Meeting Leadership Podcast

As business leaders, we must always find inspiration in our daily lives if we hope to inspire others.

Word-record holder Martin Parnell is a person who actively seeks inspiration rather than waiting for it. He has climbed the world's tallest mountains, run marathons that cover inconceivable distance on foot, and raised over a million dollars for charity.

Martin visited us twice before in the Meeting Leadership Podcast, in episodes 043 and 056 (links to these episodes are below). In episode #076, we cover another inspiring story about a marathon runner in Afghanistan who inspired Martin himself.

It's truly a gift whenever we get to interview a real-life inspiration story like Martin, and this episode is a glimpse into how he finds his own motivation to be great.

For more information or a transcript of MLP 076, visit:https://meetingleadershipinc.com/76

Sometimes a hands-on approach to meetings is needed to grab your team's attention and keep it.

If you've followed parts 1-5 (link to these episodes are in the links section), you've seen some of the tactics you can employ to create the type of structure you need for precision in team meetings. Now you'll want to make sure the team members received these messages clearly.

In episode #075, we conclude our 5-part series on creating effective team meeting agendas:

• How to produce a meeting agenda trailer that grabs attention
• Writing personal notes to get each team member to focus
• Cold-calling as a useful tactic to assess the status of attendees

The free download explaining the AGENDA acronym can be fount here: https://meetingleadershipinc.com/71download

For more information or a transcript of MLP 075, visit:https://meetingleadershipinc.com/75

Business leaders benefit from decisiveness and accountability in all their dealings, especially meetings.

One of the main goals as a leader is to set an example for team members to follow. To take decisive actions and hold everyone accountable is a sure way to show your co-workers you take the agenda seriously.

Episode #074 of the Meeting Leadership Podcast covers the D and A of the AGENDA acronym:

• D for 'Decide Now'
• A is for 'Accountability Check-In'
• The benefits of a great agenda

A free download is available explaining the AGENDA acronym in print: https://meetingleaderhshipinc.com/71download

For more information or a transcript of MLP 074, visit: https://meetingleadershipinc.com/74

Meeting don't have to be dull affairs that team members dread attending.

With a plan to generate excitement and navigational tools to keep everything on track, your meetings can be both inspiring and effective. This might require a look at how your agendas are structured, and whether or noth they're taking advantage of all available resources.

Episode #073 of the Meeting Leadership Podcast covers the E and N of the AGENDA acronym, as well as a few related tips:

• E for "Excitement
• N for "Navigation tools
• Navigation tool examples
• Related podcasts: https://meetingleadershipinc.com/12

A free download is available explaining the AGENDA acronym in print:https://meetingleaderhshipinc.com/71download

For more information or a transcript of MLP 073, visit:https://meetingleadershipinc.com/73

Before you can inspire your team members with your perfected plans, you have to grab their attention.

It is important to consider your initial approach before getting into the heart of the meeting. You want to have a clear picture how you'll grab team members' attention, and a set of clear goals as a guide.

In episode #072 of the Meeting Leadership Podcasts, we cover A and G of the AGENDA acronym and related tips:

• A for "Attention grabbing"
• G for "Great Goals"
• How closely should you follow Robert's Rules?
• Consulting a strategic plan

There is also a free download available with an explanation about the AGENDA acronym if you'd like to see it in print: https://meetingleadershipinc.com/71downlaod.

For more information or a transcript of MLP 071, visit:https://meetingleadershipinc.com/71.

One of the ongoing challenges for leaders is to get team members to buy in to the process of each meeting. Some might miss the value of the meeting itself, while others would rather be behind their desks.

It's your job as the meeting leader to get team members to buy in to the meeting process. A well-planned agenda is the foundation for a smooth transition from the cubicle to the boardroom.

In episode #071 of the Meeting Leadership Podcast, we start off our 5-part series with an introduction to the ideal team meeting agenda. We'll cover:

• An introduction to creating effective team meeting agendas
• How to generate excitement for team meetings like Hollywood films
• The meaning behind the A.G.E.N.D.A. acronym –https://meetingleadershipinc.com/71download

For more information or a transcript of MLP 071, visit:https://meetingleadershipinc.com/71

The best leaders not only set an example, they inspire others to want to follow that example.

Where you may have been concerned only about completing the agenda before, inspiration opens another layer of consideration.

Acting on these considerations can affect how your employees approach your strategic mission, how they perceive the company vision, and the overall culture in and out of meetings.

Episode #070 of the Meeting Leadership Podcast asks the 3 important questions you should ask yourself about inspiring your employees before booking a meeting:

• What do we want to see on the walls?
• Should we post our strategic mission, vision, and objectives on the wall as well?
• Does this space support the unique culture of our organization?

For more information or a transcript of MLP 070, visit:https://meetingleadershipinc.com/70.

No one is immune to the pressures of work. As a leader, understanding how to manage personalities is a good way you can minimize some of these pressures.

As you become more aware of the personalities of your team and how to manage them, you become more aware of how to motivate and work with them to achieve goals.

Episode #069 of the Meeting Leadership Podcast is a set of tips to help you optimize interactions with team members:

• Getting To know each other
• Playing to your team members' strengths
• Surprising each other
• Retaining techniques in a common document to use in the future

For more information or a transcript of episode #069, visit:https://meetingleadershipinc.com/69.

More effective meetings are in reach for leaders who are willing to share the spotlight.

Just as a good one-two punch is a cornerstone of championship teams in professional sports, the same tactic can apply to your meetings. An effective leader knows when to take over and when to rely on teammates to help carry the load.

In episode #068 of the Meeting Leadership Podcast, we'll talk about how co-facilitators can help you stay focused on objectives, and how it can lead to much better feedback. In this podcast, we discuss:

• Getting help seeing things you may have missed
• Using co-facilitators to stay focused on objectives
• Gaining useful feedback
• Finding relief during all-day meetings

For more information or a transcript of MLP 068, visit: http://meetingleaderhshipinc.com/68

Inviting employees to unnecessary meetings is a double-edged mistake. It wastes the employees' time, and it bogs down the meeting itself with extra voices.

As a business leader, you'll often be tasked to manage your staff's time in and out of meetings. This will include deciding who needs to be in any given meeting room and who should continue their work without losing momentum.

Leaving some people off the meeting roster is necessary for many reasons. You might want to keep certain employees apart, or simply restrict the attendees to a need-to-know circle in a specific department.

Either way, you'll likely encounter scenarios when you have to uninvite certain personnel to keep things running smoothly. Episode #067 of the Meeting Leadership Podcast lists useful suggestions to clean up your meeting roster:

• Give yourself permission to uninvite people
• Practice before you uninvite someone
• Let them down easy
• Be firm and consistent

For more information or a transcript of MLP #067, visit: https://meetingleadershipnc.com/67