วันเสาร์ที่ 23 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2551

Not Another Meeting

Author : Dave Neal
Recently, an Associated Press article reported on a study suggesting that company
staff meetings may "rank among the most inefficient exercises we perform." The
study, conducted for GroupSystems Corp., included 130 responses from workers in
organizations ranging from Intel to the U.S. Navy to George Washington University.If you attend regular staff meetings at work, you might not be surprised that most
respondents in this study found these meetings to often be too long, too poorly
organized, and too unproductive, rarely resulting in implemented action items.Many of us attend a lot of meetings. In fact, approximately 11 million meetings
occur in the U.S. each day, and most managers attend about 60 meetings each
month. That's a lot of meetings, especially if many of them are not very valuable.A meeting — for the purposes of this article — occurs anytime two or more people
come together for a scheduled interaction and a specific (if not stated) purpose.
Here are some of the common types of meetings:One-on-one meetings:You probably conduct or participate in one-on-one meetings with your manager
and/or your direct reports (in performance reviews, coaching sessions, career
development discussions, and so on). These meetings allow for private and
confidential discussions and allow you and the other person to build familiarity.
These meetings can be challenging if you are poorly prepared.Small-group meetings:Managers frequently attend these types of meetings, and most staff meetings are
attended by a small group of "staffers." Three to 15 or 20 participants come
together to share new information, solve problems, review project status, recognize
and celebrate accomplishments, train new skills, and so on. A common complaint is
that these meetings are poorly run and unproductive, as I've mentioned.Large-group meetings:You sometimes get together with 20 or more people, in a training class, department
meetings, recognition gatherings, and so on. These meetings typically involve the
least amount of two-way interaction between the meeting leader and participants.
Nonetheless, they need to be led effectively like any other meeting.Virtual meetings (teleconference, videoconference, or Web conference):Phone, video, and/or the Web sometimes connect all or some meeting participants.
Participants are "in the room" but physically separated by sometimes thousands of
miles. This distance can increase the challenges of running an efficient and
productive meeting.To Meet or Not to MeetBelow, we have listed types of information commonly delivered at work. Ask yourself
whether these require a 'Meeting' or 'No Meeting' (in which another method of
delivery, if available, may be more effective).Announce a small procedure change.• (No Meeting – Meetings are less effective when one-way information is shared.
Typically, announcements are one-way and can be delivered by e-mail, bulletin
board, etc. This might change if the announcement is likely to raise questions or
require persuasion or dialogue.)Brainstorm the solution of a problem.• (Meeting – Meetings are more effective when two-way dialogue is needed.
Typically, meetings are a great way to generate ideas and solve problems. People
have diverse perspectives and experiences that often spark creative solutions. These
meetings might be more effective if you inform participants of the problem
beforehand so they can bring ideas.)Review the progress of a team project.• (Meeting – Meetings are more effective when a close familiarity and working
relationship needs to be built between team members. Project teams often need
face-to-face communication to discuss barriers, accomplishments, and adjust
plans.)Provide negative performance feedback to a direct report.• (Meeting – Meetings are more effective when you need to discuss sensitive
information with someone. We often make the mistake of avoiding face-to-face
encounters when delivering negative information or dealing with conflict. These
meetings should be two-way dialogues conducted in private.)Have several people review and respond to a proposal you've written.• (No Meeting – Meetings are less effective when reviewing written materials, such
as reports or proposals, unless you want to bring people together to discuss
feedback once it has all been gathered and assessed.)Set a direct report's performance goals.• (Meeting – Meetings are more effective when managers need to include direct
reports in decision making and a development plan. Managers often make the
mistake of not involving direct reports in the goal-setting process. Managers should
meet one-on-one with direct reports when they want to reinforce buy-in and
commitment.)Meetings are most effective when used to share two-way information, make
decisions, and strengthen relationships:1. Share two-way information — You might meet with other people to instruct,
advise, update, and persuade.2. Make decisions — You might meet with other people to come to consensus,
weigh options, generate ideas, resolve issues, create plans, and assign roles.3. Strengthen relationships — You might meet with other people to get to know one
another, build trust, create understanding, and promote a sense of belonging.Although regular staff meetings can have value, meeting for the sake of meeting is
seldom a good use of time, and if a meeting is needed, make sure it is well
organized and productive.Dave Neal has helped develop thousands of employees and managers in organizations
around the world for over 15 years. He is a senior partner at 4th Street Training. Web: http://www.4thstreettraining.com/. Blog: 4streetsmarts.blogs.com. Email:
dave@4thstreettraining.com.
Keyword : Meeting, Meetings, Productive, Staff, Leader, Participant, Manager

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