meeting Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

12
Aug 21
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Meeting Discussion, Listening, and Being Heard

Tags : argument change communication discussion meeting

What does your meeting discussion look like? Better yet, have you considered what your discussion feels like?

Some meetings are informational. Someone speaks, others are expected to listen, take notes, and then to proceed with the prescribed information. It isn’t intended to be interactive. It is more of a press briefing.

In many workplace meetings, there is heavy interaction. Questions raised, statements that sound like questions, and rebuttals.

Most businesses feel that they have room to improve on communication. At one point, or another, they’ve had a breakdown in communication that felt costly.

It might be happening in their internal meetings yet often it isn’t recognized.

Meeting Discussion

Depending on the meeting format and agenda, some people may attend a meeting to be heard. Listening is secondary.

This can be the case when the culture has previously illustrated that meetings are mostly informational, intended to be a meeting leader speaks and everyone else listens.

After all, the meeting leader may have a point to be made. A point or list of points that are intended to change something in the present and for the future.

Changing forward direction may come from a compelling speech. It may come from a good or bad experience. Something shocking, delightful, or that reduces pain.

For everything else, listening may be more important. Listening helps provide clarity, gain understanding, and illustrate values and beliefs.

People don’t jump on board when they lack trust. People who have different values or beliefs struggle with information that feels contradictory to their own personal pathways or agenda.

Suggested change meets a lot of opposition when it is dictated. It gains much more traction when others see it as a pathway that works.

A discussion makes more difference when compared with a command.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

02
Jun 21
-

Ultimate Meeting Question, Have You Asked It?

Tags : attendance communication meeting workplace

Have you asked the ultimate meeting question? Of course this question may take on various forms.

Does this meeting make sense?

Is the length of this meeting appropriate?

Are the right people at this meeting?

One common fallacy of the workplace meeting is that it was created when the belief was that the communication hasn’t been clear.

In other words, we haven’t been communicating well enough so let’s have a meeting.

From my experiences most organizations believe that they have room to improve when it comes to communication effectiveness. They often don’t know exactly how to pursue improvement, but they believe that they would benefit from it.

If you have one dozen people in your organization, you can probably call for a staff meeting without significant disruption. Sure, you may have to pause the operation, but wrangling up a dozen people is different from fifty people or five thousand.

Ultimate Meeting Question

The evolution of meetings is often interesting. They start with good intentions. They always seem to make sense in the beginning, yet, across time things shift.

The original purpose of the meeting may change. People come and go, often excuses for absenteeism develops, and conversations often stray off subject.

The Zoom meeting has experienced exponential growth in the past 12 to 15 months. Has communication improved? Has it declined? Have new meetings been created? Are they both efficient and effective?

Are the meetings you attend stressful? Why, or why not?

Are the meetings you attend mandatory?

What is your ultimate meeting question? Have you asked it? Will you?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

05
Aug 20
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Zoom Dress Code, Social Etiquette, and Posers

Tags : dress code etiquette meeting value zoom

Today you may have a Zoom meeting. If not, you may find yourself in one this week, or next. What is your Zoom dress code? Are you a poser?

It is hard to pin point an exact moment when, but somewhere along the way the selfie became a thing.

A selfie is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to show what you have, put on a big smile, or show everyone your tongue. Some selfies appear very natural, not staged, and comfortable. Others are more tense, stiff, and out of focus. Some are just plain silly.

Social Etiquette and Online Meetings

What about the Zoom meeting you have coming up? Are you ready for video to invade your home? What once was private is now on display. How will you pose?

Social etiquette is evolving and you are part of it. How you prepare and present today will have an impact on the shape of things in the future.

Engagement is often suggested as the key to online interaction. Keep the attention, keep things moving, more pictures, more interaction, bigger smiles, and make it all attractive.

Did you ever think you would participate in Hollywood Squares?

Does telework etiquette matter?

Most people wouldn’t even consider going to a workplace without appropriate dress and cleanliness. It’s appropriate.

Yet, if you’re not in your natural state are you comfortable?

Rules of etiquette have been challenged for decades, perhaps even centuries.

When it comes to your Zoom meetings you may want to find that happy medium. Comfortable is important, appropriate matters too.

Zoom Dress Code

It is not really contest. It isn’t a glamour show. Does it all matter? Certainly.

The goal of your Zoom meeting is probably not to attain the most likes when you share your Hollywood Squares picture on social media.

It’s about engagement, participation, and in some cases, learning.

When you enter the physical workplace, the office of the boss, or the conference room for a meeting are you thinking about what your photo will look like? Probably not.

You’re thinking about what is about to unfold, how you’ll engage, the questions you’ll ask and the value you can contribute.

You’ve already dressed appropriately.

You’re there to engage.

For the Zoom meeting authenticity matters. Prepare for success. Don’t be a poser.

-DEG

Originally posted on August 5, 2020, last updated on December 8, 2020.

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

15
Jul 20
-

Professional Contributions Will Change Outcomes

Tags : decisions management meeting outcomes professional conduct

There is always a choice at the meeting. Will you deliver professional contributions or just what feels required to get by?

The first time with a seat at the table and you may choose to just observe. Once acquainted with the audience you may proceed with caution but you’re optimistic. It is placing a toe in the water.

What is your long-term contribution?

Meeting Performance

People don’t know what they don’t know.

We’ve all heard, “Ignorance is bliss.”

There may be some truth to that idea. When you don’t know the background, the skeletons, or what has been sent to the graveyard and by whom, you’ll just openly contribute. You don’t know the history.

Your intentions are often good, yet, sometimes you learn that the outcomes are not so good. You regroup, hold things tighter to the vest, and become more calculated.

In other cases, you learn what people want you to say.

In the meeting, you respond to the affirmative. You agree, you do not tactfully challenge or question.

Decisions are made. It seems everyone agrees.

After the meeting, in a more private conversation, you truthfully admit the decision seems like a bad idea.

Why did you agree?

Professional Contributions

You have at least three choices.

The first choice is to arrive unfiltered. Arrive with innocence and express your best thoughts. Enter with the excitement and enthusiasm of involvement without the history.

It is the spirit of the novice. Sometimes, it is refreshing.

Your second choice is to arrive as a professional, making professional contributions.

You’ve studied the data, you know the history, and you’ll be brave enough and vulnerable enough to take greater risk. The risk isn’t personal, it’s professional.

Risk means you’ll push for what is right, do the right thing, serve the client, ask the customer, and deliver what is promised.

Unfortunately, sometimes the third option is the easiest. Just agree and move on. Meeting over.

Doing what is right is worth more than doing what is easy.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

11
Mar 20
-

Meetings Solve Problems, Or Don’t They?

Tags : critical thinking effectiveness management meeting problem solving

Should your meetings solve problems? It may depend on the type of meeting, but many meetings have some component designed around solving problems.

Some meetings are informational. Presenters deliver information. The information delivered is probably organized around solving a problem.

Some meetings are strategic. They attempt to organize the process of planning, creating vision, and improving an organizations competitive edge. No strategy, or poor strategy is a big problem.

Some meetings are task oriented. A committee leads, guides, and steers the direction of the group. Their challenge, or problem, is often ensuring the continuation of the cause or charter.

There are many other classifications or variations of meetings. Most meetings are intended to solve problems.

Reason for a Meeting

Each day decisions are being made by team members. Each day new problems arise. The rise of a new problem, and often it is quickly solved. A process so common many professionals take for granted the act of problem solving.

The problem that makes it to the meeting is different. There are many variations, considerations, or people affected so the calculation on solving it drags on.

Big problems are big problems because they aren’t easily solved. In some cases, attempts are made to solve them, only to see them repeat or continue.

Root cause analysis matters. It matters because addressing a problem with solutions that are not at the root means the problem will continue.

Is that a reason for the meeting?

Meetings Solve Problems

Do your meetings seem to focus around the same problem over and over again? Perhaps it is because of a lack of critical thinking, root cause analysis, or patterns of inappropriate interventions.

Usually the only problems that hit the meeting are the ones that are tough to solve. Everything else has already been taken care of.

Make your meetings count, it is why you’ve assembled in the first place. Meetings that count, have a plan.

The next time you attend bring a proposed solution for every problem you plan to present.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

30
Aug 18
-

Meeting Questions Without Knowing The Answers

Tags : communication effectiveness group dynamics meeting questions

Meeting management, meeting etiquette, and the list of attendees, what drives the output from a workplace meeting? Often meeting questions feel responsible for the output. Should we already know the answers to these questions?

Meeting Observer

When you attend a meeting as an observer something strange happens. You aren’t really engaged, you are observing from a different seat. Sometimes physically and literally true.

As an observer, often your only expectation is to keep quiet. This different view allows you to have a different perspective.

What does an observer notice?

The group dynamics associated with meetings can become interesting. We know from Bruce W. Tuckman theories that groups go through four or five stages of development. What behaviors, if any, are conditioned by the dynamics?

An observer, with good listening skills, may notice that there is a flow to meeting questions and the associated answers.

Meeting Questions

Meeting participants may follow a certain question and answer protocol depending on the meeting and group dynamics. Here are a few examples:

Questions are a test. There is a right answer and a wrong answer. Questions aren’t driving things forward they are responsible only to confirm or command.
Status questions. These questions typical apply to paths of known engagement. What is the status of the project or what are the sales figures for the month?
Direction questions. Where do we go from here? What path should we choose? What are the options?

Perhaps deeper consideration should go into the list of attendees, the purpose of the meeting, and are these meetings effective?

Questions that are a test can likely be managed without calling a meeting. Status questions can likely be answered without calling a meeting. Direction questions may be an effective use of everyone’s time.

What is the direction the meetings you attend?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

14
May 18
-

Planning Meeting, Will It Cause Action?

Tags : action effectiveness management meeting motivation

A new idea seems to come out of nowhere. The competition launches a new advertising campaign, or sales are not reaching the goal. Do you have a planning meeting to discuss the next steps? Will your next meeting result in action?

Planning Meeting

Planning meetings, strategy sessions, or meetings for general updates, are any of these meetings effective? The best answer is probably, “Sometimes.”

There is value to talk. While we know that talk is cheap and it is much easier to say something as compared with actually doing it, there is still value.

Properly structured positive affirmation discussions can be inspirational and help to improve confidence. Both are often needed for high performance. Similar to the coaches talk before the big game, or the friendly, “You’ve got this!” before your big presentation, talk matters.

When you have a planning meeting to discuss what happens next, it may create the atmosphere that causes action. When teams fail to say it, it often fails to get done. So talk about it, and talk about it often.

Open Discussion

Are there items that should be said but are not discussed? Once again, the answer is probably, “Sometimes.” However, that may be a nice way of saying, “Often.”

During the planning meeting, it may be what is not being said that has relevance for high performance. Fear often prevents people from mentioning the forgotten item, the one that no one wants to do, or the new obstacle that popped up last week.

Looking for a software solution to help manage your meeting? (BlueSky)

Goals that you expect to come to fruition require some discussion. They may require updates, the keep it on track analysis, and inspiration to leap beyond the rough spots. Instead, these areas are often silenced because of the fear of being the messenger.

Planning meetings are not a waste of time when the discussion sparks positive action.

It’s the huddle before the next play of the game.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Tag Archives: meeting

Aug 21

-

Meeting Discussion

Jun 21

-

Ultimate Meeting Question

Aug 20

-

Social Etiquette and Online Meetings

Zoom Dress Code

Jul 20

-

Meeting Performance

Professional Contributions

Mar 20

-

Reason for a Meeting

Meetings Solve Problems

Aug 18

-

Meeting Observer

Meeting Questions

May 18

-

Planning Meeting

Open Discussion

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