by Sue Tinnish

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

SEAL Inc.

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

 

Do your meetings fall victim to Corporate Attention Deficit Syndrome? 

The message of your meeting is the most important aspect of your meeting. Food, drink, sleeping rooms…yes these are all important. But the ultimate reason for a meeting is to deliver a message. Even an incentive trip to the most exotic, luxurious destination would go awry if the “message” sent to the participants wasn’t correct.

The message must be well crafted (clear, articulate, and consistent).
The message must be delivered (physically heard).
The message must received (fall upon receptive ears).

Presenters or paid speakers certainly shoulder responsibility for crafting their messages. But how can you create the optimal environment to allow that message to be heard and received?

 

Today’s meeting audiences are typically filled multi-tasking and over-tasked individuals.  Many have likened the challenge of getting and keeping our audiences’ attention as Corporate Attention Deficit Syndrome.

The book, The Attention Economy, outlines what we pay attention to and divides our attention into 6 types:

• Attraction (victory, super models)
• Aversion (car wrecks)
• Captive (bad weather, movies)
• Voluntary (hobbies, print advertising)
• Front of Mind (discussion, task at hand)
• Back of Mind (to do list, commuting)

The authors, Thomas Davenport and John Beck, promote the idea that understanding and managing attention is now the single most important determinant of business success.

You can help meetings be an attraction.  You can help create environments where our audience feels they are participants not captives.

The majority of people are visual learners (60%). They retain information best when they can “see” the information. Numerous surveys show that retention increased by 70 - 80% when visuals are used. That’s one reason every speaker seems to use PowerPoint. (In addition, to the fact that speakers find it a great crutch!)

Beyond PowerPoint, consider changes in your meetings to make presentations more visual so you and your presenters shine:

• Stories This is not your traditional visual. However, stories woven within a presentation create pictures in people’s minds. Stories work to grab attention and create emotional connections. When done in support of a point in the presentation, stories help increase retention and interest.
• Props Props help make information tangible. Props should illustrate or emphasize a key point. Several suggestions for presenters when using props:

1.       Make sure the prop is large enough to be seen

2.       Allow sufficient time for the audience to see the prop

3.       Don’t let the prop become a distraction from you or your presentation

 

• Handouts Handouts need not be the PowerPoint slides reproduced. Handouts can include background information, supplemental charts and statistics, anything that supports the presentation. Handouts have the following advantages:

1.       Handouts can help fill in gaps in the audience’s knowledge and understanding of the topic

2.       Add to the presenter’s creditability

3.       Keeps everyone focused

4.       Serve as a place to take notes

 

• Flip Charts The old fashioned flip chart is still a work horse in small to mid-sized meetings. Flip charts allow a presenter to:

1.       Create group interest and attention

2.       Focus the group on key points

3.       Allow people to visually trace their conversation

 

• Change the scenery The same part of your brain that controls long-term memory also controls large motor skills. Who among us hasn’t sat through a mind-numbing presentation? When a presenter asks the audience to move, they get their attention and re-awaken the part of their brain that controls long term memory.
• Questions Questions ask the audience if the picture is complete for them. Presenters can ask rhetorical questions or they can ask the audience to respond to a question. Additionally, PowerPoint slides can be crafted in such a way that each slide asks questions thereby inviting the audience to reflect and possibly express their opinions and feelings.

You can fight Corporate Attention Deficit by creating visually more interesting meetings.  Work toward well crafted (clear, articulate, consistent), well delivered (physically heard) and well received (fall upon receptive ears) messages.  Both you and your meeting participants will be glad you did.

Establish yourself as an expert in front of meeting professionals. We are seeking articles on the following meeting topics immediately. If your article is selected, we will provide your name as the author and a link to your website from our populare Heres Network Cities. We are seeking the following topics:

 

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If you are interested, please direct all articles and inquiries to: Heres Editor: heresnetwk@yahoo.com

SEAL Inc.

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

 

Innovative meetings occur where there is a good match between speakers, topic, your requirements/needs, desired outcome and the setting with a twist of the right chemistry.

 

The best speakers create in audiences the desire to change, the confidence to act, and the knowledge or tools to succeed. Speakers can impact people’s:

 

·          Attitudes (how they feel)

·          Knowledge (what they know)

·          Actions (what they can or will do)

 

Before even previewing or considering a single speaker, be clear on your objectives for hiring a speaker. “Because we always have a keynote speaker.” is not a good reason to hire a speaker again this year.

 

Clarify why you want to hire a speaker. Select speakers who will deliver the outcomes you want/need. Some common objectives include the desire to:

 

·          Entertain (change how they feel)

·          Motivate (change how they feel)

·          Promote a cause or organization (change how they feel and what they know)

·          Educate (change what they know; perhaps what they do)

·          Shift behavior (change what they do)

 

Many other sources (including speaker bureaus) offer checklists that cover logistics, legal issues and also content. This checklist is intended to help you hire a speaker who is the best match with your meeting. This checklist of 20 questions will help you create an innovative meeting.

 

Checklist for Innovative Meetings

 

1.       What size of a group do you work with?

2.       What level of people do you work with?

3.       Are we an attractive audience for you? Why? Most top speakers don’t accept every engagement even if they are available. They select audiences with whom they have the greatest chance of success.

4.       How would you characterize your “style” of speaking?

5.       What is your focus? Are you more of a “special event” speaker? Do you focus on keynotes? Do you offer ongoing, long-term training as well? Most speakers operate a three-pronged business: Keynoting, workshops and consulting.

6.       Do you specialize by topic or industry?

7.       How long is your “typical” program?

8.       How do we make sure your program works?

9.       What will you do to make your message relevant to our group?

10.    How will you create an empathetic connection with the audience?

11.    How will you create involvement and interactivity? Professional speaker Patricia Gardner says “People don’t want to listen to a lecturer.” That requires speakers to use techniques and tactics that involve the audience.

12.    What will you do to finish on time?

13.    How can you help us promote this meeting?

14.    What else do we get when hiring you? Some options include:

·          Deliver one or two “breakout sessions” or a spouse program

·          Introduce other speakers

·          Emcee the event that they are part of

·          Host a book signing

·          Meet and greet at a reception

·          Coach other internal speakers either in advance or on-site

·          Moderate a panel

·          Sign autographs

·          Appear in the sponsor’s booth to increase the value of their sponsorship

 

15.    What are the pros and cons of having you speak to our organization more than once?

16.    Will you customize your program for our organization? Content, titles, introductions, props and visuals are areas that can be customized? For example, your organization’s name, logo, and meeting theme can be incorporated in the handout.

17.    What type of pre-program research do you conduct?

18.    Do you provide handout masters and/or finished handouts? Who pays for the handouts?

19.    How do you accommodate hearing and sight impaired audience members (i.e., Handouts in Braille, audio tapes, etc.)?

20.    Will you be accessible to all attendees before and after the event?

 

Ultimately when narrowing down your selection, ask yourself these questions to help guide your decision:

 

1.       Have I considered a widely-diversified group of potential speakers? Does the pool of speakers address the type of diversity in my audience?

2.       Do I have a match between Content (topic), Style (delivery), and the Call to Action (outcomes)?

3.       Is the speaker entertaining as well as informative?

4.       How does our location/site influence our selection of a speaker and that speaker’s success? How will a rugged, individualist speaker play in a tony, urban 4-star property? Can I use our site to help build a theme or thread running throughout the meeting?

Does the speaker have verifiable references that increase my comfort?

 

These questions will help you get a great match between your speakers, topic, requirements/needs, desired outcome and the setting while maximizing that all important twist of chemistry.

 

Do you announce a meeting and find either no one shows up on time, they come with their own agenda, or the meeting goes on and on? If this is true in your case, then worry no more.

Here are six steps to help you develop successful meetings:

1. Establish a realistic and specific objective. Ask yourself, ‘What do I want to accomplish?’ or ‘Why am I calling people together at this time?’

Do I want:

• to solve problem(s). * to inform. * to gain feedback. * to orient.
• to motivate. * to reward. * to buy. * to sell.

Then decide the best mode to accomplish your objective. Ask yourself which best suits your needs:

• a conference with a panel(s) of speakers?
• a half-day workshop? Or a full-day seminar?
• a staff meeting that includes your immediate staff?
• a staff meeting that includes your department or division?
• a staff meeting that includes everyone from all levels of the entire organization?

2. Create a well-developed agenda. Review your agenda before announcing your meeting. Make sure it avoids:

• spending too much time on details technical subjects. (It puts people to sleep and does not communicate with them.)
• failing to specify the starting and ending times. (Employees need to know when to be there, when it is expected to start, and when it is expected to be finished so that they can reschedule their other duties and responsibilities.)
• adding irrelevant topics. (Doing so only lengthens the meeting time and serves to anger people or put them to sleep.)
• having speakers or presenters who are known to ramble. (One of the surest ways to put your audience to sleep is to have a boring meeting with speakers or presenters who talk on and on. This is especially true in cases where the agenda covers technical or scientific material.)
• crowding the agenda with too many subjects. (It is better to have a question and answer period during the meeting than to try to cover everything.

Now review your agenda and make sure you have included:

• a chairperson or Master of Ceremonies to move topics along without rushing the presenters, or allowing them to ramble.
• general logistics before hand, such as restroom locations, break times, and telephone or walk-in interruptions.
• a priority system so that the most important topics or pressing matters are covered first.

3. Assign particular responsibilities. Be sure to select responsible people to carry out the responsibilities of your meeting. Also be sure:

• to match the topics and tasks with competent presenters.
• to give them clear, complete, and specific instructions including assigned time to complete their presentation.
• to gain the concurrence of your key participants.
• to have a clock in clear view of the presenters.
• to start on time, regardless. (This is perhaps the most important aspect of running a successful meeting.)

4. Establish a positive meeting environment. Take the time to plan your meeting. Perhaps the most important aspect to consider is the environment where you will hold your meeting. To insure its success, be sure you:

• create an environment that is conducive to effective communication.
• set start and ending times that are conducive to all.
• develop the environment around a theme.
• consider the objective of the meeting when selecting the room.
• consider decorating the room, if this is warranted.
• arrange and test the audio-visual support before hand.
• arrange the seating of participants and attendees, depending on the estimated number of attendees.
• arrange the seating plan for optimal effect.

5. Plan all the activities. Take the time to plan and plan again all the events, people, places, and things related to the objective and theme of the meeting. Be sure to:

• gather input where relevant.
• take notes where necessary.
• prepare adequate quantities of handouts.
• prepare to post adequately the announcement of the meeting along with its agenda, times, participants, and any other relevant information.
• prepare backup materials.
• prepare post-meeting evaluations, where necessary, and summary handouts.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, every one wins. When you don’t, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

1. Is High Speed Internet Access offered?  Once you determine high-speed availablility you need to consider what you are trying to accomplish.  For example, Fairmont offers the equivalent of a T1 connection to the Internet at all properties, so webcasts, VPN connections, checking email and basic surfing are all easily done.  If the group needs more bandwidth or its own connection, determine the necessary lead time (generally 6-8 weeks but will vary with regional provider).

2. What type of network is it run on?  Hotels will advertise high-speed Internet connections but what are you connecting to?  Ask, as you may be comparing apples to oranges.  Fairmont has partnered with Cisco to provide a premium, networked infrastructure.  The alternative could be a hodgepodge of different makes and models that are sub par, unstable, and generally provide a poor Internet experience.

3. Is the Internet easily accessible?   Ask how guests or attendees connect.  Fairmont offers a ”plug & play” solution and requires no configuration on the part of the guest - or guests can access via a wireless connection in many public areas of the hotels.

4. Will VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) run in the hotel?  If you are concerned about attendees connecting to your office through a VPN, a key question to ask is if your attendees need to share a unique IP address.  Fairmont provides all connections with a fully-routable IP address with no restrictions by firewalls, proxy servers or network address translation (NAT).  The unique public IP address means guests are unlikely to run into software usability issues, a characteristic more typical of low-quality HSIA offerings that share banks of public IP addresses across users.

5. What do attendees need to access their computers?  It’s important to remind the conference attendees to check that their equipment is configured to connect to the Internet and bring any equipment that is specific to their laptops, in particular their own power supply.  Laptops and computers will need a working Ethernet card (NIC) for wired connections and a wireless card to connect to the wireless network.

6. Who controls the entry points for Internet access? Having a third-party vendor providing the Internet service adds another level of complication to planning your meeting.  If there are problems, will you need to contact the vendor to troubleshoot the problem?  

7. Can kiosks/cyber cafes be set up?   Cyber Cafes are an easy way of providing attendees a way of checking email and staying up-to-date during a conference. 

8. Is wireless access available and where?  If the meeting includes attendees not staying in the hotel, wireless allows them to stay up to date.  Fairmont has partnered with Intel to provide Centrino mobile technology-verified hotspots in public areas of all our properties. 

9. Is the staff knowledgeable and does hotel offer tech support?  This may impact the level of sophistication of your program. Fairmont has technology staff dedicated to helping our sales and conference service teams make functions a success.  In addition, guests can access the 24/7 Virtual Assistant for complimentary tech assistance, via an 800-line manned by Fairmont IT staff.

10. How will the group be charged?  Options include setup charges, daily rental fees and fees per room or event.  Fairmont will be launching a new service that allows planners to bundle the costs in the guest room, meeting room and wireless, allowing attendees to seamlessly move within the hotel and stay connected without multiple prompts for payments.

Finally, discuss the goals of the function in addition to the technology needs.  Often, by giving the Conference Planners and Sales Team background on the meeting, they can make suggestions for technology applications never even imagined - such as wireless breakouts in a garden - definitely a breath of fresh air to attendees!

Ask Fairmont First, and call 1(866) 662-6060, a dedicated toll-free number for meeting planners.  Visit us online at www.fairmont.com for information about local sales offices or to submit on online proposal. 

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a collection of world-class resorts and city center hotels that enjoy unrivalled prominence in the communities where they are located. Operating 42 properties throughout six countries, Fairmont is committed to providing guests with exceptional service in distinctive surroundings.

 

Business meetings may be conducted formally or informally, depending on the company and the circumstances. The following guidelines are based on Robert’s Rules of Order.

Taking Minutes

 

Steps:

 

1.  Obtain the meeting agenda, minutes from the last meeting, and any background documents to be discussed. Consider using a tape recorder to ensure accuracy.

2.  Sit beside the chairperson for convenient clarification or help as the meeting proceeds.

3.  Write “Minutes of the meeting of (exact association name).”

4.  Record the date, time and place of the meeting.

5.  Circulate a sheet of paper for attendees to sign. (This sheet can also help identify speakers by seating arrangement later in the meeting.) If the meeting is an open one, write down only the names of the attendees who have voting rights.

 6.  Note who arrives late or leaves early so that these people can be briefed on what they missed.

7.  Write down items in the order in which they are discussed. If item 8 on the agenda is discussed before item 2, keep the old item number but write item 8 in second place.

8.  Record the motions made and the names of people who originate them.

9.  Record whether motions are adopted or rejected, how the vote is taken (by show of hands, voice or other method) and whether the vote is unanimous. For small meetings, write the names of the attendees who approve, oppose and abstain from each motion.

10.  Focus on recording actions taken by the group. Avoid writing down the details of each discussion.

 

Tips:You do not need to record topics irrelevant to the business at hand. Taking minutes is not the same as taking dictation.   Consult only the chairperson or executive officer, not the attendees, if you have questions.   The person taking minutes does not participate in the meeting.

 

Transcribing Minutes

 

Steps:

1.  Transcribe minutes soon after the meeting, when your memory of the event is still fresh.

2.  Follow the format used in previous minutes.

3.  Preface resolutions with “RESOLVED, THAT…”

4.  Consider attaching long resolutions, reports or other supplementary material to the minutes as an appendix.

5.  Write “Submitted by” and then sign your name and the date.   6.  Place minutes chronologically in a record book.

 

Tips:Write in a concise, accurate manner, taking care not to include any sort of subjective opinion.   No matter what type of minutes you take, focus on capturing and communicating all important actions that took place.

 

Tips from eHow Users:Handout notes by eHow Friend
I find it very helpful to make notes on the back of my set of handouts. That way, what was discussed about the items on that particular handout is on the back of the actual sheet.

 

Follow up by eHow Friend
Make sure action items are clearly marked on the notes. When they are disbursed they can serve as reminders for those in attendance.

A conference call lets you remain at your desk rather than trek off down the hall–or across the country–to a meeting. It also pro