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Your Most Important Job In Every Meeting By Ross and Vannoy A new study by Opinion Research USA shows that 27 percent of workers say "disorganized, rambling meetings" are their top frustration. An additional 17 percent say they are annoyed by peers who interrupt others at meetings. (Schweitzer, Inc.com, May 2007) How does the data above and compare to your own experience? Hundred of books claim to help turn dysfunctional meetings into productive gatherings; no doubt, there are many seminars that espouse the same. Yet, everywhere we begin a Pathways to Leadership® program, the topic of "meetings" evokes pain, anger - and in some cases forfeiture - as if "that's just the way business is done." Ouch. Something's got to change. And it begins with our own individual leadership. What is the knee-jerk reaction to creating more effective, productive meetings? Most people turn to planning - the right topic, the correct participants, and a length that is adequate and not extensive. No doubt about it: achieving these points assist in delivering enhanced results in meetings.			Craig Ross, President  Steven Vannoy, CEO and Founder

Still, it is apparent that plenty of people choose an appropriate topic for their meetings, they get the right people in the room, and manage the time, only to find that their meetings remain mired in mediocrity. (What is mediocrity? Answer: poor results as people interrupt each other, spend time on PDA's and cell phones, host side conversations, and take the dialogue on whimsical tangents.) You can change that in the next meeting you're in. Consider the possibility that leading an effective meeting - one where people WANT to attend and results are stellar - is easier than most people imagine it to me. It comes down to one thing: focus. Achieving this is the most important job in every meeting. When you guide focus, you influence attitude and ideas. When you influence those two things, you create behaviors and results. It's a powerful formula…and it all comes down to guiding focus. How effective are you right now at doing this? The vast majority of people try to achieve this by telling people what to think, do or say. Their egos get in the way, and the sabotage their own best efforts. You can do it better. And here's how: ask questions. Not just any questions, but Forward Focus Questions that stimulate thinking, solutions, productivity; questions that move people and relationships forward; questions that deliver results. Here's a four-step guide to participating in exceptional meetings. (Note: you don't have to run a meeting to use this strategy.) Check your ego. Do you want to say something because it will add value or because you simply want to hear yourself say it? Ask Forward Focus Questions. These are open-ended and move people, relationships, and results forward. Check your talking/listening ratio. People often think their ideas are more important than they really are. Listening is the tool that quite often delivers the hidden solution. Ask questions that allow others to demonstrate their strengths and wisdom. You're on the same team - poor leaders use questions to incriminate and corner others, rather than using questions as a powerful tool to deliver better results. Questions have proven effective at creating focus in every conversation and meeting you have.

(c) 2006 Pathways to Leadership, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.