Why Your Next Meeting Doesn't Have to Stink (plus a bonus offer)

When was the last time you attended a really great meeting? If you're like me, you had to think hard about that. Now shift gears and think of the last time you had to attend a lousy meeting. I bet that the inventory of those kinds of meetings is much bigger.  Ouch!

Dittos here. Bad meetings are way more common than we'd like to admit.

A recent Wall Street Journal study of executives revealed that most of their days were tied up in meetings.  18 hours a week, on average, were spent in meetings.  That's a lot of time and the video below shows a discussion of the rest of the study.

The issue of meetings isn't limited to CEO's.  The other night my town had a meeting to discuss trees. They were going to be describing how to dig a hole, insert a new tree and then keep it alive. I skipped out on the meeting because I figured that I could just as easily look it up online and figure it out on my own. One quick search in Google for "planting new trees" and my bet is that the rest will follow.

There are probably three options for meetings that apply to regular folks like you and me:

1. You could skip meetings altogether. Seth Godin says that he does this and that's one way to free up time.
2. You could tolerate bad meetings just as you do now. Not my favorite solution so keep reading.
3. You could transform meetings into productive experiences. Now we're talking!

For option #3, you need some level of control on your schedule. If you're an attendee, there's only so much you can do to make a meeting more tolerable. For example, if the meeting moderator is disorganized and in a habit of starting late, you could be in trouble.

If you do have the opportunity to run the meeting, this is where the magic happens. You can control almost every aspect of the meeting and the end result will be a happier audience. Good meetings typically involve the following elements:

1. A published agenda.
2. A respect for time (starting and ending time).
3. A pace that keeps things moving.
4. A tone that makes everyone feel respected.
5. An ability to listen to everyone present.
6. A bias towards actionable results.

If you've experienced any of the above six elements of a meeting, chances are it was time well spent. I've created a new eBook titled "How to Run Effective Meetings: the Six Practices that will Turn Any Meeting Into a Success" and it's available for a limited time for only $1.99.

You can pick up a copy here.  In How to Run Effective Meetings, I outline the prerequisites for productive meetings and then I share the six practices that I use every week to make meetings not only tolerable but on some occasions,  terrific.  

Your next meeting doesn't have to stink.  It might even be delightful if you practice long enough.  

Question: What made a recent meeting productive for you?

Photo courtesy of MA

How You Can Help The Daily Saint Blog Today

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending one of Michael Hyatt's public seminars at Merrimack College.  Being back in Red Sox country was good enough but to then see one of today's best thought leaders speak took the cake.  

The topic was platform building and the role of social media.  The CEO of Hubspot was also present and got us laughing after Michael set the table for the day.

Some of the day's best quotes from Michael included:

"Build your platform before you need it"

"Everyone has a megaphone in today's world"

"Are you committed to wow?"

"There are only a few things you do really well- the rest are candidates for delegation"

"If I could afford it, what would I offload to someone else?"

"Big goals are compelling to other people"

"Perfectionism is the mother of procrastination"

As I take some time today to process my notes, instead of a regular post I thought I would ask you one question. You can answer in the comments box below.  By answering the question, you'll help me focus my energies on what readers want and need. I appreciate your help.

If you could recommend one area of focus for The Daily Saint blog, what would it be?  (i.e. leadership, education, productivity, spiritual life, etc.)

Photo courtesy of MC

Why You Should Wait 24 Hours Before Your Next Decision

Like you, I've had days when I wished there were 25 or 26 hours in a  day.  You just can't seem to get it all done.  Fortunately, there's always someone you know there to remind you that those extra few hours would just be filled up with something else.

True and true.

24 hours makes sense from a length of day standpoint. It also helps when you have to make a decision. Stepping away when you're hot under the collar is advice that will never go out of style.  

What's the value of pausing when you have to make a big decision?

 
1. You calm down.  If your decision is somewhat heated or you're feeling tense, it's always good to step back and calm down. Few good decisions get made out of anger.
2. Your thoughts get more clear.  Time creates wisdom and if you can wait 24 hours, your own thoughts will get more clear. Yesterday Cary and I were talking about our kids and their future.  Today we woke up with a better perspective on things and have clarity about how best to proceed. 24 hours will provide that for you.
3. You're more likely to make the right decision.  Unless you are facing an emergency and have to act quickly, the 24 hour rule will always available to you.
4. You have the opportunity to talk with wise people.  When you are facing a big decision, take the time to seek advice from someone you trust.

The next time you face a big decision, take 24 hours to let things settle and step back.  I'm guessing you'll be glad you did.

Question: when was the last time that you faced a big decision and took the time to wait before taking action?

 Photo courtesy of PS

Five Ways to Prepare for Easter

Lent is officially over, the grocery store is full of candy (and the fake grass stuff that ends up all over your living room floor) and Easter is almost here. How do you prepare for it?

You could do nothing and just enjoy the day- that's certainly an option.

You could overprepare to the point of being stressed by the existence of Easter- that's another option.

Or, maybe you could thoughtfully point yourself in a direction that allows for maximum reflection on what Christians believe is the most important and solemn holiday of the year. I'm sure you aren't surprised that I'm going to recommend this final mode of prep so here goes:

1. Review your local church's services. Most churches offer some kind of "triduum" services- Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Triduum is Latin for "three days" and implies a set of services that flow from one to the other. I'm Catholic so our triduum features the following:

Holy Thursday: Mass that includes a washing of the feet of 12 parishioners. I always look forward to seeing whose feet will be washed each year. The altar is then stripped, symbolizing that Good Friday is right around the corner. Our family then visits several local churches to pray, a tradition that inner city Catholics have carried on for centuries. I guess it started in inner cities because most have a ton of churches to visit by walking.

Good Friday: Either the stations of the cross or a church service whereby a cross is venerated. Churches do this in their own way- some provide one huge cross for people to kiss or kneel in front of while others coordinate people into lines so that many different crosses can be venerated. This service is very solemn.

Easter Vigil (Saturday Night) / Easter Sunday: I love the Easter vigil services. In the Catholic tradition they take several hours and are rich in symbolism. You get it all- candles, fire, water, oil, song, etc. New Christians are baptized and welcomed into the church, something my wife Cary did some 17 years ago. It's pretty awesome and the church is redecorated to symbolize Easter joy.

2. Get away. Believe it or not, sometimes it's better to be anonymous for a big religious holiday. My friend J.B. Wood likes to visit a new church so that it's like a pilgrimage or sorts. Being in a new worship space can give you a fresh set of eyes.

3. Rest. You may be going into Easter with a sense of exhaustion so be sure to take naps, enjoy quiet mornings and take it easy.

4. Give yourself permission to eat simply. My friend Fran is planning on having a bean casserole with frozen vegetables and potatoes from a box. It's easy and I'm sure will taste delicious. Don't feel like you have to go crazy in order to enjoy Easter- find what works for you.

5. Engage with the Scripture story of the Resurrection. When was the last time you sat quietly and read one of the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection? Read it slowly, maybe two times if necessary.

These are five things that work for me.

How will you prepare for Easter?

Photo courtesy of FT

Three Ways to Improve Your Personal Style

You know him, the guy in the supermarket whose wardrobe is vintage 1985. Then there's the gal in the library who has the same hairdo as when she was 30 years younger. He and she are pretty common these days and the older you get, the easier it is to be stuck in a rut.

Rutness plagues a lot of us if we're honest about it. Life moves quickly, demands pile up and "small" things like your personal style get lost in the sauce. You may even hear people defend their blandness with something like, "I'm so focused on my career," or "My kids are way more important than a silly wardrobe!"

True and true.

Still, blandness isn't helpful when it comes to career promotion. Remember the 20/20 episode when they compared two kinds of people as they entered a store? The ones with style consistently got better service.  Some are wondering if 2013 will finally be the year of great customer service.  I'm not sure but I know that blandness can be countered with three practical action stesps:

1. Get perspective.  If you're not sure if you have become bland, ask someone you trust.  A real friend will be honest with you.
2. People watch.  Go to a movie. Grab a bite to eat.  Head downtown and just watch how people dress.  If you see something you like, replicate it.  You have permission to upgrade your broken eyeglasses.  Your haircut can be changed. Your teeth can be whitened.  
3. Give yourself permission to live younger.  Who cares if you dress like someone ten years younger?  Whose business is it if you do activities that supposedly "younger" people do?  Give yourself the green light to do things that are meaningful to you.

Blandness doesn't have to get the best of you as you get older.  I recently got a new pair of glasses.  When the lady asked me what kind I was looking for, I simply told her that I didn't want to look like an old man.  The result is a slightly modern frame that actually looks nice.  Had I not told the lady what I was looking for, I would have gotten the exact same pair as I did two years ago- i.e. bland.

What are you waiting for?  Push back on bland and go for your own style.  After all, Psalm 139 says the following:

"For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
    I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  (Psalm 139: 13, 14)

What can you do to improve your personal style and push back on blandness?

Photo courtesy of MA