Oh Holy Night

Tonight is the night Christians celebrate a miraculous night 2,000 years ago.  The night a precious young lady delivered a baby who would become the Savior of the world.  This historical event happened in a plain stable where all those who got a room in the inn kept their animals, their vehicles of the day.  Had it been today I suppose baby Jesus would have been born in the parking garage of a hotel.  God had planned this evening since the beginning of time.  He created the world, then created a couple of people who would sire a population in need of hope, love, peace and forgiveness.  We need hope, love, peace and forgiveness all the more today. 

I plan on enjoying some time with my family opening gifts, eating lots of delicious foods and visiting with those I love.  But I also plan and encourage you to plan on reflecting on what happened this day and night in another land at another time.  Be thankful for all your blessings and spread this hope, love, peace and forgiveness in your circle of the world.

Still learning,

Honey
www.interaction-training.com

Meeting Matters!

When something needs to be discussed we better call a meeting, right?  Perhaps, perhaps not, but if you decide you do need a meeting, make sure it is efficient.  We have all spent hours in meetings that were not more than a waste of time. 

Charles Alvarez, Cornerstone Advisory Services 

business coach gives 7 ways to assure efficiency in your meeting.

1. Is It Necessary?

Ask, “Is this meeting necessary?” Many meetings turn out in retrospect to be unnecessary. There are other ways to achieve the same goal. Sometimes you can achieve it by circulating a memo. You can have a conference call. You can speak to people individually. You can even postpone it to another meting or another time altogether. If a meeting is not necessary, avoid holding it whenever possible.

If the meeting is necessary, ask, “Is it necessary for me to attend this meeting?” If it is not necessary for you to attend, don’t go in the first place. If it is not necessary for someone else to attend a particular meeting, make sure that he knows so that he does not have to be there.

2. Write an Agenda

If you have determined that the meeting is necessary, establish a clear purpose for the meeting and write up an agenda. An excellent time management tool is for you to write a one paragraph statement of purpose for the meeting. Complete the sentence, “We are having this meeting to achieve this specific goal:” and then write out the objective of the meeting.

This is a tremendous discipline. Make out an agenda or a list of everything that has to be covered in the meeting. Next to each item, put the name of the person who is expected to address that particular issue. Distribute the agenda, if possible, at least 24 hours in advance so that each person knows what they will be expected to contribute. They will know what the objective of the meeting is and what will be discussed. This applies to one on one meetings with your boss, with your subordinates, with your customers, with your suppliers and whoever else.

3. Start and Stop on Time

Start and stop the meeting on time. Set a schedule for the beginning of the meeting, and set a time for the end of the meeting. If the meeting is going to run from eight until nine, start it at eight o’clock sharp and end it at nine o’clock sharp.

The worst type of meetings are the ones that start at a specific time but have no clearly determined ending time.

Here is another rule: don’t wait for the latecomer. Assume the latecomer is not coming at all, and start at the designated time. It is unfair to punish the people who are there on time by making them wait for the person who gets there late, if at all.

Many companies establish the policy of locking the meeting room from the inside at the exact time the meeting is scheduled to start. The people who show up late are not allowed in. You can be sure that they don’t show up late the next time.

4. Cover Important Items First

Cover the most important items first. When you draw up the agenda, apply the 80/20 Rule. Organize the agenda so that the top 20% of items are the first items to be discussed. This way, if you run out of time, you will have covered the items that represent 80% of the value of the meeting before the time runs out.

5. Summarize Each Conclusion

When you discuss each item, summarize the discussion and get closure. Get agreement and completion on each item before you go onto the next one. Restate what has been decided upon and agreed to with each item before you proceed.

6. Assign Specific Responsibility

If you have made a decision, assign responsibility for the specific actions agreed upon and set deadlines. Remember, discussion and agreement without an assignment of responsibility and a deadline for completion is merely a conversation. Be clear about who is going to do what and by when.

7. Keep Notes and Circulate Minutes

A key to assuring maximum effectiveness from meetings is to keep accurate notes and to circulate the minutes of the meeting within 24 hours whenever possible. The person with accurate minutes from a meeting that can be pulled out a week or a month later can resolve a lot of potential misunderstandings.

Agendas prepared in advance, followed by meeting minutes shortly afterwards, assure that everyone is clear about their agreed upon responsibilities and deadlines.

As I reflected over these 7 ways to assure efficiency in your meeting I had a thought.  Who do you need to meet with that you are avoiding?  Clear up any guilt you have concerning procrastinating about meetings people need or want to have with you or vice versa.  Don’t put it off!

Still learning,

Honey

www.interaction-training.com

Christmas Cheer

Christmas should be a time of celebration and sharing but that is not always the way it goes.  Some may be strapped for cash and so they are anxious about getting gifts for family and friends.  Some may have experienced a loss and so they are sad to spend the holiday without their loved one.  Some may be estranged from their family and are feeling lonely.  As customers come into your financial institution this Christmas season observe their attitude.  Be sensitive and do your part to help make their day brighter.

One way to get people away from their sadness is to offer them an opportunity to give to someone who is needy.  You could have a toy drive for Toys for Tots  at your company.  You could have a contribution jar for Wounded Warriors.  Have the Salvation Army red kettle  at your teller stations.  Select an organization that is well established and known so people feel comfortable giving.  This year InterAction Training is hosting a Christmas party for all the Houston-area graduates of the PrisonEntrepreneurship Program.  I don’t question it will be the highlight of the holiday season for me.

My favorite gas/service station has a toy drive every year for Toys for Tots.  Picking one organization and making it a tradition is a great idea.  Every year your customers will get used to seeing your charity promotion and think ahead to how they will help. 

Helping out will not only give your customers an opportunity it will also help unite your staff with a common purpose.  If you have a Christmas party be sure and have them bring a toy or canned good for distribution to your chosen organization.

Of course Christmas is not the only time these organizations need donations.  When opportunities arise think of ways your group can lend a hand.  Become an organization known for giving back to the community.

I am not completely certain of the definition of an adult but I think it might be “one who became aware it is by far better to give than to receive.”

Still learning,

Honey

www.interaction-training.com

Fail to plan....

Plan to fail.  This quote, attributed to Benjamin Franklin, contains very wise words.  Sure, you can "luck"  into some success but when you decide to plan, your chances for success increase tremendously.  If you don't have a plan with some goals how do you even know if you have achieved what you wanted?

So how do you make a plan?  There are of course as many ways to make a plan as there are people.  We are all unique, so our paths to success are all unique.  This week I called together a group of wise professionals who have worked with me over the years.  I asked them to join me in brainstorming time for my future business plan.  It was incredibly inspiring to hear different viewpoints.  I have experienced some great success over the years in the banking and credit union industries.  I have presented countless seminars encouraging professionals to plan.  I understand the value in setting aside time to plan.

Can you imagine me going into speak to a group without thinking through what I would say?  Since I've been a speaker for decades I could "wing it" and may make some sense.   But optimum teaching is only going to happen when I plan my lessons, practice my presentation and tune in to my audience.

As the year comes to an end take some time to think through how you spent your days this year.  As the new year begins plan how you could be more effective, more professionals and more successful.  Think through your circle of acquaintances.  Ask them to honestly give you some input on your work ethic.  To improve we must listen to criticism and make adjustments to better ourselves.

Still learning.

Honey
www.interaction-training.com

Supervisors plan for success by coming to my January bootcamp  

Be More Productive

Before I can get anything produced I must get organized and come up with a plan.  A creative mind is sometimes very hard to tame.  I'm always on the search for useful tools in maximizing productivity while fostering creativity.  I have posted on my site a very useful software for that process.  "MindGenius" is a "mind mapping" software program.  The program easily helps your team organize a project into managable pieces.  The software helps you to graphically visualize the scope of a project, then divide and catagorize the tasks.  The software has a tool for brainstorming then  organizing the ideas generated.  I have been frozen by a team project that was too big to get my mind around. This software is a tool that can get the ball rolling.  All data input into the software is stored and transferrable easily into any Microsoft  Office software you choose to use.

The software has a 30 day free trial.  Trying before I buy is my favorite way to really see if something is right for me.  

After you try it out let me know how it fit with your needs.

Moving forward,

Honey Shelton
www.interaction-training.com