Volume 8, 2009

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Featured Topic: Meeting Efficiency

Inside This Issue

How Much Do Your Meetings Cost?

Everyone complains there are just too many meetings. Perhaps if we considered the cost, we would spend our resources more wisely. Here is a quick calculation to determine the cost for a one hour meeting:

  1. Average the hourly rate of attendees. Take the estimated annual figure and divide by 1920 to convert.
  2. Add 40% for employee taxes, retirement, health insurance, and other benefits.
  3. Add the opportunity cost. This is an estimated value of what could have been done in the same span of time instead of having the meeting.
  4. Estimate the facility overhead used such as rent, electricity, etc, for the space that the meeting will use.
  5. Add cost of administrative support used to prepare for the meeting. This can be done by calculating step one for the administrative time utilized.
  6. Add these up and you have the cost of one person attending an hour meeting. Multiply the cost of one person by the number of people attending the meeting.

Now that you know how much it costs you, use some of the tips in Vincent’s article and others to get your return on investment.

What Our Clients Are Saying

This was the best communication workshop I've ever attended, the presentation was stellar and the materials were outstanding. I strongly acknowledge that TLC has established the pinnacle of change agent delivery systems for the industry.

Jerry Foster - Oak Ridge, TN

The 3 Most Important Questions You Can Ask Before Having a Meeting

Vincent Ivan Phipps

Have you noticed that lately everyone seems to be in more meetings? Our voice messages tell others we are in meetings. Receptionists say that company employees are unavailable because they are in meetings. Some of you have just left a meeting or are on your way to another meeting while reading this newsletter!

Meetings can be cumbersome, expensive and time consuming. They are also part of our corporate culture. Since meetings are so inundated to our routines, let’s look at how they can be more effective.

Ask yourself these 3 questions before conducting or attending your next meeting:

Question number one: What are alternatives to having a face-to-face meeting?

Our research tells us that 60% of participants say their time in meetings is wasted. When you factor in attendee’s salaries, utilities, and missed opportunities, meetings can cost around $400/hour! Phone conferences are an inexpensive way to get real time communication with multiple parties. Use an electronic posting with an intranet service. Send updates via email to ensure assignments, goals, and expectations are clearly stated. If these methods are implemented, should a face-to-face meeting still be necessary, it can be more efficient.

Question number two: Has an agenda been sent to all participants?

If you are conducting the meeting, the agenda is your responsibility. If you are only attending the meeting, you are not off the hook! If you are going to a meeting led by someone else, it is your responsibility to request an agenda. Every meeting needs an agenda that clearly states the meeting’s purposes. The agenda includes the date, time, and location of the meeting. The originator of the agenda can include how much time will be spent on each area. The agenda should arrive at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Requesting confirmation from attendees ensures everyone coming is aware of the expectations.

Question number three: What is the plan for follow-up after the meeting?

The purpose of a meeting needs to be something more than having another meeting. Some companies and organizations meet on a regular basis. The purpose is to give status checks and updates. During each meeting, by each point covered, include a segment that asks, “What’s next?” This may include confirming a deadline, getting approval, transitioning to a new phase on a project, or bringing closure. People will lose focus and energy if they feel an idea or project lingers. This will have a negative impact on their preference to attend meetings. If people see movement on a project, they will be more inclined to get and stay involved.

Use these three points to maximize the efficiency of your next meeting. For more information on how to improve your meetings, we teach a seminar called, “Meetings That Matter.” This seminar could be the most important meeting you will attend!

Facilitation is the Solution

Most meetings have a leader who is the person who called the meeting, selects the content, invites the attendees, and basically runs the meeting. As a leader, if your meetings are wearing you out, you need a facilitator. What is that, you ask?

A facilitator is responsible for the process used in the meeting. As leader, you own the meeting; the facilitator owns the process. A natural facilitator is someone who is organized, can speak up, and step on toes without marring the shine. It also helps if the facilitator does not have a horse in the race. Being impartial is very important. The facilitator can be on your team, just not opinionated in any decision that will be made during the time they are facilitating.

Meet with the facilitator, who can be someone in another department or a professional, before the meeting to discuss the goals and processes to best reach your objectives. Professional facilitators will know the process tools that can ensure success. If you are borrowing someone from another department or team, help her to understand that you want everyone to participate and remain focused.

She can keep track of who is talking and who is remaining silent and then call on the quiet attendees by asking them to share their thoughts. This can be especially helpful if the facilitator sees an attendee grimace or show concern through body language. It is important for the facilitator to keep her eyes on the attendees to ensure inclusion and understanding.

The facilitator can also help the leader to stay on task and on time by keeping track of the time spent in various discussions. If you planned ahead of time to spend twenty minutes on a topic, the facilitator can give you a five-minute heads-up that you have almost reached your time limit.

Teaching someone to facilitate is an excellent way to build leadership skills in that individual. You can have a different facilitator at the next meeting to involve more people. So stop doing all the work yourself. Share the load, build the skills of others, and have meetings that matter.

Thankful Thirteen

Beverly Inman-Ebel, CEO

Let's gather together in person and virtually for those who are across the country on Friday, November 13, 2009 to celebrate what is right in business. Sure, this has been a challenging year, yet we have all survived and some have thrived. Please join me in giving thanks for hanging in there! We are taking an unlucky date (Friday the 13th) in what many consider an unfortunate year, and turning the tables!

Here is how you can get involved:

Give thanks and give wisdom. We will all benefit.

Happy Birthday

TLC wishes a Happy Birthday to clients celebrating

In October

  • Tim Smith
  • Vonnie Beck
  • Aaron Petticord
  • Kay Tyson
  • Richard D’ Angelo
  • Jeff Hope
  • Satya Mukhopadhyay
  • Marie Perry
  • Sheldon Harrell
  • Don Weatherly
  • Roosevelt Montgomery
  • Ken Brashear
  • Wanda Griffin
  • Heidi Keasler
  • Janet Baker
  • Kisha Johnson
  • Karen Robert
  • Lu Ann Brinkley
  • Mary Tegelaar
  • Pirjo Friedman
  • Kathy Schoendorf
  • Georges Gonzales
  • Angela Terrell
  • Darrell Clarke
  • Teresa Deboodt
  • Monica Roby

And in November

  • Margaret Carton
  • Scott Trost
  • Debbie Franke
  • Tommy Beckler
  • Brian Korkus
  • Wilson Harvey
  • Vincent Russo
  • Greg Laudeman
  • Randy Hall
  • Marian Adamson
  • Eric Norden
  • Paul Veraart
  • Jeff Hathcock
  • Sheila Nelson
  • Robert L. Henry
  • Billy Caruso
  • Tom Sutter
  • Don Rice
  • Randy Crowder

CEO Corner

Beverly Inman-Ebel

“Conjunctions”

My favorite definition of a meeting comes from the American Heritage Dictionary. It reads that a meeting is “a joining or conjunction.” Okay, you probably agree that meetings require people to join together either electronically or preferably face-to-face. But a conjunction? Hmmmm.

If you know me, you realize I am going to play with this definition. There are all kinds of people in meetings, just like we have an array of conjunctions at our disposal. Let’s suppose that the conjunctions reflect on the different types of participants.

And – This conjunction would be people who like equality. One person or part is not more valuable or stronger than the other. As in, “I want milk and cookies.” They don’t want just one; the two are equally a part of the feast.

While this philosophy has merit, sometimes I want to liven up the Ands in a meeting. A does not always equal B. Ideas and solutions are not created equal. I want to tell the Ands to get off the fence and pick a side.

Or – This conjunction would have you choose one over another. They love it when there is a vote. Building a consensus with them in a meeting is somewhat of a challenge. There is a time for choosing, yet many Ors enter the discussion with their mind made up and are challenged to open up their minds to the other side. “Do you want milk or cookies?”

So, Because - These two people are in the same family. In a meeting they like to follow sequential thought. They build upon one idea until it naturally leads to another. They can be good candidates for building upon the ideas of others and gently pulling the group towards consensus. “You want milk because it quenches your thirst left by the sweet and salty cookie.”

But – Every meeting has a person who finds fault with the plan. While But is technically a conjunction, its function acts more like a separator. This person hears something and immediately diminishes it by stating something they consider more important. It is as though the first contribution is not valid or important. “You want the cookie, but you need the milk.”

Okay, I’ve had my fun with the analogies. I have been a participant, facilitator, and leader in a variety of meetings both large and small, low-keyed and high-powered. Regardless of what type of conjunction you are, here are some guidelines that may help you become more effective:

Join together and be a conjunction that facilitates effectiveness. Meet. Live your dreams!

TLC establishes long-term relationships with our clients. If we have helped you or if you believe our approach to change would work for someone you know, please request a proposal or phone 1-888-232-2873. We work with individuals and groups on the following subject areas: attitude, listening, body language, voice, leadership, compliments and corrections, behavioral style, teamwork, effective meetings, public speaking, accent reduction and much more!.

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