Effective Meetings 101

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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by Rachel Harris

In many companies and organizations, leaders struggle to conduct effective meetings. There is sometimes not enough or too much time, other times employees zone out, unable to retain the important information at hand. This is not the leader or the employee's fault but rather, the structure and conduction of the meeting. In order to conduct an effective meeting to create more productivity within your area, review these 3 simple tips to help take a step in the right direction.

Here are our top 3 tried and true tips for creating effective meetings and being more productive:

1. Clarify Intent

Set aside 3 minutes to revisit the purpose before planning your next meeting agenda. Reflect on the company vision, department mission and project's purpose to ensure you on track.

2. Set Context

Increase chances of content absorption by incorporating 2 - ­3 minutes of context for the meeting. People learn and process information at different rates. Even if a meeting is held weekly, restating the overview will serve as a transition from whatever people were doing prior to joining the meeting.

3. Check-­In

Add a check­in at the start of the meeting to "Hear All the Voices." Based on brain science, when people have a chance to speak within the first 5 minutes of a meeting, they are more likely to pay attention throughout the duration of the meeting.

According to the Harvard Business Review on A Guide To Running Meetings, author Amy Gallo writes to keep your meetings short and not going over an hour long. Research has shown that time pressures can lead to a more effective conversation - seeing as there is a limited amount of time go over the subject. However, always leave enough time for what is needing to be addressed, never rush a session.  

Based on the Art of Convening, these 3 tips will transform your meetings, boost engagement, and retain talented people. If you or your company is needing guidance on taking your next steps in creating effective meetings, give us a jingle at CPL @ 612­-920-­3039 to get started on your improvements.

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The Art of Intention

Photo credit: Craig Neal

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THE ART OF INTENTION

My deepest intention is always to serve, to encourage healing (in the meaning of fostering wholeness) and to embody love. I realized over time that by setting a clear intention for each gathering, for each day--I unleashed an energetic field which then drew the outer physical manifestation of that intention to me as I simultaneously was making my way towards "it".~Pele Rouge Chadima (quoted in the book p. 30 in chapter on "Clarifying Intent", the 'first' spoke on the Convening Wheel)

In The Art of Convening, one of the "spokes" or Aspects of the Convening Wheel is "Clarifying Intent". We ask ourselves foundational questions such as "What are my intentions?", "Are they in line with who I am?", and "Who are we to be together?"  These Essential Questions require us to remain in the "being" realm of convening. With these questions, we bring into play our relationship with others: who we are to be, and the how we are to be with one another. From these reflections flows the recognition of an intention that will have substance. With a clarified personal intent to be engaged, the design of the gathering and how it will be executed unfolds more easily. The Invitation, the third Aspect, is the logical next step in articulating our purpose and intent. If our intention is muddy, confused or ambiguous, it may eventually be revealed in a wishy-washy Invitation.

What matters and what counts are imagination and inspiration, a "Hail Yes!" we can attitude, and a roll up our sleeves movement of such magnitude that the future can hear us coming with our heads held high above the cloudy predictions and our knapsacks filled with our gumption and our grit, our gifts and our gratitudes-the building blocks of new cornerstones of possibility. ~Minx Boren (quoted on p. 32)

Intention is like an ignition point where ideas come closer to form, and where the numinous begins to come into reality. It provides us as individuals and groups the opportunity to slow and reflect carefully, and opens a field of gratitude and insurmountable momentum and equanimity--qualities that support success and the deepest form of accomplishment on all levels.

May your convening be full of clear intention and inspiration,

Craig, Patricia & Cindy

PS: Publisher 30% off list price limited time offer in either hardcopy or e-book. Go here to purchase for only $13.97: http://bit.ly/ebAQiw

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Meetings not getting anywhere?

Photo Credit: Craig Neal

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Meetings not getting anywhere? Have you tried Stringing the Beads? Find out more plus get 30% off @ArtOfConvening http://bit.ly/ebAQiw

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