Communication Skills Training | Brenda Eckstein International

Effective meetings – Part 3

Communication Skills Training Tagged with: Effective, leader, Meetings, Participants, Productive

Jan 192012

Rate yourself as a meeting participant

Often participants presume that ensuring the success of the meeting is the responsibility of the leader. However, there is a great deal that each participant can do in order to add value and improve the outcome of the meeting.

Please score yourself in the questions below and then reflect on what you could do, as a participant, in order to make those meetings more effective.

Instructions: Check ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to each of the following questions based on how you act (or would act) as a meeting participant. Be honest.

YES

_____ _____ 1. Do I typically know the purpose of the meetings I attend?

_____ _____ 2. Do I have a clear understanding of my role in meetings attended?

_____ _____ 3. Do I confirm my attendance in advance of the meeting?

_____ _____ 4. Do I complete required ‘homework’ such as looking up information or

studying proposals?

_____ _____ 5. Do I arrive at meetings before they are scheduled to begin?

_____ _____ 6. Do I engage in side conversations while the meeting is in progress?

_____ _____ 7. Do I leave meetings for reasons such as non-emergency telephone

calls?

_____ _____ 8. Do I ask questions when I am not sure about something?

_____ _____ 9. Am I typically open to the ideas of others?

_____ _____ 10. Am I a good listener?

_____ _____ 11. Do I actively participate in discussions when there is something

worthwhile to contribute?

_____ _____ 12. Do I help others stay on the subject?

_____ _____ 13. Following meetings do I take agreed upon action?

_____ _____ 14. Do I contribute to improving meetings by giving feedback to the people

who conduct them either by a note, phone call, or visit?

_____ _____ 15. Following meetings do I inform appropriate people who did not

attend about what was discussed and the outcome?

(These questions are adapted from ‘Effective Meeting Skills’ – Marion E. Hayes.)

If your organisation or you personally would like help in developing skills that will result in more productive meetings, you are welcome to email me – brenda@strategy-leadership.com

Effective meetings – Part 2

Communication Skills Training Tagged with: Meetings, Productivity, Resources, Time

Jan 172012

This is the second blog in a series of three in which we look at how meetings can be more productive. There are simple ways in which you can improve your skills.

Rate yourself as a meeting leader

Instructions: Check ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to each of the following questions based on how you act (or would act) as a meeting leader. Be honest.

YES

_____ _____ 1. Do I have clear objectives for the meeting?

_____ _____ 2. Am I selective about the invited participants?

_____ _____ 3. Do I prepare an agenda and distribute it in advance of the meeting?

_____ _____ 4. Do I arrive early enough to check the arrangements?

_____ _____ 5. Do I start the meeting promptly regardless of who is present?

_____ _____ 6. Do I follow the agenda?

_____ _____ 7. Do I manage time and conclude the meeting as scheduled?

_____ _____ 8. Do I elicit everyone’s participation?

_____ _____ 9. Do I help in the resolution of conflict?

_____ _____ 10. Do I maintain proper control of the discussion?

_____ _____ 11. Do I summarise accomplishments at the end of the meeting and clarify

any action to be taken?

_____ _____ 12. Do I prepare and distribute a memorandum of discussion?

_____ _____ 13. Do I request evaluative feedback from participants?

_____ _____ 14. Do I take agreed upon action?

_____ _____ 15. Do I follow up on action to be taken by others?

The above questions were adapted from ‘Effective Meeting Skills’ – Marion E. Hayes, a book I read many years ago. I use a similar approach and have continuously improved on this.

So, now that you have answered the questions, what are you going to do to enhance your performance? If you’d like more information on training in this area, you are welcome to email me – brenda@strategy-leadership.com

Effective meetings – Part 1

Communication Skills Training Tagged with: Meetings, Resources, Time

Jan 122012

In many organisations, firms and businesses, a great deal of time is wasted through holding meetings which are not effective. Time and resources are not used to maximum advantage. Why hold a meeting if you aren’t going to achieve the desired results? There are some basic steps which can be taken to make meetings more productive and improve the outcomes of meetings. I have found that there have been significant positive changes where we have worked on these simple steps which help leaders and participants to enhance their skills.

This topic is covered by three separate posts:

The steps necessary for an effective meeting (this current post)
Rate yourself as a meeting leader
Rate yourself as a meeting participant

The steps necessary for an effective meeting

Leader
Define objective
Select participants
Make preliminary contact with participants to confirm availability
Schedule meeting room and arrange for equipment and refreshments
Prepare agenda
Invite participants and distribute agenda
Touch base with non-participants
Make final check of meeting room

Participants
Block time on schedule
Confirm attendance
Define your role
Determine leader’s needs from you
Suggest other participants
Know the objective
Know when and where to meet
Do any required homework

During the Meeting

Leader
Start promptly
Follow the agenda
Manage the use of time
Limit/control the discussion
Elicit participation
Help resolve conflicts
Clarify action to be taken
Summarise results

Participants
Listen and participate
Be open-minded/receptive
Stay on the agenda and subject
Limit or avoid side conversations and distractions
Ask questions to assure understanding
Take notes on your action items

After the Meeting

Leader
Restore room and return equipment
Evaluate effectiveness as meeting leader
Send out meeting evaluations
Distribute memorandum of Discussion
Take any action you agreed to
Follow-up on action items

Participants
Evaluate meeting
Review memorandum of discussion
Brief others as appropriate
Take any action agreed to
Follow-up on action items

The above table is adapted from ‘Effective Meeting Skills’ – Marion E. Hayes

The other two blogs in this series, ‘Rate yourself as a meeting leader’ and ‘Rate yourself as a meeting participant’ will follow in the next week.

For training in this area please contact me, brenda@strategy-leadership.com

Tips on report writing

Communication Skills Training Tagged with: Grammar, Language, Report, Words, Writing

Oct 262011

This list was developed by trainees during a BEI workshop.

Structure the report concisely with the use of headings, subheadings and paragraphs.
Use correct, simple language and grammar with terminology relevant to the subject matter. Avoid using jargon ‘high end language’ and slang.
Research and understand your topic thoroughly.
Do emphasise your most important findings and facts.
Make the report well structured, organised, unemotional and easy to read with reference to annexures, bullets and paragraphs.
Keep the report short, precise, to the point ‘specific’ and brief. Divide paragraphs that are more than 10 lines.
Provide sufficient diagrams, photos, charts etc ‘to make it interesting’.
Use colour for pictures and graphs.
Use standard font and make sure the image is good.
Be clear about the goal of the report. Establish whether the report will evoke the intended effect.
Relate the report to the individuals reading it, the ‘targeted market’.
Be a story teller. Make the report believable but don’t exaggerate.
Avoid making unsupported assertions or conclusions.
Proof read your report before submitting.
End the report with recommendations for action in summary form.
Stick to the point – avoid going off topic.
The report must be physically presentable e.g. plastic sleeves and binding.
Confirm the reliability of your source of information.
Capture the reader’s interest by making a strong introduction and conclusion.
Start a new sentence for each thought. Avoid using ‘and’ or ‘but’.
Credit the source.
The report must have subject and topic.
Use a bibliography to index your report.
All appendices or tables must be referred to in their appropriate places.
Avoid repetition.
Avoid showing personal prejudice.
Avoid using ambiguous words.
If it is a technical report there should be a theoretical part/practical part.
Use references to support your report.
Tabulate your result.
The conclusion must correspond with the aim.