Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Reconcile Meeting Attendance 1
I am referencing a great book called "Boring Meetings Suck" by John Petz in which the author outlines something that I know not many of us do when preparing for attending a meeting.
Too often, we just go. We go to meetings we have been invited to attend.
But how often do you ask the meeting organizer why you were invited to attend?
Most meetings are informational and could be handled by a memo or an email. Most meetings are generally setup to where the speaker shares information with an audience and checks for understanding. Very few actually ask for input from those around the table.
As Jon explains in his book, we are usually asked to attend a meeting as a participant. So why not participate more in the development of the meeting?
Here's a simple implementation to try out where you work. The next time you are requested to attend a meeting, ask the meeting host why you are being asked to attend?
Ask the person who is hosting to explain what it is they are hoping you will contribute during the meeting.
If the answer is that it is informational, simply state that you would prefer an email or memo.
Our time is valuable. And if a meeting is no longer participatory and is simply information sharing, it is better to request a copy of a memo in order to save time to be doing more active work.
Are you willing to try this in your meetings? Where would be some difficult areas where this request would seem rude or inappropriate?
Too often, we just go. We go to meetings we have been invited to attend.
But how often do you ask the meeting organizer why you were invited to attend?
Most meetings are informational and could be handled by a memo or an email. Most meetings are generally setup to where the speaker shares information with an audience and checks for understanding. Very few actually ask for input from those around the table.
As Jon explains in his book, we are usually asked to attend a meeting as a participant. So why not participate more in the development of the meeting?
Here's a simple implementation to try out where you work. The next time you are requested to attend a meeting, ask the meeting host why you are being asked to attend?
Ask the person who is hosting to explain what it is they are hoping you will contribute during the meeting.
If the answer is that it is informational, simply state that you would prefer an email or memo.
Our time is valuable. And if a meeting is no longer participatory and is simply information sharing, it is better to request a copy of a memo in order to save time to be doing more active work.
Are you willing to try this in your meetings? Where would be some difficult areas where this request would seem rude or inappropriate?
Monday, October 3, 2011
A whimper and then a bang
We've got a problem.
Staff development. Committees. Meetings.
You could say all three of these are separate problems. I disagree. They all have a unifying problem and that is most people don't know how to manage these three things in order to make them effective.
All three utilize 3 common elements: people, time and space.
Quality staff development is engaging and uses the resources in the room.
Committees value the team members and allows cross-collaboration and interaction.
Meetings are interactive and engage the creativity of the people who attend.
Sound like your people-gatherings?
June 1, my district let me run an event called "techpalooza" and it sparked such conversation and idea sharing. Without a planned schedule, we let the participants develop their own schedule and set them about to self-learn. We provided interactive gamestorm activities and encouraged participants to share.
It was a successful event and the ideas behind it continue to spark different types of people-gatherings into innovative collaboration events.
Techpalooza is now a term for our district that we plan to use for featured staff development events that we know will be different than average. These are coordinated events of unplanned creative sharing. Techpalooza is removing the words "meeting", "committee", and "staff development" from our vernacular because of the negative connotation.
The brand is starting after whimpers of excessively controlled and boring methods of group sharing. This blog will be about our events and ideas for changing what we do with the people in the room. We hope you join us in this journey!
Staff development. Committees. Meetings.
You could say all three of these are separate problems. I disagree. They all have a unifying problem and that is most people don't know how to manage these three things in order to make them effective.
All three utilize 3 common elements: people, time and space.
Quality staff development is engaging and uses the resources in the room.
Committees value the team members and allows cross-collaboration and interaction.
Meetings are interactive and engage the creativity of the people who attend.
Sound like your people-gatherings?
June 1, my district let me run an event called "techpalooza" and it sparked such conversation and idea sharing. Without a planned schedule, we let the participants develop their own schedule and set them about to self-learn. We provided interactive gamestorm activities and encouraged participants to share.
It was a successful event and the ideas behind it continue to spark different types of people-gatherings into innovative collaboration events.
Techpalooza is now a term for our district that we plan to use for featured staff development events that we know will be different than average. These are coordinated events of unplanned creative sharing. Techpalooza is removing the words "meeting", "committee", and "staff development" from our vernacular because of the negative connotation.
The brand is starting after whimpers of excessively controlled and boring methods of group sharing. This blog will be about our events and ideas for changing what we do with the people in the room. We hope you join us in this journey!
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