Create Awesome Meetings Podcast: Business Communication Skills | Effective Meetings | Organizational Learning | Management

Welcome! Let's look at why taking action creates awesome meetings starting now! On a scale from 1-10 would you rate your meetings as -5? Do you know that you need to do something about this but you just can’t seem to get the ball rolling? Would you like to learn how to get inspired and take action to make your next meeting amazing? Well then, today’s episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is perfect for you because in this episode you’ll learn: How to figure out what will motivate you to actually change your meetings How to get inspired by your favorite larger-than-life people from around the world How to get inspired by getting to really know the people on your meeting team How to be a great role model during meetings Why failing faster is a great way to take action How to create a series of small wins that will eventually add up to a large victory How to use the 10-step meeting productivity improvement system from the book ‘How To Create Awesome Meetings Why ‘paying it forward’ not only pays off for you and your organization but, also for your community How taking action and improving your meetings can be very profitable Quotes: "Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment own it." ~ Oprah Winfrey~ "Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."~Lao Tzu~ Link: www.terryfox.org And if you'd like even more great meeting productivity improvement tips and inspriation then check out the Meeting Leadership Podcast! Enter Your Name And Email below to get the FREE Checklist √ PDF download!

Are your meetings a disaster? As in… the facilitator is incompetent and the participants are running the zoo? Would you like to learn a fast way to turn your meetings from bad into awesome? Well, then today’s episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is perfect for you because it is all about helping you learn how to hire a Professional Meeting Facilitator. In this episode you’ll learn: Why hiring a Professional Meeting Facilitator is a great investment How to ask the right kinds of questions that will help you hire a great Professional Meeting Facilitator What you should expect when you hire a Professional Meeting Facilitator Why it is so important to bring in an objective outsider who can help you sort through and prioritize you key issues How a Professional Meeting Facilitator can help you connect your meeting directly to your organization strategy A professional meeting facilitator is someone who has the right experience, credentials, and confidence to help you have an awesome meeting. They are objective - won’t put up with your current crap - and they will give you all the options you need to make your meetings successful. And if all of your meetings were successful, can you imagine what type of impact that would have on your bottom line? Quotes: “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” ~Colin Powell~ “Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.” ~Theodore Isaac Rubin~ And if you'd like even more great meeting productivity improvement tips and inspriation then check out the Meeting Leadership Podcast! Send an email with CAM 022 in the subject line to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

When you’re in a meeting, how do you act? Do you check your phone, cross your arms and fall asleep? Or do you come prepared, keep your energy up and inspire everyone else in the room? Do you want to learn how to become the best that you can be during a meeting? Well, then today’s episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is perfect for you, because it is all about helping you learn how to take responsibility for yourself. In this episode you’ll discover how to: Ask yourself the right kinds of questions that will enable you to choose how you act during a meeting Find a variety of tools to become more self-aware Seek out a mentor who will help you grow personally and professionally Demonstrate that by taking control of yourself during meetings, you actually make your organization stronger and more Quotes: “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” ~Viktor Frankl~  Neurologist and Psychiatrist “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” ~Isaac Newton~ Physicist and Mathematician Link: Million Women Mentors And if you'd like even more great meeting productivity improvement tips and inspriation then check out the Meeting Leadership Podcast! Send an email with CAM 021 in the subject line to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Do you and your colleagues follow up after each meeting? If the answer is yes, congratulations. But if the answer is ‘sort of’, ‘not really’ or ‘no’, then you may be leaving money on the floor. Consistent meeting follow-up is rare, but if you learn how to follow up effectively you can literally improve the bottom line for any organization you work or volunteer for. So, to help you improve your odds when it comes to following up consistently after your meetings, today’s episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is dedicated to giving you all of the tips and inspiration you'll need, including how to: Use the word FAST itself as a handy acronym to help you be more consistent when it comes to following up Figure out why it’s worth following up by making a list of your ‘top five reasons to follow up’ Ask your staff about how they want to give and receive feedback Astonish each other by following up quickly and efficiently Make a checklist so you can standardize your follow up process Assign someone other than the meeting leader to gather data during meetings, and make sure they track the key points in a fluid data system Figure out the right level of money and resources you should invest to effectively follow up after a meeting How To Use The Word F-A-S-T: F - Feedback Loop A - Astonish Each Other S - Standardize The Follow Up Process T - Track Progress Send an email with CAM 020 in the subject line to [email protected] to get the FREE download! Quote: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Benjamin Franklin, A Founding Father of the United States

Do your colleagues actually listen to what you’re saying during a meeting? Or do they pay more attention to their phones? Would you and your team like to learn how to listen more effectively so you can have awesome meetings? If the answer is yes, then this episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is for you. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Get interested - because ‘the most interesting people are those who are the most interested’ Repeat what you’ve heard so that whoever was talking feels acknowledged Say the person's name when you respond, because we all love the sound of our own name Remember what you appreciate about who’s talking, and if there isn’t much then make something up Talk less Make eye contact Turn off your phone Allow people to finish what they are saying Pick the right time to say your answer instead of just blurting it out before someone finishes speaking Relax and be present Send an email with CAM 019 in the subject line to [email protected] to get the FREE download! Quote: “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Greek Philosopher Epictetus

Have you ever been in a fight during a meeting? Have you ever watched your colleagues yell at each other during a meeting? Would you like to learn how to fight so you can really get along? If so, then this episode of the Create Awesome Meetings podcast will be perfect for you and your team. In this episode you’ll learn how to: Save time and money by learning how to disagree more efficiently Become aware of your negative behaviour during a meeting Create a ‘fight-style’ inventory, as in, who is shy, too aggressive etc. Understand why it is worth disagreeing Never let a bad idea out of the room because of a fight Never put up with the status quo Establish your own unique set of meeting fight ground rules Make disagreements about the issue and not about the person Stop the discussion if it becomes too personal or if voices are raised Ensure that once a decision is made, then everyone supports it Bring in a professional Professional Meeting Facilitator or Meeting Mentor if necessary Because no matter what type of meeting you’re in, learning how to fight effectively will definitely make it more productive. Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Are you in a job where you have meetings that are not in rooms? Like on a construction site or at a Nursing station? Do you ever have to meet off-site, away from the office in places like hotels or convention centres? Would you like some practical tips and inspiration that will help you turn these unique spaces into meeting productivity opportunities? Well, you’re in the right place because episode 17 of the Create Awesome Meetings is all about optimizing meetings that are not in traditional rooms. And please keep in mind that this is 'Part 2' of a two-part series about meeting spaces. If you have not had a chance to listen to Part 1 you can simply check it out here. Where You Meet Matters Now ‘I believe that where you meet is as important as what you’re meeting about - and with that in mind here is a four-step framework that you can apply to any space that you meet in. The Four Step Framework To Help You Create An Awesome Meeting Space: Step 1: Ask practical questions like... On a Construction Site or out in the Wilderness: What time of day are we going to be meeting? In an Open Area: What type of information are you talking about? Is it confidential? In-Town, Off-Site: What is the reputation of the destination staff? Step 2: Ask people questions like... On a Construction Site or out in the Wilderness: Is there a trained meeting facilitator in the group? In an Open Area: Are there any patients or family members nearby? In-Town, Off-Site: Will an off-site meeting be a motivator for our staff? Step 3: Ask spatial questions like... On a Construction Site or out in the Wilderness: Is it too noisy to be heard properly? In an Open Area: Do you have to keep your voice down? In-Town, Off-Site: Do they have the right capacity and styles of rooms for your type of meetings? Step 4: Ask inspiring questions about the meeting room like... On a Construction Site or out in the Wilderness: Can you take a moment to acknowledge the outdoor setting and be inspired by it? In an Open Area: How can you connect this meeting to your organization strategy? In-Town, Off-Site: Can we book an awesome guest speaker? And if you want even more detailed answers then it is definitely worth listening to the podcast! Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

What does your meeting space look like? Are the tables sticky? Are there broken chairs and old papers lying around? Does your meeting room make you want to run away screaming? I believe that where you meet is as important as what you’re meeting about. So in today's episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast, we’re talking about where you and your team meet on a regular basis. And please keep in mind that this is 'Part 1' of a two-part series about meeting spaces. 'Part 1' deals with helping you improve spaces like your board room or staff room. In 'Part 2' you'll learn how to optimize the places that you meet that are not in rooms, as in, on a construction site or at a nursing station etc. And ultimately, after listening to these two episodes, along with the free downloads, then you'll be able to turn where you meet into a productivity improvement opportunity! And to help you break down all of the detail that goes into creating an awesome meeting space, I have created a 4-step framework. The Four Step Framework To Help You Create An Awesome Meeting Space: Step 1: Ask practical questions like... Do we need to book the room? Does the room have a projector, screen, sound system, and connections for computers? Who do we call if something goes wrong? Step 2: Ask people questions like... How many people are coming? Are people getting along and who should sit beside who? Step 3: Ask spatial questions like... Can we all hear each other and see each other in this room? What style of meeting are we having (ie. lecture, group work) and what shape should the room be in? Step 4: Ask Inspiring Questions About The Meeting Room... Should we post our strategic Vision, Mission and Objectives? Does this space support the unique culture of our organization? Creating an inspiring meeting space can make your meetings more productive, which will ultimately help your organization to be more profitable! Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Have you ever had a moment where the printer won’t work? Or that guy in HR opened another email he wasn’t supposed to and the whole network got infected? Would you like to know the right way to having a meeting with your IT guy when something like this happens and you want to get it fixed fast? Then this episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is for you!. That's because you're going to hear a fantastic interview with Ben Habing, an IT expert with over 20 years of experience in all levels of IT from dealing with small business to servicing multi-million-dollar contracts for large companies. In this episode Ben shares a ton of great IT meeting insights including: Being relentless about defining the business problem itself, and THEN choosing an IT solution to meet the need Making sure that you have left no question unanswered so that there can be no surprises when it comes to implementation Preventing any language barriers between the business owner and the IT technician to ensure that everyone understands each other Making sure the client understands what happens if their system goes down (from fire, flood, failed hardrive etc.) and what steps will be taken if it does How to empathize with each other because everybody has a job to do Why being open and honest is the best way to do business during an IT meeting How to prevent over-spending by establishing clear project requirements How to establish a clear Return-On-Investment from your IT spend, as in, do you want to earn $, reduce costs, or both? Why establishing the right back-up process is so important How to set up high expectations within the IT agreement itself How to not get bamboozled by the latest IT fad and ensure that you only implement what you need ‘When in doubt, do without’ Why IT is not magic, it's just engineering Why IT should be treated like a marriage (because often you'll be spending more time with your IT guy than your spouse anyway) Why it is critical to have the right people in an IT meeting and to follow a clear meeting agenda Ben's Top 3 IT Meetings Suggestions Be clear about the business problem you are trying to solve, and THEN figure out the appropriate IT solution Be calm during a meeting with your IT provider and remember that everyone has a job to do Clearly understand what Return-On-Investment you want from your IT solution, and don't overspend on bells and whistles that you don't need About Ben Habing Ben has been wielding a keyboard since he was nine. He has spent almost 20 years working in IT, holding various roles from Systems Administrator, Senior Systems Engineer, Infrastructure Architect, IT Manager, Technical Process Manager, Director of Strategy & Business Development to most recently CEO. He has led several technical support teams, implemented numerous enterprise applications, server and infrastructure systems all with a focus on delivering value to the business Ben is a veteran of the dot-com bust and after climbing the inner sanctums of IT; he made the jump over to quality and governance, and finally into leadership. This has given Ben, one of the unique perspectives of being able to talk the tech-talk and understand the need for adoption of service quality and business fundamentals in the sometimes-unhallowed walls of IT. Ben, consults full-time now with his company, Vivify Technology Inc. helping companies enliven their technology to enable them to run their business more effectively anywhere. You can get in touch with Ben at [email protected]. Links Mentioned In This Episode www.vivifytech.com Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

How are your meetings going? Bad? Good? Or in the worst case scenario maybe your meetings are just OK. Like you know they could be better, but instead you're choosing to just go with the flow. What if you could find a low-cost solution to help you turn your meetings from bad to awesome! Well if you'd like this to happen then today's episode of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast will be perfect for you and your whole meeting team. Because today you'll learn how to successfully work with a Meeting Mentor. This is someone within your organization who loves running meetings AND they are good at it AND they want to help you improve your overall meeting effectiveness. Some of the great concepts you'll gain from listening include: How to find a Meeting Mentor A simple three-step process for working with a Meeting Mentor that will help you get fast results How to build a Meeting Mentorship Culture The advantage of working with an internal person vs. an external person How working with a Meeting Mentor will help you improve overall productivity and profitability The Five Steps To Help You Build A Meeting Mentorship Culture Acknowledge that you need a Meeting Mentor Find a Meeting Mentor Work with a Meeting Mentor Review what happened with your meeting team Build a Meeting Mentorship Culture Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!