Organizational Development Consultant and Leadership Coach

20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #17 Toys

February 26, 2014

“After an hour or so I start to see the signs. People start to fidget, they seem uncomfortable, and they lose concentration. We take frequent Breaks and use Movement in our meetings as well, but I’d like to learn another alternative for getting active people to sit still enough to listen and participate for extended periods of time.”

17. Toys

What Is Toys?

The use of Toys is another technique designed to keep people focused and attentive for long periods of time.

“Sit still and pay attention!” Many of us learned this strict rule of behavior as children, but it Continue reading

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #16 Movement

February 23, 2014

“What other techniques can I use to keep people alert and involved in our meetings?”

16. Movement

What Is Movement?

Movement is another technique designed to keep energy high and attention focused. Any purposeful Movement can reenergize your group while at the same time supporting your meeting objectives.

When to Use Movement

  •  When your meetings last more than a few hours
  •  When you want to encourage participants to talk with new people
  •  When you anticipate that the group’s energy level will deteriorate, such as after lunch
  •  When the group appears to be physically uncomfortable

How to Continue reading

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #15 Breaks

February 18, 2014

My last three blogs described techniques to improve the clarity of communication.  My next three blogs will describe techniques to stimulate and maintain high energy.  Today I’ll describe Technique #15: Breaks.

“We seem to run out of steam long before our work has been completed. Do you have any ideas?”

15. BREAKS

What Are BREAKS?

BREAKS are designed to support high energy and focus throughout your meeting.

Meetings are notorious for pushing on too long. The energy level of the group decreases as the meeting progresses, and concentration and creativity suffer as a result. This problem is Continue reading

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #14 Analogies and Metaphors

February 13, 2014

“Sometimes critical information isn’t understood in our meetings as clearly as I would like. Important points seem to get lost because they are either complicated, dull, or both. What alternatives do we have to get key points across?”

14. ANALOGIES AND METAPHORS

What Are ANALOGIES AND METAPHORS?

The ANALOGIES AND METAPHORS technique helps your meeting participants focus and crystalize their thinking and understanding of an issue. It can also be used to emphasize key points of a topic under discussion. This technique is especially applicable for information that is difficult to understand or explain in simple terms. ANALOGIES AND METAPHORS Continue reading

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #13 Art

February 10, 2014

“My participants sometimes seem to get bogged down in their own logic. This inhibits their creativity and negatively impacts the energy of the group. I am looking for a way to get people to think more creatively so we can develop a deeper understanding of an issue. Is there a technique that will help us see things through different eyes?”

13. ART

What Is ART?

ART is a technique for helping your meeting participants think and express themselves differently.

When people articulate their thoughts in atypical ways, they tend to produce a broader spectrum of information. And sometimes the most Continue reading

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #12 Charting

February 3, 2014

My last several blogs have described techniques to define and control meeting behavior and keep your meetings on track.  My next three blogs will describe techniques to improve the clarity of communication.  Today I’ll describe Technique #12: Charting.

 “Even though I think my instructions are clear, participants frequently ask me to repeat what I say. Also, points that are made in the meeting are often repeated later on. This is frustrating and always seems to slow us down. Can you suggest a technique that will eliminate these problems?”

12. CHARTING

What Is CHARTING?

CHARTING is a Continue reading

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #11 Go/No Go

January 27, 2014

“What is the easiest way to ascertain if our meeting group is ready to move to the next agenda item or next part of our current discussion? Sometimes I’m not sure.”

11. GO/NO GO

What Is GO/NO GO?

GO/NO GO is a productivity technique that helps your meeting group decide whether or not to move forward. This can mean moving to the next agenda item, the next section of a complex question, the next step, or the next question or making any decision that requires a yes or no vote.

If an ongoing discussion is incomplete, and this often occurs Continue reading

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #10 Self Management

January 23, 2014

“How can I stimulate the participants in our group to become more involved and take more responsibility for our meeting’s success?”

10. SELF-MANAGEMENT

What Is SELF-MANAGEMENT?

SELF-MANAGEMENT is a productivity technique for stimulating participant involvement and sharing responsibility for and ownership of meeting success.

Participants in the meeting accomplish this by breaking apart the different roles of the meeting facilitator and sharing them among themselves. These roles include a facilitator, recorder, minute taker, and timekeeper, as well as a facilitator in small group discussions.

When group members share the facilitation duties, their involvement and ownership increases automatically. SELF-MANAGEMENT increases meeting Continue reading

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #9 Shredded Questions

January 20, 2014

 “It seems as if conversations at our meetings always go around in circles. We talk about different aspects of the same question all at the same time. Is there a specific technique we can use that will give us some structure and control over this?”

9. SHREDDED QUESTIONS

What Are SHREDDED QUESTIONS?

The SHREDDED QUESTIONS technique outlines an orderly process for addressing a specific meeting issue or agenda item. This technique ensures that every appropriate facet or element of the specific issue under discussion will be examined thoroughly and efficiently.

Generally, the facets of meeting issues include:

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20 Techniques to Improve Meeting Productivity: #8 Three P Statements

January 13, 2014

“Even though I think I’ve been clear, my meeting participants often question me about the specific function and value of group activities. They certainly have every right to know what is going on and why. Is there a technique I can use to better explain what will happen, how it will happen, and why it will happen?”

8. THREE P STATEMENTS

What Are the Three P Statements?

The THREE P STATEMENTS productivity technique explains the focus, methodology, and value of a given upcoming agenda item. It informs your meeting group of what to expect and what will be accomplished from Continue reading

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