by Sue Tinnish

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

]]> http://www.heresboston.com/blog/2007/06/14/the-price-of-innovation/feed/ http://www.heresboston.com/blog/2007/06/14/creating-attention/ http://www.heresboston.com/blog/2007/06/14/creating-attention/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:34:09 +0000 admin http://70.86.16.10:9018/?p=38

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.

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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.

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

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.

1.  Volunteer to set up the call so you can assume the role of moderator. Confirm that everyone has both the dial-in and conference code numbers, as well as the correct time for their zone.  

2.  Poll the other participants in advance as to the items they want covered in the call. Develop a written agenda with a specific time allotment for each agenda item. Better yet, e-mail the agenda to all parties before the call.  

3.  Take charge of gathering and disseminating the printed background material, numbering pages clearly and prominently. Nothing creates conference-call chaos faster than a chorus of “Where are we?” or “I don’t seem to have that chart.”  

4.  Refuse to discuss major agenda items until everyone is on the line. Bringing latecomers up to speed on important issues wastes time and irritates those who were prompt.  

5.  Monitor the clock closely. Be prepared to intervene with “Excuse me, we have to move on–we’ve run out of time for this topic” or “Let’s discuss this topic at another time and report back to the group.” Stay polite but firm throughout.  

6.  End the call with a synopsis of conclusions reached and future actions required. Send out a written summary of these conclusions and action items to all participants promptly.    

Overall Tips:Use a handheld phone on a land line rather than a cellular phone or speakerphone. Your voice will be clearer, with minimal background noise. Use an office where you can close the door to further reduce noise.   If more than two other people are participating in the call, keep a written list of names beside your phone so you can be sure you are getting everyone’s input.    

Tips from eHow Users: Focus by eHow Friend
Do not do anything else but participate on the conference call. Answering e-mails, reading papers, etc., are counter-productive to the purpose of the call. And since many people forget to mute their phones, the noises you make will distract from the meeting.

Goal setting is equal parts art and science. Many people create goals that simply don’t work. If you’re in business, you don’t have the luxury of creating goals that don’t work. You need to work effectively and you need goals you help you do it.  To plan a meeting, you must set goals.  For example, one question to ask is “what are the goals and objectives of my meeting”?  For tips on goalsetting click on A Smart Way To Se

By Sue Tinnish

SEAL Inc.

847.394.9857

stinnish@ameritech.net

Traditionally, medical and technical conferences have offered poster sessions. Poster sessions allow colleagues to share their expertise with large groups at conferences.  You can harness the positive power of posters to create innovative meeting formats.

In a traditional conference, participants are invited to create a poster depicting their research. Poster creators share that information with others during an informal period when people walk around viewing the posters. Poster creators may also be required to give short presentations on their research every ten or fifteen minutes. Poster sessions combine text and graphics to make a visually-pleasing presentation.

Beyond medical and research conferences, poster sessions offer 14 benefits for all types of meeting and events:

1.       Participants get to pick and choose - People can wander about and stop at topics that are of interest to them. It’s self-directed learning at its best.

2.       Participants can vote with their feet - People can stop and look a poster for as little time or as much time as they like. They can engage in conversation with the creator of the poster. It’s easy to move on during a poster session without insulting the speaker.

3.       The right pace - Many presentations do not provide the audience with enough time to assimilate the statistical data or link it with other information. A poster can allow for a clearer and more reflective process of presentation, especially of statistical or visual information. In addition, the narrative of every poster, including main points and conclusions, can be highlighted and therefore absorbed at every person’s own pace as they view the poster.

4.       My question - A presentation rarely affords enough time to adequately field all questions. Audience participation is sometimes limited to question and answer periods. Usually only a few people are able to ask questions, and the presenter may not cover the concerns of the entire audience. A poster session allows for dialogue and engaging interaction.

5.       Snippets may be the best - Speakers can drone on for interminable amounts of time. What if speakers were forced to encapsulate their comments into 10 minutes? That’s in essence what poster sessions do – they force the presenter to get their main points out quickly and clearly.

6.       A different way to learn - Poster sessions promote information through visual medium not just words. Ideally poster sessions are graphically interesting and display information visually. The creator may be present to supplement the poster with conversation by answering questions from the participants.

7.       Customized learning – Poster sessions give people to the opportunity customize their agenda in a way that is most value to them.

8.       Forget the common denominator - A common problem in presentations is that speakers must provide sufficient background so the entire audience will understand the presentation. Poster sessions allow the creator to meet the participant at their level of knowledge. And as a result, they each have the opportunity to discuss the full scope of the research or results and implications.

9.       Leading-edge issues covered - What if your agenda and speakers are determined months in advance? That’s good from a planning perspective but you lose something in being able to cover the newest information. Poster sessions offer you the flexibility to program to current issues.

10.    Variety at a quick pace - Often when I am planning meetings, it seems that there is so much I would love to cover but time on the agenda just doesn’t allow. Poster sessions create the opportunity to include a wide breadth of topics without overwhelming the audience with information overload.

11.    Responsive to the group - Poster sessions afford you the opportunity to be responsive to individual needs, interests and topics.

12.    Highlight the expertise of your group Poster sessions give lots of people the opportunity to highlight their expertise and knowledge. Imagine the great new connections that can be created when people discover each other during a poster session.

13.    Poster sessions are a consideration to foreign colleagues - The poster session allows foreign colleagues another format to present. If Asian, European, African or Latin American colleagues are less comfortable with a formal presentation in English, poster sessions offer them an alternative. Likewise, for Americans participating in an international conference.

14.    Feedback loop - Posters can provide the creator with much more feedback than she or he would receive during a traditional presentation.

With these benefits in mind, you can explore a more expansive use of poster sessions:

• Posters as a source for additional resources – Supplement an existing presentation with posters.  This offers people something to look at, adds color to the walls and gives people the opportunity to explore a topic in more detail if they are interested.
• Posters as a review technique – During training session, rather than lead participants through the review and repeat information that already covered, create posters that review the relevant material.   Invite participants to spend as much or as little time as they want at each visual display. This technique doesn’t force anyone to review material that they felt they knew cold.   It also allowed people to reflect and remember what they learned. Often our meeting agendas are so crammed with information, there is little time for the participants to stop and think about what they learned.
• Posters at a trade show – Rather than a traditional trade show, invited venders to prepare poster displaying their expertise in a specific area. Rather than beginning conversations about whether there is interest in doing business together, the participants will have the opportunity to learn something of value from the vendors. From that relationship, both parties can explore other avenues.
• Best Practices Showcase - Learn from peers by using a poster session to showcase best practices, great ideas, or other examples that can benefit the entire group. This type of session can be motivating to the creators of the poster and create some great suggestions for everyone.
• Virtual Poster Sessions - The fastest growing variation of the poster session is the Internet session. Creators prepare posters about their work and post them on the Web. Instead of walking around viewing others’ posters at a conference, participants of the virtual poster session view others’ posters online. Electronic forums then allow participants to ask questions of the poster authors.

 Be positive on posters! Everyone benefits from poster sessions - the participants, the planners and the creators of posters.   Add a bit of innovation to a meeting through poster sessions