TEC Resource Center

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Do You Run a Good Meeting?

running-a-good-meeting-500x333Let’s first talk about what commonly goes wrong in a meeting.  Think about ineffective meetings you have attended……What went wrong?

They take too long and don’t accomplish anything.  The facilitator is not prepared and wasted your time.  Participants that should not be there are there, or vice versa.  Here’s my biggest pet peeve, the facilitator allows someone to dominate, or the facilitator does not encourage participation from all members. 

How can you be sure you get the results you want from your meetings?  Well, start by focusing on 4 things – content, process, inviting the right people, and creating accountability.

So, content.  Make sure there is a purpose for the meeting.  People will be more focused and come ready to work if there is a real purpose.  And be prepared.  Write an agenda which is more than just headlines on a page.  It’s not a bullet that says discuss new work hours.  Add specifics:

Discuss new work hours

  • Week-end coverage
  • Flex-time
  • On-call process

That really gets people thinking about what you want to discuss.  And of course, know your material and present the content in an organized fashion.

Next is your Process.  Maintain good but not rigid control of the meeting, allocate a specific amount of time to each agenda item, and please redirect difficult people.  Don’t let them take over.   If there is someone who keeps interrupting with useless or arrogant remarks, take it to the group for processing.  Ask, “Does anyone else feel that way?”  Control the discussion only insofar as it does not become disrespectful or disruptive.  The group will naturally modify an answer.  If a problem is a real problem, it’s good that it came up and you should address it.  But if it doesn’t reflect the general opinion, the group will put pressure on the member who made the comment. And that’s ok.  It’s actually more effective coming from them

If it’s always the same person who de-rails you, consider speaking to them in advance – give them your expectations. “I’ve noticed at times you bring up things at a staff meeting that should really be discussed at our one to one meetings.  At today’s meeting, I really want you to try to think about if your contribution is necessary for the group, or if we should discuss it in private.”  Eventually, they will get the picture if you keep addressing it.  And don’t get dragged into an argument at a meeting.  Learn the phrase “We’re going to have to agree to disagree,” to move past those back and forth discussions that are no longer constructive.

Make sure you invite the right people – only invite those who have something to contribute.  Don’t waste people’s time if they really don’t need to be there.  Inviting people for training purposes is fine, but try to keep that to a minimum.

And last, but probably most important, create accountability.  When the group comes up with a solution or more information is needed, create an action item including the person responsible and a timeframe for completion or follow up.  And make sure that person is held accountable.  That’s your job as the manager and that’s where most managers go wrong.  You can have a great meeting, which had a great purpose and the process went well, and the right people were there, but if nobody follows up on what was accomplished, then all is lost.  Remember, your job is not done when the meeting is over.  It’s up to you to follow up on all action items and make people accountable and successful.

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Why Didn’t I Just Say Something?

speaking up in the workplace, management training, communication trainingOne of the most frustrating and disappointing thing that happens to us in the workplace is not being able to communicate what we are feeling.  It’s often hard to figure out the right way to say something without feeling like you are going to upset the other person or worse, threaten your job.  Sometimes we avoid conversations simply because we think it’s not worth the argument we are sure will ensue.

But the truth is, if we could learn how to communicate our thoughts and needs professionally, in a non-threatening way, we would feel better and get our needs met more often.  And how good would that be?

Here are a few mistakes we make, instead of being assertive:

  • We tell someone else – which, by the way, does no good because they are not the person who can have an effect on what we need
  • We escalate the problem – sometimes others jump on the bandwagon and now everyone is upset
  • We become angry, depressed or anxious – totally unhealthy
  • We take our feelings out on someone else – totally misdirected
  • We cheat the relationship by not addressing a problem

We can turn this around by using a simple 3 part approach for creating assertive statements.  Whenever I feel like I really want to say something but I’m anxious about how the other person will take it, I use this technique.

Part 1

            A “nonjudgmental” and brief description of the behavior you want changed.

Part 2

A statement of how the behavior makes you feel.

Part 3

A description of the effect the other person’s behavior has on you.

Once you get used to it, it becomes easier and easier.  So an example would sound something like this:

“When you interrupt me before I am finished speaking, I feel rushed and cannot remember what I was going to say.”

In my head I think, “When you…. I feel….. so what?

When you don’t attack people and simply state the facts, and then give them the opportunity to understand how you feel, they usually think about it, instead of going right on the defensive.  And by adding the “so what” or the effect the behavior has on you, it tells them why they should care or why it matters.  Try it.  These statements are harder than you think to form, but once you get used to it, you’ll find they are much more effective than staying quiet or getting into an argument.  Way more professional and hard to argue with.

Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com

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If you would like to speak to a real person press 1. Thank you for pressing 1. No one is here right now…..

Did you ever get bounced around on the phone when all you wanted was to just talk to a live person?  Of course you have.  How frustrating!

It’s no different for people who are calling for service.  It’s their job to call when they need service.  And they are usually frustrated already because something isn’t working. Many times we avoid answering phone calls because we are busy or just don’t want to deal with the person on the other end.   Here are a few reasons to pick up the phone.

Since people tend to get frustrated if they have to wait too long to speak to someone when they need service, chances are their emotions will be running higher when you, or someone else, get there to do a service call.  And let’s not discount the fact that you may be able to solve their problem right on the phone and eliminate the need for a service call.   Every interaction with our customer is a chance to build the relationship.  It’s a chance for you to get personal.  Ask how their day is going.  Ask if they have interesting plans for the weekend.  Share something about yourself.  Many times your customer is your co-worker.  Let them know you are here to help.  The better the relationship, the more understanding they will be when things don’t go smoothly.

Remember to speak in customer focused language.  That means focusing on what’s important to them, not you.  You will have a better experience if you think about the situation from the customer’s points of view.  So instead of saying, “I need to open a work order before we can come up to look at the equipment,” try, “I would like to get up there as quickly as possible to get the equipment up and running for you, so let me get some information from you to get this going.”  Same basic idea, but the second way focuses on what’s important to the customer, getting the equipment up and running, not your work order.

Remember, if you think of every phone call as an opportunity to help someone, you are more likely to stay calm and not personalize, even if someone seems aggravated. Remember, most likely their emotions have nothing to do with you; they are just looking for help.  So go ahead, pick up that phone.

Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com

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Am I speaking English?

how to speak in a way your employees will understand

 

Do you constantly feel like people are not doing what you told them to do?  Are you frustrated with the results you are getting from your staff?  Do you ever wonder if you are speaking a different language than everyone else?  Well….stop doing what you’re doing.  I don’t even care what you are doing.  It’s time to do something different.  When you reach that level of frustration, you have to pause and think about an alternative approach.  I’m sure you know the definition of insanity……doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  So stop the madness.  Try something else.  Here are some tips on how to get your staff into alignment with you and make sure you get the results you want on a daily basis.

#1 – Set a clear expectation.  That means it’s clear to your staff, not just to you.  How do you know?  Ask them to summarize the expectations.  It may sound like that would be condescending, but not if you use phrases like, “Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page……”  or, “I know sometimes things are clear in my head, but not so much when they come out of my mouth, so someone run through the process as you understand it…..”  This lets people know that you are open for questions or clarification before people start running off in different directions.

#2 – Make sure they have what they need.  Set your people up for success.  Take the time in the beginning to ask open ended questions so they have to think about how they can be successful instead of just yessing you to death.  So don’t say, “Are we good?”  They will probably say yes, especially if they think that’s what you want to hear or they know you are really busy.  Rather ask, “What resources do you think you will need to accomplish this.”  “What do you think could stand in the way of accomplishing this?”  Let them know that failure is not an option, and that you are there to help.

#3 – Listen.  Be prepared to make your staff succeed.  That’s your job.  They fail; you fail.  Check in before it’s too late.  Depending on the level of your staff, set reminders for yourself to have a brief touch point meeting to find out if they are experiencing any roadblocks along the way, but let them know that it’s their job to keep you updated.  If things are not running according to plan, listen to what your staff has to say with a truly open mind.  Help them get back on track, but let them know that the task still needs to be accomplished as discussed.  If you need to make adjustments to the deadline, that’s ok, as long as it is not because the staff was not doing their job.  If that’s the case, then your problem is not alignment, you need to do some performance management.

Creating alignment takes open and honest two-way communication.  You may think you are very approachable, because that is your intent, but are you?

Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com

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Do you ever feel like you just can’t let it go?

One of the hardest things for many managers is delegating. Most managers who don’t delegate have 4 basic perspectives:

  • The Perfectionist – clearly no one is going to do it better than me.
  • The Skeptic – no one will take the time and care I will to get it right.
  • The Pacifist – I don’t want to just dump things on them; they are already overloaded.
  • The Scaredy Cat – If I give it to them, it won’t be long until I’m out of a job.

 

let it go, management delegatingMost of us fall into these perspective traps at least one time or another in our management life, and they can be the kiss of death or at the very least, a burden. Here are some things that can help us let go of certain tasks and move on to bigger and better things.

For the perfectionist and the skeptic, you have to realize that sometimes it does not have to be exactly your way for it to be okay. Focus on the objective and challenge your staff to come up with new ways to meet that objective. Work with them to help them learn how to produce the quality output you desire so that you can build trust in them. Unlock the potential in your staff or consider making changes where necessary if you have the wrong people in the wrong slots.

The Pacifist has to take charge and realize the benefit of delegation to the employee and themselves. Even the most mundane tasks should be viewed as a learning experience. Find the benefit to the employee and you will feel less like you are dumping. If you are getting bogged down in the minutia of day to day work, chances are you are missing out on real management opportunities. Rolling up your sleeves when you need to is great, but as a general rule, your staff should be the doers and you should be overseeing.

And for those who fear you could be replaced if someone else can do your job, first realize that everyone is replaceable, and then find other areas that bring higher value to you and let your staff develop as well.

Work to change the way you think of delegation. If you can begin to see delegation as a development too, instead of a threat or something that will be perceived as dumping, you will be able to delegate with confidence. Once you feel confident, make smart choices on what you delegate and to whom. When you are looking for what to “let go,” think of the following 4 types of tasks that are perfect for delegating:

  • Repetitive work
  • Clerical tasks
  • Information collection
  • Meeting representation

To decide who to delegate a task to, conduct a brief analysis of your staff. List their strengths and weaknesses and then delegate accordingly. When you note a weakness, set development plans so they can grow and you can delegate tasks to them in the future.

And remember, delegating a task doesn’t mean you are no longer responsible for it. As a manager, you must set your people up for success and check in to make sure they are getting the delegated task done. In the end, the buck stops with you.

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