Five Ways to Keep Your Meetings on Track

Five Ways to Keep Your Meetings on Track

Copyright Jennifer Britton, All Rights Reserved, 2013

 Meetings are a huge time-consumer in today's workforce. What is the state of your meetings? How
efficient are they? Today's blog post includes five ways to keep your meetings on track, so you can avoid what Patrick Lencioni describes as "Death by Meeting" syndrome.

Some key tips to keep in mind are:
1. Assign a  meeting facilitator. Facilitation comes from the Latin word "facilis" or to make easy. The facilitators role is to keep an eye on the process. As the facilitator, the focus is on:

•  starting and ending the meeting on time, 
• keeping the flow moving, 
• summarizing and capturing key discussion points,
• identifying issues which may need to be shifted to other events (use of a parking lot)
• summarizing key action steps

It can be very useful to have a rotational facilitator role if meetings are held regularly with the same group. This supports capacity and skill development, and also recognizes that the facilitator's power is rlated to that role, not the role people usually inhabit. Who will be the "facilitator" for your next meeting? How will this be rotated?

2.  Have an agenda, and assign timelines to it. Does each meeting have an agenda, which has been circulated before the meeting to ensure that nothing else needs to be added? Putting time-frames on each item, and sticking to them, helps to manage time, as well as identify issues which may need to be carried into other venues. What does the agenda for your next meeting look like? How much time will it take?

3. Ensure who you need is at the table. A common challenge in effective meetings is not having who you need at the table. This may be someone who has specific information, background on  a topic, or authority to sign off/give approval. Who needs to be at your meeting, based on the agenda?

4. Confirm Action Steps and Responsibilities - A common pitfall is that action steps, and who is responsible for moving things forward, is lost in the dialogue. Key action steps, and those who will take responsibility for making sure they are done, should be summarized at the end of each meeting. What are the major next steps? Who will be responsible for them?

5. Circle Back to Make sure Actions are being Actioned. What is the status of the action steps? How are they being moved forward immediately, and in the longer term. Who needs to know? Who is accountable? Action Plans are only as good as they are tracked and followed. What will support the implementation of decisions, and the reporting out of these actions?

As you consider your upcoming meetings, in which context might you be able to incorporate some of these ideas?

Have a great week!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
Potentials Realized - Leadership | Teamwork | Retreats | Coaching
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Now available for Pre-order at Amazon)
Phone: (416)996-8326

Time Management: Tackle that List

In honor of the national month of Time Mangement, I wanted to share a link to some of my past time management posts. As we all know, the pace of change is just not slowing down. One of my favorite time management models is the 4 D model. If you are trying to figure our how to get a handle on things take look at your TO DO list and divide it into these 4 Ds:

Do it - What are the activities/tasks that you want to, or need to do? Figure out how much time these will take and SCHEDULE it! Remember, what doesn't get scheduled, doesn't get done.

Defer it - Again looking at your list, what can you defer, or put off to later. Perhaps there are some tasks that really aren't urgent or don't need to be done to next quarter. Again, SCHEDULE these or put it on a separate list for mid-term activities, not daily or monthly activities.

Delgate it - What's on your list that can be delegated to others? To other staff members (or others in your life - i.e. spouse/family member). If you are delegating ensure that people have the resources (budget, knowledge, tools) as well as the responsibility to complete the task. The time spent up front in handing it over may seem like a lot, but should pay off in the end.

Dump it - Take a look and notice those tasks that have been carried forward, and forward, and forward. Hopefully these are the only items that cannot be categorized anywhere else (do, defer, delegate). What do you need to dump? Just say no! What do you need to let go of?

Next time you go to tackle that to do list, consider the 4 Ds to shorten it!

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching
Coaching Services for Teams, Managers and Groups
Follow me: http://twitter.com/jennbritton

6 Tips for New Small Business Owners

This April marked my 6th year of business. I continue to be reminded of the excitement and emotions of new business owners through regular discussions with partiicpants of the 90 Day BizSuccess program - some of whom are new business owners, as well as seasoned small business people.

In running the program I often get asked, what are some tips for new business owners. Here are 6 tips which have kept business exciting, and successful for me, over the years.

1. Track it! Take notice of the impact of the activities you are undertaking, over both the short term as well as the medium term. What are you noticing about the money you have invested into different marketing activities? Notice what's giving you impact in terms of your activities, networking and relationships.



2. Create Systems so that you don't have to recreate things over, and over again. It's not surprising that even experienced business owners still " have not had time" to create simple processes for their buinesses such as invoices, proposal formats etc.

Ask yourself:

What activities might you need to repeat time and time again (consider finance, people, marketing etc)?

What systems would benefit your business?

When will you spend time creating these?


3. Build on What You Already Have, Have Done or Do: Many times small business owners fail to capitalize on what they have already created, designed or know. What can you build upon in your business? Do you really need to start off at 0?

4. Plan it! Time Management and Planning can be a major challenge for business owners. When was the last time you sat down to plan and strategize about your goals for the quarter or even the month? As we know from time management 10 minutes of planning can save an hour of unfocussed effort.

When will you spend time creating your plan for the next month?


5. Schedule It! What doesn't get scheduled, doesn't get done. What are your main business priorities right now? Have you scheduled them into your calendar. If it's not written down or blocked off chances are it may get lost.

Request:

Take 15 minutes this week to identifiy one or two main priorities for your business and schedule in time in your calednar to get these things done.



6. Be strategic - We can't be all things to all people? Consider the Pareto Princple, or 80/20 rule, which states that we get 80% of our impact from 20% of our efforts. What activities are going to give you the most impact this month?



Enjoy!



Warm regards,

Jennifer



Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC

Potentials Realized

90 Day BizSuccess Program: Next program starts September 10th

2010 Virtual Business Planning Retreat: October 2010

Phone: 416-996-8326
Follow me on Twitter @jennbritton for the next 99 days during the 100 Day Biz Success Questions

Join me on Twitter for the 100 Days of Biz Success Questions

Tomorrow, September 1st, I'll be starting a Twitter exercise of my own which I hope that you will join me for. For the next 100 days I'll be posting a Biz Success Question of the Day - 100 questions in total. You can follow me @jennbritton.

Many of you know that I've offered the 90 Day Biz Success program for the last few years. It's a program designed to support business owners in their own business growth. We meet over a 3 month period as a small group and 1-1 to look at core business areas (systems, marketing, social marketing) and take forward action on your business. We cover topics such as:
- Developing (or refining) your business vision and values
- Identifying and movning through limiting business beliefs
- Developing core business sytems (bugeting)
- Identifying your competitive advantage (what your strengths are and what makes you stand out)
- Creating your marketing strategy for the next 12 months
- Leveraging social media and networking for your benefit

The next 90 Day BizSuccess program will start on Friday September 10th (11-12 noon Eastern), with registration currently open. There's space for 8 business owners to join me. Will you be one of them?

I hope that you will enjoy the 100 day Biz Success Questions whether you are a leader of a team, a professional or a business owner. Log on to http://www.twitter.com/jennbritton to follow me this fall!

Looking forward to your comments!

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Author of Effective Group Coaching
Phone: (416) 996-8326
Email: info(at)potentialsrealized.com

BizTip: Creating Boundaries

What are the boundaries you have established with your business? Many business owners only realize their boundaries once they have been encroached on.


The ability to be your own boss and have greater flexibility and self-direction are characteristics which often lead people into self-employment.



Take a few moments and ask yourself:

• What are your current boundaries for you and your business?
• How are you respecting these?
• How are your boundaries being encroached on?
• If boundaries are being encroached on, what's acceptable?
• What needs to change?

Some boundaries that you might want to consider are:

* The times of day that you work (i.e. you don't work before a certain time, or after a certain time)

* The times of day that you meet with clients

* The amount of money you are willing to invest in ....

* The amount of time you are willing to invest in .....

*The number of interruptions you are willing to have

* The amount of time you are willing to give things



After you have looked at these questions, select one that you want to focus taking some action on. What specific change will you commit to? Start developing a habit around this new area through ongoing action.



Jenn



Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
BizSuccess Group Coaching

Calling all Small Business Owners - Last Chance

Last call to all small business owners to join me for the 90 Day BizSuccess group coaching program starting this Friday (11-12 noon Eastern). There are 2 spaces remaining for entrepreneurs/small business owners to join me for an intimate group coaching experience for the next 3 months. Join myself and a maximum of 7 other business owners for an intensive virtual (phone based) program with accountability, resources and best practices to GROW your business.

The 90 Day BizSuccess program is designed for new and experienced business owners who are looking for a supportive, action-oriented group coaching program to intentionally focus on their business development.This 3 month program includes:

• 7x 1 hour group coaching calls with a maximum of 8 participants (Fridays from 11 - 12 noon Eastern, 8-9am Pacific) over a 3 month period
• Bi-weekly modules delivered full of tools, resources and exercises to grow your business
• 36 E-Biz Tips delivered to your mailbox 3 times a week for the program length
• 15 minute lazer coaching 1-1 session with me on a monthly basis at no extra cost!

During the three months of the program you will:

• Create Your Business RoadMap: Develop or refine your business vision
• Explore your unique strengths and abilities as a business person, identifying areas for leverage and competitive advantage
• Get clear on your niche (or niches) - Who are your clients? Who do you serve?
• Identify what unique products and services you offer and how this sets you apart from other providers
• Explore Your Web: Identify opportunities for collaboration and partnerships with other business owners and service providers
• Develop your marketing strategy and budget
• Investigate how your business can leverage technology and social media to build their client base and increase sales through an introduction to blogs, podcasts and other platforms
• Develop a concrete business action plan for the next year

One session will be dedicated to additional topics that matter most to participants

Cost: $347 for the 3 month program.

There are still 3 spaces remaining in the program. To register and reserve your spot you can visit us online or contact me directly by email/phone at jennifer(AT)potentialsrealized(dot)com/ 1-866-217-1960 (toll free across N.America) or at my mobile (416) 996-TEAM. Curious about how the program may benefit you? Please give me a call.

Some of the recent work I have done for busienss owners include: "Starting Your Own Business - A Guide for Women in York Region" (2006) and the Succession Planning Webinar Series early this year.

I look forward to hearing from you and having you join me for this incredible journey of action, learning and accountability as you take your business from GOOD to GREAT! This will be the last 90 day Biz Success program offered before the end of 2008.

I look forward to having you join me!

Warm wishes,

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPT

Potentials Realized

Coaching for Small Business Owners

Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960 ~ Mobile: (416) 996-TEAM

Succession Planning Web Seminar Series Launched

Many of you will remember that one of the projects I was working on this winter was a Succession Planning Web Seminar series for Entrepreneurs and SMEs in York Region. As a business coach, I was one of four professionals who led a 15-20 minute seminar series on steps and tips to creating your own succession plan as a business owner.

The series has now been launched by the York, South Simcoe Training and Adjustment Board (YSSTAB) and you can now view the web seminar series online here.

Succession planning continues to be a hot topic for both corporate North America and also SMEs. What steps have you taken to ensure business continuity within your team or organization. I hope that you will take a few minutes to view my web seminar entitled 8 Steps for a Successful Exit. Many of these tips are just as applicable to leadership succession wtihin larger organizations. I hope that you will take a few minutes and click on over to view the web seminar series.

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Coaching Services for Business Owners
Toll free: 1-866-217-1960

10 Ways to Get to Know Your Team

Strengthening Your Team Relationships
10 Ways to Get To Know Your Team
Copyright 2008 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved

We can spend a majority of our waking hours at work. But how well do you know other members of your team?

This month's blog focus is all about strengthening relationships in your work and life. Here's a list of 10 things you could do to strengthen relationships within your team by getting to know each other a little better:

1. Create out of the office/off-hours opportunities to connect. It may be as simple as a luncheon out, or a walk through a nearby park.

2. Create a job shadowning day where you get paired with a fellow colleague and learn about what they do you. If a full day is just too long, make it a half day process.

3. Pair staff members together as team supports or buddies. These support teams can be rotated every month or so, enabling all team members to get to know each other.

4. Create special project teams which will foster closer working relationships.

5. Create an environment of trust. Trust is essential in order to facilitate close working relationships and create the foundation of for . How we create trust? Through transparency. Walking our talk. Creating shared leadership opportunities, practicing integrity.

6. Create opportunities for loved ones or family members to attend team events. These people know your team mates best. You might be surprised at what you learn about them, and what you learn about yourself based on discussions.

7. Instead of bouncing that email to your team mate, get up, go over and speak to them!

8. Invest in opportunities for the staff/team to "get away" from the office to focus in on team issues and get to know one another. Bring in an external facilitator to boost the process (Click here for an article I wrote on what to consider when designing your next team retreat).

9. Make sure that your team meetings are working for you as a team. Are they sapping energy? or boosting morale? Have team members suggest short activities or ideas that could be brought into the meetings to avoid the Death by Meeting syndrome.

10. Look at what everyone brings to the table. As a team, you should have a shared vision of what you want to accomplish. How does each team member see their role in contributing to the team's vision and accomplisments?

What are some approaches that have worked well for your teams? As always, I look forward to having you comment below.

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer{at}potentialsrealized.com

Looking for some additional ways to strengthen your team. Read my article: Team Building Tips: Take Your Team From Great to Extraordinary

Six Tips for Back to Work Success

For many of us it’s back to work today, just as kids are back to school. I hope that you had a great summer, and are gearing up for the fall. After spending an almost hedonistic 6 weeks based primarily out of my office in Muskoka, it’s back to work for me here in the city.

I thought that I’d share some back to work tips to get you going for this fall:

1. Keep organized: Chances are that you spent some time over the summer months getting your office back into shape (or maybe your desk is still buried under a mountain of paper). To keep it in the same shape you’ve got it in right now, spend some time keeping it in order every week. A little effort every day, or every week will keep it under control.

2.Take time to plan: Many of you have read my writing on this topic before. I am a strong supporter of daily planning for the day ahead (whether it happens the night before or first thing in the morning). Research shows that 15-20 minutes of planning time daily can save up to 2 hours of unfocused effort. What’s your game plan this week?

3.Set some goals or refresh your acquaintance with your goals: What are the major goals you want to accomplish by the end of the year? What needs to happen to get these accomplished? Spend some time this week pulling out your annual or quarterly goal lists, review them and make modifications as necessary. Are your daily activities moving you closer to your goals? If not, what changes do you need to make? What needs to come more into focus?

4. Bring that summer time feel into work more often: Do you ever notice that the pace of work is really different in the summer? What makes summer special for you? What makes you more productive or effective during the summer? How can you bring more of that “summertime pace” into the fall work days?

5.Unwire, just a bit: Many of you may have experienced the joy of unwiring over the summer from your Blackberry, your email and your voice mail for a short while. I’m not advocating unwiring totally during the work day, but ease back into it gradually. Recent research out of Britain has shown that email management is the number one stressor for workers today. What systems can you put into place to get your email and voice mail under control? How much time do you spend checking email? Could you reduce this and chunk it so that your time between email management becomes more productive?

6. Keep enjoying the things that you did during the summer: The summer pace often allows us to indulge in those things that really matter to us – spending time with friends, family, in nature or at the gym. Just because it’s back to work, do you need to drop all those things at once? What can you do to keep some of these activities you enjoyalive during the fall and winter?

I’d be interested in hearing which of these 6 Tips resonate with you, or what advice you have for Back to Work Success. Please feel free to comment below.

Have a great workweek,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Group Coaching Essentials
Email: jennifer{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960