idea or service itself, but in the cultivation thereof.
Lets try and analyse where most businesses go wrong:
Most small businesses don’t have a Marketing plan
Successful businesses thrive because every single person in the organisation is aware of where the business is going. In other words, the business is as a result of one mans vision, and with the help every employee, the company as a whole is dedicated to see that vision through.
A Marketing plan helps to achieve this kind of focus and when used effectively, it will ensure that the business is able to adapt to todays dynamic business environment and changing customer needs.
They tend to confuse Sales with Marketing
One important fact to remember is that Sales is a direct byproduct of effective Marketing. The objective of sales is to increase revenue that the company generates by distributing products and services, none of which would be possible if the consumer of that product had no information on which to base their purchase. Although it is important not to confuse the two, Sales and Marketing together with PR tend to work hand-in-hand and removing any one of these from the chain could result in failure.
“We don’t need marketing, we’re a small company”
That should be that exact reason as to why a business does need to have a marketing process. Lets be honest, no business owner wants to remain the same size forever and to just keep breaking even. But the only way of changing that is to be proactive, know what the market is, where its going and where you fit in.
Marketing gurus say that Marketing is an art, not a science. We could argue this point forever but the bottom line is that I don’t believe it is. You can learn how to Market but can you learn how to draw beautifully. Marketing is not some God given talent that only those born with can exploit, it is a process, a method, a way of succeeding that you can start learning right now.
Take a look at our download sections where can find all the necessary stuff to get you started. A Marketing plan template, Sales forecasting and much more. Alternatively, you could download our e-book that contains brilliant insight into Sales, Marketing and PR and all the tools you need to get that Marketing process started.
Sudesh Pillay
www.marketinginfo.co.uk
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Tie together people’s supreme leisure actvities and you are guaranteed to expose a phenomenon that’s titled a sportsbook wagers website. Seriously, what could be more resourceful… If you fancy a knot of friends cheering on any given preferred club, and continuously wagers will be advertised besides the bluster. Aiming to participate in of the enjoyment, bystanders will regularly endeavor to infer who will prevail in the coming meet. In the end, this will develop into a nice little meet called sportsbook wagers website.
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So it can seem to be overwhelming but on the contrary – sportsbook betting is really just diverting and of forging bonds with one’s friends. You can risk a an insignificant amount of loot and regardless have an ultra cool time. Below, you’ll find many infos to get going sportsbook betting.
To bet, you will want to go to a sportsbook wagers website, i.e. a setup that tenders sportsbook wagers website. In America, there’s currently a total of four states to do sportsbook betting absolutely legally, but if you don’t care for legality, you can try it practically anywhere providing you hunt out a bookie AND happen to be legally an adult. Included sports competitions you’ll have a choice of wagering on are professional as well as, of course, college football as well as college basketball, professional baseball, professional hockey, as well as, of course, betting on. You’ll have a choice of wagering on the global score of a game, when exactly a given party will be defeated, and even whether a given tossed coin in a game will land heads or tails.
The bookies put their face in stats make it easier for you determine which club you are confident will prevail. First we have the spread, or point leverage pertaining to the inferior side that is anticipated to go under by a given number points. Self-Evidently, this is the betting outfit’s routine of organizing fair wagers for a Sports Book. E. g. a client could choose to risk money on a party that is anticipated to go under and and regardless make money on the wager providing the side actually loses by a given number of points.
So why don’t you just take a stab at it and enjoy the recreation all at once… Simply take care that you won’t get too carried away and blow your total income on a whimsy! Otherwise chances are you’ll end up bewailing it till the end of your days!
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June 26, 2008
Improve your golf game right now you say? I say, absolutely! Don’t waste another dime on new golf equipment: taking one more lesson; or hitting one more ball at the range, until you finish reading this article.
You see…it’s not what you think that’s not allowing you to improve your golf game.
It’s something very simple and easy to remedy. It’s YOU! How your body moves throughout your golf swing.
Let me ask you…do you feel nice and loose, relaxed and fluid when you swing a club on the golf course? Do you feel like your backswing is what it should be? How about your distance off the tee? Are you happy with it?
Now let me ask. What have you done to improve the above situation? And has it worked up to now? If it has…congratulations! I am very happy to hear that another golfer is improving.
If it isn’t working…don’t you think you should try a different approach? One that makes total sense from a mechanical (technique) standpoint.
If you’ve tried all the above…there’s only one thing left. As I said above…YOU!
Your body is what swings the club and produces the end-result. Not the equipment, balls or all the lessons you take.
You’ve got to start with the engine (your body) first, to be able to make a mechanically sound and repeatable swing for 18 holes of golf.
Your body has physical limitations. All of ours does. Each person is unique, and has a different set of physical issues that need to be addressed. But when they are…look out! The game gets much easier and a whole lot funner.
With our country getter bigger (heavier) by the day…this is a great reason to embark on a golf training program that will not only improve your golf game, but help you achieve your health goals also. Now isn’t that reason enough to get started right away?
You will be amazed at your fast rate of golf improvement once you take this approach. You will be making swings and producing power you’ve never seen before. Why? Because you are eliminating your physical limitations that have kept you from achieving the golf swing you know you are capable of.
The jury is out! All the pros are doing it. You’ve got to be next!
It’s time to improve your golf game once and for all!
About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his golf swing trainer site – Perform Better Golf.
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June 24, 2008
Many companies have utility trucks or box trucks. You must pay attention to the tires to prevent excessive wear and dangerous situations. It is important to buy truck tires for the rear of your work trucks and vans due to weight factors. You never know when you are going to put a heavier than usual load on them. Proper tire inflation pressure is essential to the safe and satisfactory operation of your work vans and trucks. If the tires in the rear of the tuck are duallies then be sure to look at both the inner and the outer tires, it is quite common for operators to run an inside flat and not even notice it. Train your crews to be observant and do a quick walk around or preflight. Inflation is one of the most critical issues:
Improperly inflated tires are dangerous and can cause accidents.
Underinflation increases tire flexing and can result in tire failure.
Overinflation reduces a tire’s ability to cushion shock. Objects on the road and potholes can cause damage that may result in tire failure.
Unequal tire pressure can cause steering problems. You could lose control of your vehicle.
Always drive with each tire inflated to the recommended pressure.
Improper inflation pressures can cause rapid tread wear resulting in failure or a need for earlier tire replacement. This also increases tires rolling resistance and results in higher fuel consumption. Hey, let’s face it. If you save money in gas you make more profit and at these pump prices that is a great idea.
Another consideration is of course comfort, stability and jarring. The last thing you want to have is your 7-11 Supergulp to end up in your lap or your mornings coffee all over the seat and floor. Obviously, you are well aware that properly inflated tires contribute to a more comfortable ride and you are now justified in your belief that such a situation causes unnecessary tire wear. Over inflation can also be dangerous and causes:
Excessive liquid movement if you are hauling containers of liquid
Turns normal speed bumps into bumps from hell
Misalignment of pulleys and belts on portable generators and equipment
Over responsiveness on high speed turns
Shakes tools, products and road assistance kits to depart the vehicle while driving down the road; ever see stuff from work trucks in the road? Make sure it does not happen to you.
Remember: Tire pressure increases when the friction heats up the tires while driving. It might increase two to ten extra PSI depending on load factors and speed of driving. Do not drive your work trucks over 75 mph when it’s carrying a full load. Don’t drive over 65 mph when there is traffic and you might have to make a sudden lane change. Radial ply tires are great for the front and we recommend real truck rated radial ply tires for the rear. Tire safety can save you from an accident and someone’s life. Think about it.
“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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June 21, 2008
Another possible way in which cookies can negatively affect your computer is when they are stored on your hard drive for too long. Generally, the information there is safe because it is non-executable text files. However, if malware or spyware is installed on your computer, it may be possible for it to access those cookies and start retrieving your login, email, and personal information and sending it back to whomever installed the spyware. I have known friends complain that their software keeps notifying them when it eliminates spyware and malware (close cousins) so they disabled it.
Thanks to authors of numerous articles on this topic, “classic” phishing technique is relatively well known. This scam involves setting bogus websites and luring people to visit them, as a rule, by links in emails. Phishing website is disguised to look like a legitimate one — of a bank or a credit card company, and users are invited to provide their identifying information. Sites of this kind are used solely to steal users’ passwords, PIN numbers, SSNs and other confidential information. Data loggers, key loggers are just a few programs which harvest info from your computer. Winclear is the only program created specially to auto remove such spywares. Your account was accessed from remoteip ‘202. That is why every computer owner needs winclear.
Protect With Winclear :Can You View Internet History On Wii
If you have checked all the computers used to access your account with only an anti virus software, we strongly recommend you use a software that specifically checks for Spyware and keyloggers. Winclear is the only software which is capable of removing keylogger programs. 1 technology had brought a lot to our life. Winclear has been the industry leader in fighting keyloggers for the last 8 years.
Winclear:
This scam involves setting bogus websites and luring people to visit them as a rule by links in emails. That is the reason why you need Winclear installed onto your computer. Your web browser will look like a neon sign for toolbars and other ‘browser helpers’ that only help to send hackers info you don’t want them to have in the first place. Protect your computer security by using Winclear! More about Winclear here: Win Clear.
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June 20, 2008
Windsor Castle is one of the biggest inhabited castles around today & the oldest in nonstop occupation (in excess of nine hundred years). It is 1 of Queen Elizabeth’s three sanctioned residences, & is over and over again understood to be the Queens favourite. The Royal colours flutters over the Round Tower of Windsor Castle every time Queen Elizabeth 2nd is at the residence – though, at alternative occasions, the Union Jack flag flies in its place.
Samuel Pepys has said the Castle to be “the single most passionate castle around.” That was in sixteen-sixty-six & the same is true even now.
Windsor Castle Spellbinding History:
The beginning of Windsor can be seen in the 7th century Saxon village of Windlesora, where the current day parish of Old Windsor can be located. The settlement of Windsor is accurately well-known as “New Windsor” – the phrase “new” being used in a loose sense! The England tourist board, the online home of tourism in England has plenty of useful travel information.
Windsor Castle was formally built by the eminent William the Conqueror, on account of his attack of England in ten sixty-six. The original structure was constructed from timber with gravel ramparts. Palace held an understandable tactical position on a steep hill above the River Thames, and was part of a group of strongholds all around London, with the Tower of London, one whole days hike away, at its middle.
The Palace was then later reassembled in stone, & grew in importance during the centuries. In recent times Henry II erected the Round Tower & the original stone outer wall. Following the English Civil War, the building’s crucial function became that of a royal residence. The Castle has remained largely unchanged since the early 19th century, apart from the reconstruction effort following the tragic fire in 1992.
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One of the questions I get asked most frequently, in several different variations is about which martial art an individual should study. Generally which martial art, and more importantly which school to choose are fundamental decisions someone should make. My answer is usually something along the lines of, “choose the school and the system that you are going to stick with and stay with it for the rest of your life.”
The reality is that the answer is going to be different for every person. What I will attempt to do in this article is give you a set of general guidelines. I will talk in very broad terms about different martial arts, and what to look for in a school. Ultimately every teacher, at every school, in every system is going to be completely different.
1. Dispelling a common myth
Just like with religion and politics, many people honestly believe that what they do is the best thing in the world. One only has to make a cursory study of the psychological principle of cognitive dissonance to see why this is so. So many schools out there claim to be teaching, “the ultimate, deadliest, most secret, guarded system of self defense ever invented by the gods of combat.” To be quite blunt – they are full of crap.
In one respect, much of this stuff is a marketing stance. Heck, everybody wants to study the best thing in the world. If such a thing existed everybody would study it. Some martial arts schools can become very cult like as well, and this is where the cognitive dissonance comes in. The practitioners actually believe their marketing stuff.
The truth is that style is not going to fight for you – you are. Every person is different and there is not one best system for everyone. It would be quite scary for me to face a sumo wrestler in combat, but it would also be silly for me to expect to take up Sumo and be good at it.
Claims of superior systems that can make you as deadly as a Navy SEAL in 24 hours also stem from American culture. It is unfortunate that we of the MTV and Internet generation are always looking for a shortcut, a quick fix. It makes many of us miss a lot of very valuable and important stuff.
2. Let’s start with you
If I can help you answer a few key questions about yourself and your interests, you will have done most of the work toward picking out a martial arts school that is best for you.
First and foremost, what do you want to get out of martial arts training? Yes, yes, I know you want to learn self defense – put that on the list. But people study martial arts for a variety of reasons. You want to get some exercise, you want to meet new people, you want to get rid of stress, you want a new hobby, and you think the uniforms look cool. Really think about it and write down your reasons. Everything is valid and your reasons are your own. Then I would prioritize your reasons – which ones are more important than others. Maybe getting into shape is your main goal – if so, that may help determine a place to study.
3. What style?
Now, let’s talk a little bit about systems or styles. A system is just the type of martial art you will be studying like Karate, Kendo, or Kung Fu. The differences between styles may also help you to determine where to look.
The main difference between most martial arts style is focus. Some arts like Tae Kwon do focus on large kicking movements, while others – like Kendo focus on a particular weapon. Body type and interest (as we discussed before) will help you think a little about style focus. For example: I am built like a fireplug – short and wide, am somewhat slow and am very interested in the self defense aspect of training. Ketsugo Jujutsu turned out to be the best style for me as it focused on unbalancing the opponent, the kicks were low to the ground, and the fighting in close where we short guys excel.
Beyond focus is a scale of formality to informality. To me formality is a measure of emphasis on things like training etiquette, ceremony, style of dress, method of addressing seniors etc. Many Japanese and Korean styles are very formal. On the far end of the informal scale you might have a cardio kickboxing class at local gym. On the far end of the formal scale you might have a style like Kendo which places a lot of emphasis on appearance and etiquette.
Neither formal nor informal is better or worse; it is a matter of preference. I personally enjoy some of the formalities of traditional Japanese martial arts. For me they build character and shape a strong state of mind that carries over into day to day life. For others, the formalities may be difficult to grasp and they may wish for something less formal.
The following is a list of styles I have arranged from most to least formal. This arrangement is from my own best knowledge and is neither absolute nor inclusive. Many would rightfully disagree with where I have placed things on the list, but this is meant to be a general guideline. Again, every single teacher in every different school is going to be different. This is meant as a starting point:
-Formal
- Kendo / Kumdo
- Aikido
- Tae Kwon Do
- Karate
- Jujutsu
- Kung Fu
- Silat
- Ninjutsu
- Tai Chi / Bagua / Hsing-yi
- Arnis / Kali / Escima
- Capoeira
- Kickboxing
- Boxing
-Informal
While you’re on the web already, it would pay off to do some research. Look up a few sites for a few of the styles I have listed here. Get some general information about focus and formality. See what strikes you as interesting. Make a small list of styles you might be interested in pursuing.
4. Practical Issues
OK, now you’ve done some soul searching and some research and you have a list of styles you might be interested in learning. Now we have to talk a little bit about lifestyle. If Kendo interests you, but the nearest school is 200 miles away – it may not be a practical choice.
You can certainly look through your yellow pages to find schools close to you or ask people you know if they know of any schools. A word to the wise: friends will always try to get you to come to their school and may get offended of you don’t or if you visit and then don’t want to sign up. That’s definitely something to consider.
Some practical things to consider are school location and proximity to home / work, costs and your ability to pay dues and other fees, class schedule and how it fits into your schedule. Other things may also be important to you like parking, and facilities – write them down.
You should narrow down your potential list of schools based on your criteria, but you should still plan on visiting more than one to give you a sense of comparison.
5. Choosing a school
The following are a list of things I suggest you look for when choosing a school or instructor. To me, these factors are more important than any other of the above factors and can make or break your martial arts experience.
•When you call the school, are all your questions answered, and answered honestly? Sometimes someone will answer the phone that may not be able to answer all your questions. They should pass you on to someone who can , or have someone call you back.
•Every school out there should offer at least one free trial class before you sign up. How else can you determine if you want to study there? Your best bet is to try out several different schools to give you some comparison.
•When you visit the school, is the practice safe, or are students allowed to train in dangerous ways or without proper supervision?
•Is the school itself hygienic and free from unsafe conditions?
•Do students and teachers show respect toward everyone? This extends beyond formal bowing and address to making sure everyone is learning and nobody is being abused.
•Be prepared that many schools these days require a contract like a health club. Make sure you are clear on the terms of the contract if you do decide to sign one, and do not be afraid to walk out if you are uncomfortable with the terms.
•Be very wary of cult-like schools that try to up-sell you to intensified black belt programs and the like. While some of these may be legitimate, there are many scam artists in black belts out there. You should be very clear about what you are paying for up front.
•Do the teacher and senior students display a lot of skill in the art they are teaching? This may be hard to determine since great martial artists are often very subtle. However, the teacher and students should display knowledge, skill, and balance which might be more obvious.
•Most importantly, trust your instincts. If something about the school doesn’t sit right with you, then it probably isn’t right. Look out for the fast talking salesman who tries to sweep your concerns under the rug.
Remember that choosing the right teacher and the right school is more important than the actual style. If you choose a school that you enjoy, study with a teacher you like, and train with students that inspire you – you are likely to stick with your martial art. The longer you stick with it – the better you’ll get. Hopefully you will discover a very positive lifelong journey that will shower hidden benefits on you as my martial art has upon me.
John Moore is a recognized expert in personal protection and a founder of Martial Training Systems LLC. He resides in Boston and provides professional consultation and training, products, and services related to self-defense and physical conditioning. He has trained in martial arts since the age of 10 including Arnis, Kenpo, Kyokushinkai, and Ketsugo Jujutsu – in which he holds an advanced black belt. He is a sought-after speaker, entrepreneur, and author – spending 90% of his time consulting in the corporate world. See http://www.martialtrainingsystems.com for more information.
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June 19, 2008
Despite the fact that the Property Index is seen as a fairly young concern, having been set up in March 2007, they have achieved expert status very quickly. De facto, they are a truly exceptionally straightforward firm fully concentrated on looking after and guiding essentially anyone who is looking to sell, buy, rent, etc. real property no matter where. What they guarantee to do is offer you assistance to track down squarely what’s required very swiftly and, likewise, painlessly. Find one of the most exclusive selections of French properties here!
Real estate can easily be found everwhere currently, one of the fanciest areas being realty for sale in France. It’s no big challenge to list a slew of the sensational realty for sale in France, one explanation for opting for property here being the houses and apartments available for sale and the glorious option of being able to live among such a spirited, eager and robust people.
This is one of the most favored areas currently, and in view of the scenic beauty and the agreeable sunshine surrounding you, how could you be wrong.? Property in France is steeped in history, this geographical region is home to various sophisticated cultures. Around 25 years ago there’d be just a dribble UK citizens looking into property in France. Currently that trickle has turned inundation. Just ask any person who has removed to France and they’ll tell you the same!
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June 18, 2008
Meeting planning and an effective meeting are key to great communications in teams and yet the below simple and powerful strategies are often overlooked.
If you are here pressed for time and just looking for a quick fix to move your meetings from slow, boring and conflict struck happenings to efficient, powerful and meaningful gatherings, you can jump straight to end list at the end of this article where you have the quick version. To get more of the meat, more of the essence and lost of help to boost you there, take a chunk of your time and keeping reading below, it will be worth it.
Have you been there? Have you felt it? How the meeting is over and you are not quite sure what you accomplished?
Or even before the meeting was over, right in the midst of action, or lack of it, you felt irritated because you were stuck or bored because you wandered aimlessly from one topic to another without any sense of direction.
Maybe you were surprised or even upset with that the meeting never get to be about that one thing that you thought it was going to be about. Everybody else kept talking about other things that you could not have cared less about.
Keep reading below and I will share some of the secrets that make meetings efficient, energized and excellent. People often ask me for advise on this topic since they have experienced how these strategies I will give you below work their magic when applied properly.
There are some timeless sure-fire strategies that will greatly improve your meetings to levels you did not think was possible, yet where few know them. That is they might have heard them here and there, but they do not apply them at their own gatherings and make them everyday practice.
So, if you are ready to take the next step in making your meetings a place of growth, contribution and high production, read on and apply. If you are not ready, if you are one of those that read management and leadership books just to forget about them as soon as you have finished them or even before you have finished them, if you are not ready to change that, please stop here and go find something else to do because you will just be wasting your time here.
And time is a major reason for making your meetings more efficient, it is an ever more precious jewel, and people including yourself should not waste their time at badly planned, badly initiated and even worsely executed meetings.
Ten timeless, tested and proven strategies to take your meetings to a whole new level
It doesn’t matter if you are the person who seems to be in charge of leading the meeting, calling people together, booking the room or not. If you consider yourself just a participant at the meetings with no responsibility for the action, then that is the place to begin! Get into the action! If you are not contributing you are blocking. Blocking your meeting, your team, your corporation, from being all it could be. So get busy being part of doing and being by reading on and applying whatever your formal role in your meetings is.
“If I had six hour to chop down a tree, I would spend five hours sharpening my axe”
It is all in the preparation, or almost all of it, it is just plain simple the way it is. The first thing you should do to sharpen your meeting axe is to decide who is needed at the meeting. All to often people are called there just to be present. If they are not needed for input or it will add to the quality of your relationship by spending some time face to face, send them an email with the info instead or visit with them afterwards. A good meeting group size is between 2-12, if you go beyond that you are well on your way to have an information instead of a meeting, that is if you wish to be efficient. If your department is bigger than this, consider have one large information and several smaller meetings.
Next is to make sure that the purpose of the meeting is clearly communicated to each and every participant of the meeting. The almighty, all important and earth-shaking question is “why do we get together this fine Monday morning?”. Get that clearly answered in a way that makes sense and you are half way there. It is also an excellent opportunity to ask for input, as to what others feel should be on the agenda for the meeting. Maybe you have overlooked something important, maybe you can not fit it all in (which you should avoid anyway), but it might go into the next meeting or give you a feel for what others feel is important.
With the agenda in front of you, notice we are still sharpening the axe, clarify if an item is Information, Dialogue or Decision. Information means one person informs, the other LISTEN, you could allow a few questions to make sure the information is clearly communicated, but NO and I mean NO input, no discussion, no questioning! Dialogue means you take the time to discuss an item, it might be something that someone needs input on. If giving good input means that the others need to prepare before the meeting, make sure that is communicated well ahead of the meeting. A good rule of thumb is that the person bringing that item into the meeting should do the least talking. Decision means that you are going to decide on something, at the end of the allotted time you need to have reached a decision. Start any Decision item by quickly decide how you are going to decide. Voting? Compromise? Unanimous? Chairman or boss decides?
Then you jump into creating a time plan. If you feel your team is well-oiled, mature and open-minded group of people you could do this at the actual meeting, in all other cases it goes before the meeting, in the axe sharpening department. Take each item on the agenda and set a given time for it. A good idea is to allot a time space at the end called Spare Time. This could be five or ten minutes to which you can move items you do not quite finish during the meeting.
Arrange the meeting room for what we are talking about, that means meeting. Avoid distance by having large tables that separate you miles from each other. Plants on the table that obstruct a clear view. Make sure it is possible for everyone at the meeting to easily make eye contact with the others, that greatly enhances participation and communication.
Ok, we are almost ready to jump into the agenda, but the axe needs a little more sharpening right at the start of the meeting. Right at the start, assign a Time Keeper for the meeting. This person becomes the director of time, making sure that times are kept during the meeting. It does not mean that everybody else can forget everything about being responsible, rather that the Time Keeper is the director who holds the overview rather than getting lost in the excitement of discussion. This is a vital role and should be rotated at different meetings.
Now, here comes something vitally important, something human, something that can feel a bit silly to start with, but that has proven itself time and time over again to raise the well-being, the efficiency and the output of meetings to levels beyond belief. Curious? Do a Check-In at the start of the meeting. What is a Check-In? It means that each and every one at the meeting gets 1 (that is one, Mr or Mrs Time Keeper) minute to share how they are doing in life right now. And that is life overall, not just work. It can be good news, bad news or just same old, same old. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you share. That everybody gets their uninterrupted space at the beginning, that each and every takes the time to see the others as human beings, not just as meeting participants. I can not enough stress the importance of getting this implemented for long-term prosperity, health and productivity. So many meetings have gone down the drain because people are seeking confirmation, seeking being seen, through clinging on to a rather unimportant meeting topic and making it into a personal matter other the surface. The Check-In is the last touch-up that turns your axe from a dull tool making people less than they can be into a high-powered, mega-efficient and super-sharp meeting utility.
Ready for some action? Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. It is now time for the meeting items. What to do now the axe is sharpened? One thing, stick with the plan! Keep the times. I will say it again, keep the times, you have assigned. Discipline is what separates champions from the rest. If you do not finish an item on time, move it to Spare Time or to the next meeting. Do not go over time! Sticking with this discipline of time will itself over time make you more efficient. Practice makes perfect. It can be frustrating in the beginning, but stick with it. It is amazing what you can get done in five minutes with a group of people that are trained, focused and we-minded.
We-minded you say? Yes. During your meetings practice focusing on “we” instead of “I”. This means “how do we get the best result from this dialogue?”, not “how can I benefit the most from this?”. Let go of your personal agendas and surrender to the group. This does not mean that you become a doormat that says “Walk all over me”. It means that you keep and open mind and take the helicopter up one level to see the whole picture not just your own part.
Almost there! One more key to unlock the hidden powers of your meetings is the end. Set off some time at the end of the meeting, could be five or ten minutes depending on group size, to give each other positive encouragement. This means you open up for anybody to give any one else, or the whole group, a feedback steaming from a positive experience. You could also frame it as appreciation. For example: ” John, I really appreciated your focus at the meeting today. It made me feel energized and happy to be in the meeting” or “Melinda, thanks for stopping by my office to say hi yesterday. It made me happy and motivated”. Again, practice makes perfect, there might be awkward silences to start with while everybody is thinking, but again stick with it. Next to the Check-In at the beginning this is the tool to take your group to whole new levels in human interaction, meeting skills and efficiency.
That’s it. I have summarized the ten strategies below for your convenience.
The quick List
If you jumped right here and something below does not make sense, I suggest you take some time out of your busy life and read more about it above.
1. Clarify who is needed at the meeting
2. Communicate Purpose of meeting before the meeting, ask for input
3. Clarify if items are Information, Dialogue or Decision
4. Create a Time Plan for each item on the agenda
5. Arrange room for meeting, not distance
6. At the very start of the meeting assign a Time Keeper
7. Check-In at start of the meeting, everybody takes turns sharing where they are at in life
8. Keep times! If an item needs more time, move to Spare time at end or next meeting. Period.
9. Maintain a we-focus rather than I-focus through the meeting.
10. Finish of meeting with round of Positive Encouragement
I wish for you excellent, rewarding and productive meetings. It is my sincere hope that the above will be helpful for you. Remember that meetings are about PEOPLE coming together to get THINGS done, not the other way around.
The author Markus Eriksson, is an international developer of human potential, having worked with organizations, leaders and individuals in Asia, Europe and America for over 10 years. He is a much appreciated meeting facilitator, speaker and multimedia author. You can find him at http://www.advenire.com.
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