Author: Dr. Flores Page 25 of 44

For many of us, it’s one meeting after another. You can’t seem to get away from them. In many cases, a meeting is even unnecessary, but they are now known as “standing,” which means you keep having them even when it’s difficult to find topics to discuss.

It’s surprising that there are so many meetings given that most people complain about them, even the person hosting them. Some meetings are held to report on the status of  work. Isn’t there a more efficient approach to collecting this information? If all you’re doing is sharing what you’ve done, couldn’t it be done via SharePoint? Why do we have to physically meet?

Here are three strategies that can make you a productive meeting manager:

#1: Invite only the meaningful participants.

You must do your homework to determine who should attend your meeting. For example, if you are looking to re-brand a product, you will invite marketing, sales, finance, logistics, and so on. Who should attend the meetings from these departments? If you need to make critical decisions, make sure you invite managers, or the decision-makers.

There are cases in which you can meet with stakeholders in one-on-one sessions. By doing so, you can collect information from these individuals. If you have the knowledge needed, it’s not necessary for them to attend the meeting. In fact, you might be able to gather all the needed information with the individual meetings, which means that a face-to-face session is unnecessary.

#2: Make sure to stick with the meeting time.

Meeting-goers become upset and frustrated when the meeting fails to start on time, and especially when it goes longer than anticipated. In fact, some attendees will leave a meeting that goes longer than stated in the invite. To keep meetings on schedule, make sure that you follow the agenda, and it’s recommended that you begin with the most critical items first.

An excellent meeting manager will ensure that everyone stays on point. You can get people back on task by using the following:

• “John, that is a good point. However, we need to make sure we discuss the market demographics to determine the ideal price point for our detergent.”

• “Martina, I understand you are concerned about the lack of resources for this initiative. However, from our standpoint, we need to determine if we have the right information system for our supply chain.”

#3: Assign action points to the right person.

A meeting should have action points. In other words, the right individual or team must walk away with clear expectations.

For example:

• “Rita, please create a flowchart that describes the most efficient approach we can use to roll out the 200 workstations.”

• “Alex, can we count on having the updates to the marketing plan by Friday EOB?”

The success or failure of a meeting largely depends on the person who is running it. I find that people respect those meeting managers who develop an agenda and stick to it. To have a productive meeting, it’s important that only meaningful participants attend. A meeting is successful when the topics are discussed, and the action items are assigned to the right people.

As a meeting coordinator, it’s important to control what takes place in the get-together, including the agenda, conflict, and apathy. Most of us are aware that many people think meetings can be a waste of time.

Here are 8 strategies to managing conflict in meetings:

1. Make sure to invite only the people who will bring value to the discussions. Avoid asking people to attend if they have little to no role. If someone is going to have a minor part, you can collect the information directly from him and share it during the meeting.

2. Avoid scheduling meetings longer than 1-hour. My feeling is that most meetings can be done in half the time for which they are scheduled. I’ve attended meetings that go on for hours only because the meeting coordinator failed to stay on point.

3. Distribute the meeting agenda at least 48 hours in advance. I’ve heard people say the following: “I have no idea why this item is on the agenda. Why are we discussing it now?” You must avoid surprises. Make sure that meeting attendees are clear regarding the topics. If there is a problem or issue, it should be resolved in advance. Avoid wasting meeting time to issues that fall outside the scope of the discussion.

4. Ask meeting attendees to participate. In far too many meetings, people are reviewing email, checking their social media accounts, or buying an airline ticket. In other words, you do not have their attention. I recommend that you give everyone a clear role. By doing so, they are more likely to be engaged.

5. Anticipate conflict and resolve it immediately. When you notice that a disagreement is getting out of hand, you must confront it. Of course, you are going to be professional, but you cannot allow it to escalate. “John, I see that you have a different perspective, and I’m glad that you raised it. If it’s okay with you, let’s discuss the Tokyo project deliverables.” The point here is to focus on the requirements, and not on personality issues.

6. Avoid making big project assignments during the meeting. Discuss the work offline. In some cases, employees are embarrassed to turn down a big assignment, and they will resent that you put them on the spot.

7. Make sure the meeting has a clear end time, and that you adhere to it. In most cases, people have other meetings, or they have pressing work. Even if the topics have not all been covered, end the meeting on the scheduled time.

8. Avoid praising the same people in the meeting. While some individuals are better performers, patting only a select few people on the back in all meetings is counterproductive. When you acknowledge the efforts of “average” performers, they are more likely to excel in future work.

A meeting coordinator must have a clear plan, and must be prepared to manage unexpected events. An out-of-control meeting is usually a reflection of the person leading it. It’s best to be prepared, confident, and action-oriented. Finally, it’s far better to avoid conflict than to deal with it after it has occurred.

Many meetings are a waste of time. In other words, you meet simply to meet. I’ve had meetings in which the main focus is to discuss a future meeting. Before scheduling the next business get-together, we must ensure that it will bring value to the organization. If not, don’t schedule it. If it’s already on the calendar, send a note to the participants explaining that it is no longer necessary.

Last Friday, I had a meeting scheduled with a colleague to assist me with a business problem. I awoke early on Friday and reviewed my notes for the meeting. After an hour or so working on the issue, I realized a solution to my problem. With this information in hand, I emailed my colleague and informed her that the meeting was no longer necessary. I was surprised to read her reply: “Jimmie, thank you for letting me know. By you solving the problem, we both now have the entire morning to work on other deliverables.”

Her response hits the nail on the head. When you are in meetings, you are not doing productive work. Unless meetings have clear agendas, and specific action items to address, you must avoid them.

Here are three signs you should terminate a meeting:

#1: Key decision-makers are missing.

Meetings are designed to identify problems, discuss alternatives, and make decisions. If you are having meetings mostly to share information, you are wasting time. There are more productive approaches to sharing information, and bringing everyone to one location is not one of them.

If the key decision-maker is unable to attend the meeting, you need to cancel it. You should follow-up with the important stakeholder, and determine a date and time when she can attend. Once you have confirmation, the new meeting is scheduled.

#2: There is too much animosity, resentment, or apathy.

Meetings are designed to generate positive discussion. You can have conflict, but it should be productive, such as raising awareness of important issues. When you notice that meeting-goers are angry, upset, resentful, or apathetic, you must find a creative way to end the meeting.

The point here is that a healthy discussion is impossible when the attendees are engaging in personal attacks or disinterested in the purpose of the meeting. Unless the discussion is professional, the meeting must end. After the meeting, you should work with the key stakeholders to determine the root cause of the problem. It might be necessary to remove some individuals from the discussion. Before doing that, though, make sure you have support from your leadership team.

#3: The topic is no longer relevant.

If during the meeting you receive information from a reliable source that the main purpose of the meeting is no longer important to the organization, you should look to terminate the discussion. For example, you’re informed that the product your team is tasked to build will now be purchased from a reputable vendor. Since your leadership team has decided to buy vs. build, your meeting efforts are useless. You should politely end the meeting, and seek clarification from your leadership point-of-contact.

Some meetings do provide value, and must be held. However, the majority can be avoided. In some cases, the meeting should end early because a key stakeholder cannot attend, personality issues prevent a productive discussion, or the main purpose of the meeting is no longer valid. It’s your job as the meeting coordinator to make the call and either reschedule or cancel the meeting based on the new information. You can seek guidance, but the final decision is yours to make.

To have a successful project, you must do the following: (a) deliver on schedule, (b) make sure to stay within budget, and (c) focus on making the customer happy. Regardless of your project, you must develop a plan, identify the right people to participate, overcome conflict when it occurs, and meet the objectives.

As the project lead, you will encounter obstacles, some that you anticipate and others that surprise you altogether. To succeed, you must do whatever possible to anticipate potential risk events, and prevent them from occurring. Even one unforeseen risk can be catastrophic to your project.

As the project manager, you are ultimately accountable for the success of the project. While you will need funding from the sponsor and commitment from team members, you must ensure that the final deliverable meets the requirements promised to the customer.

#1: Stay focused on the project requirements.

Your company was hired to develop a sales training course for 250 sales associates. On Wednesday morning, your manager approaches you, and states the following: “Jack, we have a sales training program, but not one specifically for sales agents working the floor of an electronic shop. I need you to take what we have and customize it to meet the needs of this customer.”

You now have a project on your hands. You should immediately schedule a meeting with the customer to determine the exact requirements. It’s important to learn the final outcome. What is the goal of the program? In other words, you want to know the metrics by which the sales team is measured. Once you have this information, you can roll out the project based on the requirements.

#2: Make sure your team understands the plan. Share the vision.

When putting the team together, look for people who have the skills needed to create the training program, the availability to stick with the work, and a positive mental approach. As the project manager, it’s your job to communicate the expectations.

To experience success, create a rewards program. A monetary incentive approach might work, but non-financial rewards are effective, too. Regardless of your rewards system, make sure to praise excellent work, and look for opportunities to improve the knowledge of your team members.

#3: Avoid making excuses. Do the work!

You were not given the position of project manager so that you could point fingers when problems arise. You were hired to get things done. When a difficult situation arises, take a proactive approach and resolve it. If the departmental manager denies your request for a specialist, try to negotiate with this person. If the manager is stubborn, go to Plan B. In your contingency plan, you listed another resource that can step in and do the work. If an internal employee is unavailable, consider outsourcing the work. In short, project management is solutions-oriented and not focused on explaining why things failed to work.

Becoming an effective project manager requires talent, creativity, hard work, and most of all, persistence. You must continually step up to the plate and take your best swing. By being prepared and having the right people on your team, the chances of making your way around the bases safely improves significantly.

If your organization is merely focused on doing routine work, such as using traditional media advertising, taking orders over the telephone, and managing customer service issues when they arise, your days as a profitable entity are numbered. The fact is that the competition is too fierce today, regardless of the industry. If there is even a small margin to be made, someone is going to automate as much of the process as possible to earn that 1% net profit. Of course, some smart entrepreneurs are making 1% in many different business ventures, making them extremely wealthy.

Use Projects to Maximize Your Core Competencies

What is the mission of your organization? In other words, you want to know exactly why you exist. What do you provide the customer? Why does your customer want to do business with you? What do you deliver that makes you different in the marketplace? What is your unique selling proposition?

Do you have the answers to these questions? You should be able to communicate these responses to your employees, meaning that you are sharing the vision of the organization. When your employees understand where you are, what you are good at doing, and where you plan to go, they are more likely to commit to the mission.

Tying Projects to Customer Value

Projects are designed to improve organizational efficiencies and generate revenue. For example, one project is designed to improve the first call resolution rate from your service desk. You want your staff to make the customer happy when they call regarding an incident, such as the inability to place an online order.

Many organizations use projects to generate more money. For example, you launch a project to expand sales globally. Your market research indicates that other countries are interested in the boots that you make, and you want to increase sales by targeting these regions. The key here is to be specific. You want to know the market size, cultural issues of the selected region, and other political and economic conditions that affect the sale and distribution of your product.

Making Projects Work

The leadership team must consult with employees before starting any project. You must seek feedback before determining what is important, and what can be done immediately. Avoid thinking of projects that can be launched a year or more later. There are too many factors that will change during the interim. You are looking for action now.

Projects are successful to the extent that you follow a process. For some, this means the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Regardless, projects only succeed when leadership support exists and when the projects are aligned the organization’s core competencies.

Projects are launched for a reason. The final deliverable is a unique product, service, or result that is accepted by the customer. You must begin by making sure you are clear regarding customer expectations. Surprisingly, many project managers take the approach of imagining what the customer wants, which is analogous to putting the cart before the horse.

Start with the Customer

The customer has a good idea regarding the final deliverable. In essence, the customer knows what the product, service, or result is supposed to do, but they lack the skills and time to do the actual work. It is your job as the project manager to put together a project plan that meets the customer’s schedule and budget.

A good first step is conducting a requirements analysis. One of my companies created dynamic web portals for the officiating departments of major collegiate conferences. As the PM, I needed to find out the precise project requirements. To do that work, I emailed a requirements list to the customer. I wanted to know the features and functionality required for this project to be successful. With this information in hand, I could initiate the project.

Create Clarity Where Ambiguity Exists

Even after collecting the requirements from the customer, the project manager will notice activities that are unclear. For example, the customer might desire a reporting module to collect end-of-year information. The PM needs to find out where that information will be gathered,who will collect the data, and who is tasked with data entry. One key question is: How do you make sure the data is reliable. It must have integrity or the reports are useless.

The so-so project manager assumes the customer has a handle on all requirements. The proficient project manager, on the other hand, will value the input from the customer, but will follow a checklist to avoid mistakes on the back end. A smart customer appreciates a PM who practices due diligence.

The Goal is Providing Value

How do you define value? While you might have an excellent understanding of what value means to you, it might be completely different from what is important to the customer. Remember that your customers often have other customers, which means their definition of value includes are larger group of people and entities.

A good approach is to think how you can make your customer look good. If they are meeting their requirements to their own customers, you are providing tremendous value. Avoid thinking that you have to provide bells-and-whistles to “Wow” the customer. In most cases, customers are impressed with a product, service, or result that meets the basic requirements.

For most customers, value is about receiving the deliverable on time, within budget, and to the agreed quality level. In other words, simplicity translates to success.

I’m working on a two-month project to develop an IT solution for a customer. When discussing the project with the sponsor, I was informed that a software engineer was pre-assigned as a core team member. The sponsor stated that Julie was a subject matter expert (SME), and that she was excellent at doing her work.

A week ago I called Julie to discuss her work on the project. It was great that she answered the phone on the first ring. Very few people answer the phone at all today; thus, it was refreshing to speak to human voice.

ME: Hi, Julie! David informed me that you are part of the IT Aviation Project.

JULIE: Yes. I’m excited to be on the project. I love working for David. He has a clear idea of the technical requirements, and I’ve worked for him on several big projects. David knows me well, and I know him pretty well. He and I developed a payroll system for a local hospital. I know what he likes, and he knows the quality of work that I do.

There are some folks that are easy to work for, and David is one of them. For the most part, he leaves you alone, and that works for me. I also don’t bother him much. He tells me the work that needs to get done, and I follow this little process sheet that I put together. It’s actually not a process sheet, but that’s what I call it. It’s more like a checklist. I think I need to get it a better name.

Anyway! I need to tell you that I’m going on vacation this summer to Peru. My husband and I are heading abroad for 9 days. I’m pretty sure that I will not have access too any email or anything for that matter. We’re going to Machu Picchu, and I doubt that they have Wi-Fi in that area. If they do, though, it will surprise me.

I know that you called to talk about the project. David mentioned I should expect to hear from you, but I didn’t think it would be today. You’re on top of stuff. I guess that’s why you were assigned to this project.

Do you know how to use MS Project? I took a class during college, but don’t remember much anymore. If you want, I can order you a copy that you can use, but there’s also a 90-day free trial online from Microsoft. You might want to try that first because you can start using it right now. You know how to download stuff from the web, right?

Again, glad that we’re working on this project together. What is the first thing that we need to do? Let me know ‘cause I’m ready to get going. David knows me well, and he knows I will get my work done.

You might be surprised that I shared just the first part of our conversation. I tried to interject, but I think she has a hearing issue because she talked right over me.

This will be an experience!

Last week, I attended a business meeting scheduled for 90 minutes. In the past, this strategic meeting usually consumed all the allowed time. However, on this day, the discussion moved quickly and we were done in a speedy 60 minutes.

This was great! We covered the important work, and the action items were assigned. The meeting coordinator said: “I can’t believe it! We moved fast today. We know the requirements for the next meeting, so we can adjourn.”

I started gathering my stuff and was ready to stand up, when the coordinator asked the following: “Before we go, does anyone have any questions?” No way! This is a lethal question, and one that should be avoided. There is always someone in the room who doesn’t have anything going on, and lives for meetings. This person will invariably have a series of questions.

Nonsensical Questions

Sure enough, one person asked: “Can you go over what the requirements are for the next meeting?” The problem I have with this question is that the requirements were provided in the handout to participants. This is an unnecessary question, and it required about five minutes of discussion.

Soon after, another person decided to ask, “How many of these meetings are we supposed to make? I have a wedding to attend in January, and I might have to miss any meeting that falls during that week.” Again, all the meetings were specifically noted in an email sent to committee members. There was no reason for this question.

No Sense of Urgency

What disturbed me the most from this meeting was that there was no sense of urgency. It appeared that no one else had any pressing work. From my experience working in the corporate world, I know that everyone wants to keep meetings tight. Once the agenda items are addressed, and the action points assigned, you can disband and get back to work. In other words, you don’t have to use all the allotted time.

However, in this particular meeting, everyone was content to sit there until the last minute. One person did break out her laptop. I’m unsure if she was reviewing her email account or checking her Facebook page. Regardless, her mind drifted far away from the meeting. I noticed a slight smile on her face, and I’m sure it had nothing to do with our meeting proceedings.

Time to Go!

I waited another 10 minutes, and the discussion transitioned from asking questions to small talk. One guy was laughing far too loud for my liking. There was nothing funny about this meeting. It was time for me to go. I stood up, thanked everyone for a “wonderful” meeting, and made a beeline for the door.

Before long, I was in my car and heading back to work. I thought about whether I was becoming impatient, or if this meeting was really dragging too long. I suppose the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Regardless, I am confident that most leaders today are focused on productivity, and small talk during meetings falls short of getting things done.

Aren’t you tired of meetings? Why do most people attending meetings look like they would rather be somewhere else? Why do Mondays have to begin with a meeting? Isn’t it best to schedule them on Tuesday morning, after you’ve had a chance to review your calendar?

When possible, I avoid meetings. I understand that some get-togethers are important but, for the most part, many meetings can be ignored or shortened. I have yet to understand why people default to one-hour meetings. What’s wrong with meetings lasting a quarter- or half-hour? If you are prepared, you can get the same results with quick meetings and waste less time from your valuable resources.

To make meetings successful, you must be prepared. Over the years, I learned strategies from professional meeting attendees. These individuals have a proactive approach to meeting management. They focus on getting to the main points, discussing them, and assigning action items. Staying on point makes a difference.

#1: Avoid saying you are unprepared for the meeting.

Meetings have agendas. If you are assigned a topic, make sure to be prepared. Stay up late, or get up early to be ready for your part. If you are not prepared, it might be best to reschedule the meeting.

You should refrain from making excuses regarding why you failed to do the pre-work. The fact is that everyone else is just as busy as you, if not busier. You didn’t get it done, and that’s the bottom line. Get ready for the next meeting, and hit it out of the ballpark.

#2: Avoid participating in a discussion in which you lack knowledge.

I recently attended a meeting that lasted about 30 minutes longer than expected. There were two attendees who consistently commented about topics outside their domain. Most of us walked out of that meeting even more confused than when we entered.

The lesson here: be quiet! Wait until your time to participate. You will get your chance to share your remarkable words of wisdom.

#3: Avoid embarrassing anyone, for any reason.

When in a public setting, be careful about what you say and how you say it. You want to refrain from these types of comments:

• “You know … Julie was tasked with that requirement. I guess we can ask her now why she hasn’t delivered.”
• “The sales team is doing its part. We are opening new accounts left and right. It’s time for our admin staff to follow-through with the paperwork. Let’s see how that goes!”
• “The problem here is leadership. We need people who can take us in the right direction. We have done everything humanly possible to make this company a success. It’s out of our hands!”

While these comments might have merit, a meeting is an inappropriate time to point fingers. The purpose of a meeting is to identify a problem, review alternatives, and find the right resource to resolve it. Of course, these activities should be done in a professional and cordial manner.

Make sure that meetings have a purpose. If you are calling the get-together, send an agenda with discussion points assigned to particular people. As an attendee, it’s your responsibility to be a meaningful participant. Finally, at no time should you use a meeting to make others look bad. You must focus on creating a positive discussion environment, which allows the expedient resolution of agenda items. By taking that approach, the meetings are productive and … shorter!

A week or so ago, I bought fresh shrimp from Costco Wholesale here in San Antonio.

We like having it at home because it’s easy to serve, and it holds everyone over until dinner is ready. Of course, I often make my guacamole recipe, which complements the rest of the menu.

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