Blogging and Meetings. What is the connect?

Blogging as a phenomena is old enough to have developed its own rules of behaviour.

Well, it is nice that some standards have developed, but I am not happy about all the expectations.

Let me digress.

About 10 years ago, I offered to help out a committee of a professional association I belonged to at the time. I said, I volunteer to do anything at all that you need done but do not ask me to attend meetings. Of course, I was asked to attend meetings. First it was about working out what needed to be done. But thereafter meeting attendance was an expectation of volunteering.

Everybody hates meetings. I researched this and prepared a workshop on how to have effective meetings. So I find it difficult to sit through a meeting that is dawdling, dragging, or imploding. Don't ask me to be there.

Back to blogging. I want to support other bloggers that I enjoy reading. But do not ask me to do the memes, the lists of 5 things that blah-blah, and so on. Do not ask me to take up your theme for the month.

Appreciate the fact that I am a subscriber and that I read you everyday--whether you know that or not.

So, for the record, I don't like the fact that you are not considered a member of the blogging community if you do not play along and meet the expectations of other bloggers. I am just trying to meet the needs of my own readers.

Make Meetings More Effective

We all hate meetings, but some simple tips can facilitate better communication for better meetings.

Newswise press release: Meetings are often the bane of the workplace, but a Purdue University expert says a few simple guidelines can make office gatherings productive instead of a source of boredom or dread.

Taggart Smith, a professor of organizational leadership and supervision in the College of Technology, says one of the key factors to running a good meeting is to make sure it's needed in the first place.

"Every meeting should have a clear objective that is communicated on an agenda distributed in advance," she says. "This helps focus the meeting so participants stay engaged and on track."

The meeting agenda also should include all topics to be discussed, the time allotted to each item and who will be responsible for its implementation.

* Distribute the agenda, along with any materials to be discussed, at least three days before the meeting date. That gives everyone a chance to come to the meeting ready to discuss the issue and take action instead of wasting time reading over papers.

* Meetings should generally last no more than an hour because participants' attention will begin to fade.

* If a meeting must exceed an hour, do something creative, like break up into brainstorming groups or offer refreshments.

* A good rule of thumb is to cover no more than five specific items per meeting.

* Discuss the most important item first because the most time is usually spent on topics early in the meeting.

Related Web site:

Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision: http://www.tech.purdue.edu/ols/

Parliamentary Language and Practice

The following article reminds us to stay in the present, and do it right -- whatever it is.

It is written by my friend Eli Mina, a Registered Parliamentarian.

PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER

Governments and businesses often discover that a narrow focus on financial considerations may produce short term gains, but at the cost of long term pains. To produce better decisions, organizations need to look beyond narrow fiscal realities, and consider options that involve a more balanced and long term outlook. The caveat to consider is; "Pay me now or pay later."

The caveat of "Pay me now or pay me later" applies to more than just money. In the case of meetings, "time is money." Sometimes Boards and Councils become obsessed with the quest to save time, and may therefore find themselves stuck with undesirable consequences later on. It is much better to do things right, even if it takes a bit longer.

Take this example: The Chair rushes a motion to a vote without clearly stating it. Shortly thereafter people complain that they had no clue what they voted on. Procedural arguments ensue: Can we please re-vote on this motion? Was our commitment finalized? The apparent saving in time can result in a loss of much more time later on..

Another example is when a Board or Council is in a hurry to end the discussion on an issue, so much so that members with valid concerns are afraid to speak up, for fear of upsetting others. The consequences may be severe, e.g.: a flawed decision may be made because it was not sufficiently scrutinized. The savings in time can be more than offset by the substantial risk that a flawed decision may present. This also is a clear case of "Pay me now or pay me later."

The conclusion? It is best to invest the time needed to generate balanced and sustainable decisions. The pace of the deliberations must be comfortable and measured. Slowing down to ensure clarity and to allow close scrutiny of decisions will likely deliver substantial benefits over the long term. The Chair or any participant should not hesitate to say: "Can we slow down please? The desire to be efficient is laudable, but we also need to be effective."


Eli Mina, M.Sc., P.R.P.
Meeting Mentor &
Registered Parliamentarian

Web site: www.elimina.com
E-mail address: eli@elimina.com
Phone: 604-730-0377


And I highly recommend his workshops:

"Minute Taking Standards & Related Issues"
A one day workshop on minute taking standards, tools and key principles, and on working effectively with your Council or Board.

"Meetings & Rules of Order"
A one day workshop on shared decision making, making meetings work, dealing with dysfunctions, and demystifying the rules of order.