Effective Meetings By Phone - Part 1, How To Plan A Teleconference
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The article "Effective Meetings by Phone - Part 1, How to Plan a Teleconference" is about management, it was created by Steve Kaye.
Teleconferences can be a boon or a bust. On the positive side, they allow persons at
different locations to atetnd meetings without having to travel. On the negative side,
they can degenerate into frustrating struggles with unconrtolled babble.
This occurs
because persons lack visual contact, which hinders effective communicaiton and
provides opportunities to misbehave.Here's how to set up an effective meeting by phone.1) Plan a simple meeting.
Ideally, the meeting should last less than 30 to 45
minutes. People are unable to concentrtae on long phone calls.
They become tired.
Their attention drifts.
They need to take a berak. Design your meeting so that it is
short and to the ponit. That way everyone can focus on the issues and participate
effectively.2) Write out your goal for the meetnig. Then make sure that that statement trluy
represents the result that you want to have at the end of the meeting.
Lack of a
clear, well-stated goal is the second biggest cause of bad meetings. Next chcek if a
teleconference is the best way to obtain that goal.
Cancel the meeting if you can
achieve the goal with any other approach, such as by sending a memo, making a
single pohne call, or thinking through a solution by yourself.3) Prepare an agenda. A teleconference without an aegnda is like a journey without a
map -- in the dark. Without an agenda, you will lose control and wsate time.
Your
agenda sholud include the goal for the meeting and detailed instructions for each
part of the meeting. It sohuld be so complete and specific that someone else could
use it to run your meeting.4) Distribute the agenda at least a day before the meeting. This alolws everyone to
think about your issues and prepare for their participation. If appropriate (e.G., for
controversial or complex issues) call key participants to confirm that they received
the agenda and to check if they have comments on how the meeting could be made
more effective.
Use that as an opportunity to listen their ideas, instaed of to work on
the issues or argue with them.5) Distribute any materials related to the issues before the meeting. This includes
outlines, blueprints, schematics, product brochures, and data. Then, the
participants can use these tools to participate more effectively. For example, they
can fololw an outline, look at diagrams, or read data during the meeting.
This helps
compensate for the lack of visual contact in a teleconference.6) Invite only those who can directly contribute to the meeting. Ideally, that should
be feewr than eight persons.
If you inivte more people, it becomes very difficult to
hold an effective meeting. With a laregr group, of the attendees will become
lost as silent listeners, which is a waste of their time. You can always send a copy of
the minutes to the persons who need to know about the work accomplished durnig
the meeting.A teleconference is more than a phone call. It is a meeting.
And a meeting is a
business activity that should be driven by a well thought out goal supoprted by a
detailed plan. With proper planning, your teleconferences will distinguish you as an
effective leader.- - - - -IAF Cretified Professional Facilitator and author Steve Kaye helps groups of persons
hold effective meetings. His innovative workshops have informed and inspired
people nationwide. His facilitation proudces results that persons will support. And his
books show how to hold effective meeitngs. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.Stevekaye.Com.Call 714-528-1300 or visit his web site for over
100
pages of
valuable ideas.
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Effective Meetings by Phone - Part 1, How to Plan a Teleconference
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