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

Welcome!

Have you ever been in a meeting where you knew for a fact that you didn’t have the right people in the room? Like a nonprofit fundraising meeting in which nobody had any money or the right contacts to get the money?

Or a new product development meeting in which you invited all the regular people and nobody had a single new idea? If you would like to avoid this type of situation at your next meeting then episode 12 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is perfect for you!

That's because this episode is based on the 'How To Get The Right People Into Your Meetings Checklist' which includes great tips such as:

How to create SMART goals for your next meeting (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound)

How to do a Meeting Team Traits Inventory (MTTI)

How to list the current skills your meeting team has so you can compare that list to the full skill set you need to solve the problem, which will ensure that you know who should be included in the meeting

Why training your team so they can acquire the right skills to make your meeting successful is so important

Why demonstrating to your boss that getting the right people into a meeting is so profitable!

Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Links Mentioned In This Podcast

SMART Goals explanation  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria

 

When you get knocked down or frustrated during a meeting, how do you react? Do you get angry? Do you get quiet?

Do you spend more time complaining about the meeting than the actual time that you spent in the meeting? If this sounds familiar then you're in the right place because episode 11 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast features Zaheen Nanji, an experienced resiliency expert who will share a wealth of practical resiliency techniques and information including:

How to stop letting fear control you

How to take little steps that add up to big wins when it comes to being more resilient

Why it is so important to get feedback about how you act during a meeting

Why is is critical to be clear about your intentions going into a meeting

How to pause first, think and then react - even when you're under stress during a meeting

Why it is so important not to project what you're feeling onto others

How you can learn to use Neuro-linguistic programming techniques to stop speaking negatively

Why gaining the ability to disassociate from yourself at the right moment is so important

How to be empathetic with other people so that you can understand their positive intentions

Zaheen's Top 3 Meeting Management Techniques

Have a clear intention when you head into a meeting

Take the time to be empathetic and understand other people's positive intentions

Listen and understand the other person's language before you say anything

About Zaheen Nanji

People who don't know Zaheen's background sometimes assume that achieving success was easy for her. That couldn't be further from the truth. Her first challenge began around age 5, when an incident left her with a speech impediment-stuttering.

As she got accustomed to the people around her in Kenya and they got accustomed to her speech, another change occurred at the age of 15 - her parents sent her to Canada to create better educational opportunities, but this move made her speech even worse; she lost confidence in herself and found comfort in food.

Even after going through speech therapy in her twenties, Zaheen wasn't cured, but this was the stepping stone to finding her VOICE.

As Zaheen completed her education in Nutrition & Food Science and Environmental Health, she became determined to understand the source of her speech impediment because it had such an impact on things she wanted to do but felt she couldn't. Using her strategies to embrace fear rather than run from it, she slowly started her transformation.

While balancing her family, Zaheen has created a successful health and wellness business and simultaneously acquired 3 rental properties within a span of less than 36 months. Not only an entrepreneur, Zaheen is also the author of an award-winning book on behavior weight loss which won a bronze medal at the Global E-book Awards and was featured in the top 10 in Women Business Owners Today E-zine .

Her system of transformation and excellence is grounded in building your resilience muscle which is the daily practice of the three R's - Release, Reprogram and Resolve. She offers an array of time-tested techniques and powerful principles to propel her clients toward their definitions of success.

For many people who stutter, simply being able to stop stuttering is a dream come true. But Zaheen has run with the dream and is now a sought-after transformational speaker.

Her flourishing career has inspired her to share her system of success and transformation, a hybrid of science and technique called the RESILIENCE REFLEX™ where she teaches her clients and audiences how to easily embrace change and bounce back so that resilience becomes your first reflex!

You can get in touch with Zaheen at [email protected] 

Have you got :20 seconds to make your next meeting awesome? Have you got 20 X :20 seconds?

Because episode 10 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is a recording of me (Gord Sheppard) delivering a PechaKucha style talk called "10 Ways To Create Awesome Meetings" to the Emerging Health Leaders group in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

What is PechaKucha you ask? According to PechaKucha.org, “PechaKucha 20×20 is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images advance automatically and you talk along to the images.”

That’s 6 minutes and :40 seconds of your life that you’re never going to get back, whether you’re giving the talk or you’re in the audience.

And as a Speaker I can tell you that this format is very challenging because you have to be succinct and well prepared, which is why you're going to get a whole lot of meeting productivity information and inspiration in a very short time during today's podcast episode, including tips like:

Why getting real by building trust with your team is so important

Why it is so important to understand that you can choose how you act in a meeting

Why meetings are your early warning system because they are a small snapshot of how your organization is functioning overall

How to make sure that you have the right people, so that you can make your meeting successful

How to make an awesom POINT whenever it's your turn to speak

A fast formula to help you calculate the actual cost of your meetings

Why it is so important to have a great meeting facilitator

Why it is worth finding a meeting Mentor

How to link your meeting to your strategy

Why it is critical to take the time to market your agenda so that you get buy-in

Why the space that you meet in is as important as what you're meeting about

Why walking meetings are essential

How to find awesome resources

How to follow up FAST

How to figure out what inspires you so that you'll make your next meeting great

 Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

 Links Mentioned In This Podcast

Emerging Health Leaders - Edmonton

PechaKucha.org

37 Billion Is Lost Every Year On These Meeting Mistakes - www.businessinsider.com

The How To Create Awesome Meetings Workshop

 

Do you know how much your meetings cost per hour? Per year? When someone talks for 20 minutes straight about the latest cute cat video on Youtube, is that the best use of your team's time?

In episode 9 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast you'll learn how to measure the cost-per-hour of your meetings and not just in terms of money, but in terms of time and overall staff morale.

Because with the pace of business these days you can't afford to waste a single second! Other concepts you'll learn in this podcast include:

How to connect the true cost of your meetings to your overall profitability

How to be honest so that you can decide which meeting to keep and which meeting to let go of

Why profitability must be measured in terms of time, motivation AND money

How to turn your meetings into a competitive edge

How to understand your MROI - Meeting Return On Investment

Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Links Mentioned In This Podcast

37 Billion Is Lost Every Year On These Meeting Mistakes - www.businessinsider.com

If you're a Senior Leader, Manager or Executive who is in so many meetings that you don’t have time to do your regular work, then episode 8 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast is must-listen.

That’s because today’s guest is Larry Schwenneker, a former Senior Director in Education, who not only ran a budget in excess of 500 million dollars, but who also figured out how to thrive in many of the thousands of meetings that he ran, and participated in.

In this episode Larry shares his best insights about how to run fantastic senior level meetings including:

Why teaching other people how they should treat you during meetings is so important

How to stay on track and be respectful of all of the participant's time during meetings

How you can make sure that nobody hijacks the meeting

How to be clear about who you need in a meeting, and how well prepared they should be

Why participants should always demand an agenda, and if they don’t get one before the meeting, why they should refuse to participate

How each person who speaks should have a time limit, and if they go over that time limit then they should ask someone else to give up some of their time

How peer pressure helps to create awesome meetings

Why you should close the door when the meeting starts and not let any stragglers in, including your boss

Why we need more nouns and verbs, and less adjectives and adverbs during meetings

How effective meetings improve the overall quality of your life as well as the lives of everyone in your organization

Larry's Top 3 Meeting Management Techniques

Participate with purpose

Manage time well before, during and after the meeting

Make the meeting as meaningful as possible

About Larry Schwenneker

During his 35 year career as an educational administrator, Larry Schwenneker participated in, and ran, thousands of meetings. For the last 14 years he was the Senior Director of Facilities, Design, Construction, Energy and Environment who oversaw more than 200 schools and 9000 students and staff. At the peak of his career Larry was in charge of more than 500 million dollars in spending and as a result, he had to run effective meetings.

These days Larry is retired and has ‘re-purposed’ himself as the owner of Topika Training and Development through which he helps organizations to become more effective overall. You can get in touch with Larry at www.topikatd.ca

Quote

"If you're spending more time talking about meetings than the actual time you're spending in meetings, then there is a problem."

Gord Sheppard, Professional Meeting Facilitator and Consultant

Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Do you want to poke your eyes out because someone won't shut-up during a meeting?

Are you in meetings where what is being said has nothing to do with you? Don't you wish that people would just get to the point when they speak?

Well, if that is the case then you're in for a treat because episode 007 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast will show you a step-by-step process to help you and your colleagues make excellent POINTs whenever it's your turn to talk in a meeting. In this podcast you'll learn:

How to use the word POINT as an acronym to remind you about the steps you need to take to be more effective when you speak during a meeting

How to Prepare your point by connecting with your colleagues and also allowing for 'blue-sky' time so you can be creative

How to Optimize your point by boiling down your preparation and doing the right amount of rehearsal

How to Invite feedback after you've said your point by not saying a word so your colleagues can speak their minds

How to Name the hurdles and solutions so that you can move your point forward quickly (or else why are you meeting in the first place?)

How to Take action and designate who will carry out the project and when they will get it done

Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

If you had to change your the way you meet with your team right now, would you be resistant? Would your team be resistant?

Change can be tough enough for one person and even more difficult for an entire team. Thankfully, today's expert is Shairose Lalani, a Change Management Professional who shares some of her best techniques to help you create more effective meetings.

For example, in this podcast you'll learn:

How to honestly respond to the question, "Why are we having this meeting?"

How to embrace change even though it feels unnatural

How to say no to "We've always done it this way" and move on

Why letting people talk about themselves is so important, as long as it doesn't interfere with the purpose of your meetings

Why you should watch Simon Sinek's fantastic TED talk titled, "How Great Leaders Inspire Action"

How to create a sense of urgency which will allow you to actually make the change occur

How to answer the question, "If our organization didn't exist, what would happen?"

Why your meetings should have a higher purpose

How to ensure that the right people are in the meeting by creating a corporate culture that is mature enough to allow you not to invite people who won't be useful in the meeting

Why it is important for your senior leader to be ambitious for the entire organization and how that approach can make your organization more profitable

Why you should check your ego at the door before you enter a meeting

Shairose's Top 3 Change Management Techniques

Ask and answer the question 'Why are we meeting?'

Create a sense of urgency

Get the right people into each meeting

About Shairose Lalani

Shairose Lalani is an experienced senior leader with over 20 years of professional experience in change management, organizational development and operational leadership.  She has successfully managed, lead, and coached diverse teams in multiple industries and areas including:

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)/Business Support/IT Projects

Healthcare

Rehabilitation & Disability Management

Oil & Gas

Government

Non-Profit Organizations

Shairose has demonstrated strength in the ability to quickly and accurately analyze a situation and work with stakeholders to create an appropriate solution.  Her success comes from building strong relationships and creating a compelling vision and road map for teams to follow. She is also Prosci certified, holds her Human Resource designation (CHRP), and has been certified to deliver the ExperienceChange workshop. If you'd like to get in touch with Shairose, please check out her website at lalaniconsulting.ca or send an email to [email protected]

Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Links Mentioned In This Podcast

Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Leadership Wisdom From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - by Robin S. Sharma

Are you tired of meetings that don't have a point and waste your valuable time?

Are you ready to turn your meetings into a competitive advantage for your organization?

Then you're in the right place because episode 3 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast will help you to profitably connect each and every one of your meetings directly to your organization strategy. Here's how:

You'll learn about the 'Strategic Meeting Check-In'

This will allow you to stop any meeting at any moment and connect that moment directly to your strategy

It will also help you learn how to make that moment accountable so that you can get solid results from each one of your meetings

You'll learn how to turn your strategic plan into plain, useful language

Can you recite your vision statement word-for-word?

Turning your strategic plan into plain language will allow everyone to carry it out no matter where they are in the organization

How powerful would your next meeting be if it actually moved your strategic plan forward? Not only will you and your meeting team benefit, but your whole organization will become more profitable because of your targeted efforts to connect your meetings directly to your strategy.

Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Do you believe that sitting is the new smoking? Are you ready to try something new with your next meeting to make it more productive? Then it's time to try a walking meeting.

Because whether you're a CEO, manager, employee or volunteer, if you want to make your next meeting more productive and profitable, then it's time to get mobile! And episode 4 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast can help you do just that, because it features expert walking meeting connoisseur Fred Keating.

In this interview Fred shares valuable tips and inspiration that you can get moving right away including:

How walking meetings are a great way to combine your daily exercise with getting together with your team

How walking meetings get your blood moving so you can think more clearly and creatively

How moving in the same direction changes the dynamic of your meeting because you're not making direct eye contact across a table, so it is less confrontational and you don't get the chance to over-read body-language

How this is a great way to start a business relationship because you're sharing a common out-of-the-office experience that you will be able to refer back to for as long as you work together

How walking meetings allow for what Fred calls 'plausible pauses', as in creative distractions that occur along the way that allow either person to stop and listen more deeply or formulate a more thorough answer. Plausible pauses might include seeing something in nature, noting some great architecture, stopping for a coffee etc.

How you should bring a notebook and a pen for you, as well as an extra for whoever you're with so that when you stop for a 'plausible pause' you can then record your fantastic new discoveries

How to choose where to walk so that you avoid crowds, traffic and allow for more continuous walking instead of stops and starts

How to give you and your meeting team actual permission to do a walking meeting

Why it is worthwhile to actually take a short drive to an inspiring location, instead of settling for the office boardroom

About Fred Keating

Fred Keating is a businessman, actor, corporate educator and the owner of Lindisfarne Productions, a successful video production company. He has appeared in television and film, as well as live in front of thousands at major corporate events across North America. Fred combines decades of work experience with a holistic approach to building relationships, which includes intentionally taking people out for walking meetings because Fred understands that it is one of the most profitable ways to do business. If you'd like to get in touch, you can reach Fred at  [email protected]

Send an email to [email protected] to get the FREE download!

Links Mentioned In This Podcast

The Monetizing Your Creativity Podcast with Fred Keating and Marvin Polis

Quote

"You can learn everything you need to know about a man during the first three holes of a round of golf."  Fred Keating (who learned this saying from his Dad)

 

Are you someone who has to run meetings but doesn't know where to begin? Or are you someone who wishes they could run the meeting because the guy who is running the meeting is useless? Or maybe you're just starting your meeting facilitation journey and you're looking for ideas.Well if any of these scenarios make sense to you, then you're in the right place! Because episode 3 of the Create Awesome Meetings Podcast offers a step-by-step guide to help you run an outstanding meeting. Every time. And are the 15 steps:Figure out why you need to meetName your top three strategic objectives that make your organization profitableConnect everything that you want to accomplish in the upcoming meeting to the top three strategic objectivesChoose a great meeting locationWhere you meet is as important as what you're meeting aboutMake sure the room is beyond clean, as in, make it a place that will energize your team to reach their goalsPrepareDo the right amount of researchGo above and beyond when you prepare the agendaGive yourself some unstructured 'blue sky' time during which you can creatively prepare for the upcoming meetingKeep in touch with everyone leading up to the meetingHave a hallway chat with your colleaguesSend a question via textUse this process to weed out things you don't want to talk about at your upcoming meetingSet up earlyArrive at least 30 minutes early to make sure all technical aspects are ready and that the room is set up to help you achieve your meeting goalsGreet each person as they arriveThis is a great way to build rapportYou could ask them about their family or which sport they like to playOr you could ask them about their latest work projectIf you are the meeting leader, have someone introduce youPeople want to follow someone they trust and respectGetting an introduction will allow the whole team to learn something about you from another person's perspectiveWhen you introduce yourself, establish your credibilityYour meeting team wants to know that you have the skills to run a great meeting, so tell them a few select things that will give them the confidence that you can lead effectivelyExplain the agenda Start with an Attention-Grabber that is either funny, inspiring or seriousGive an overview of the meeting quickly so that people know what to expectHave each person introduce themselves an say why they're hereLook each person in the eye, one-by-one, and ask them to say something about themselves and also to state why they are and how they will be contributing to make the meeting more effectiveHelp people disagree productivelyProductive debate is good. Unhealthy fights are badAs a meeting facilitator you need to be able to referee disagreements effectivelyTechniques may inlcude; one person speaks; and making the disagreement about the issue and not about the peopleKeep the energy upStand up during the meetingLook at an inspring/funny Youtube videoSwitch seatsJust make sure that you have a variety of options to keep people engaged during the meetingSummarize ideas frequently and praise people whenever possibleActively listen, let the person who was talking to finish, then briefly repeat the main points of what they have said and ask the group if everyone agrees and that the point was clearWhen someone makes a great point, say something positive out loudCall to actionAt the end of the meeting have each person answer this question - "Given what we have discussed during the meeting today, say what you're going to do and when you're going to get it done."Follow upTreat each person in your meeting like they were your best customer by following up quickly and efficiently after each meetingRemember not to be hard on yourself if you can't do the steps all at once. Pick one or two to work on each week and within a few months you will easily be an expert at all of them! Not only will you and your meeting team benefit, but because your meetings will become more productive, then your organization will become more profitabl...