by dlavieri
◆
Even if it’s a regular meeting and everybody knows the
drill, specify the date, day, time, and place.
◆
Routinely send at least one reminder, at the last minute.
◆
If you’re using e-mail for invitations or reminders, put the
details in the subject line.
◆
If it might be useful, share the proposed attendance list.
3) Create an agenda. A written list of discussion items helps to
shape participants’ expectations and keep the meeting on target.
This is true even when the gathering consists of just two or three
team members talking through their issues over coffee. It often
makes sense to ask attendees for discussion items and to distrib-
ute the agenda in advance.
4) Build in structure. Even informal meetings should feel inten-
tional. As the leader or convener, plan to include in each meeting:
◆
An opening in which you state the purpose and the desired
outcome.
◆
A middle in which agenda items are discussed, with each
one being moved forward by at least a baby step.
◆
A closing when you may sum up the conclusions, action
items, and assignments, and perhaps mention next steps or
future events. It is also appropriate to thank people for their
attendance and contributions.
5) Warm it up. There’s a legitimate social component to many
meetings, and you may make more progress if all the participants
feel engaged and comfortable about offering comments. You can
142
Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO
address some social needs and establish a cordial mood for the
event by devoting the first five or 10 minutes to a warm-up phase
in which everyone is invited to offer information, suggestions,
or concerns. This can be as simple as brief introductions, or you
might request brief answers to a question such as: “Do you have
any good news to report?”
6) Set the tone. Treat all participants with courtesy, give speakers
your full attention, and don’t work on other projects during the
meeting. If you have trouble staying focused, try taking notes of
the discussion. Show your respect for attendees by making sure
your meetings always start and end on schedule.
7) Establish ground rules. Regular meetings will flow more
smoothly if everybody understands the etiquette. Set the rules or
build a consensus on matters such as:
◆
Attendance.
◆
Arrival times.
◆
Participation in discussions.
◆
Use of cell phones and other devices.
◆
Confidentiality.
8) Keep track. Every meeting should have someone designated
to keep a record, at least of key conclusions and assignments.
This can be as simple as your rough notes—the ones that you,
the leader, use when you summarize the meeting in your clos-
ing remarks.
9) Follow up. After the meeting, be sure that both the participants
and the invitees who couldn’t attend are sent a copy of the notes.
Consider touching base with participants who left with assign-
ments, checking that they have everything they need, and are
moving forward on their tasks. If nothing seems to come of your
meetings, people will lose interest and stop taking them seriously.
Get more from the meetings you don’t run
No matter how well you manage the meetings you run, and how successful
you are at avoiding some others, you probably still spend a big chunk of your
make Your meeting time more Productive
143
work time convening with colleagues. So your next challenge is to make that
remaining meeting time as productive as possible.
That was a valuable lesson for my client Sharon*, who didn’t understand
why she hadn’t been given the chance to lead a team. Sharon groused to her
mentor, “If I didn’t have to waste so much time sitting in their useless meetings, I could really show them what I can do.”
The mentor countered, “You can’t get out of those meetings, so why not
make better use of them? That’s where people see you in action, so think
of those sessions as a chance to show off your strengths. Instead of coming
in late and acting distracted, aim to look like one of the most productive
people there.”
Convinced it was worth a try, Sharon developed a five-point plan for
being a stellar attendee at each required meeting:
1) Prep. She’d rearrange her priorities to allow a little time for preparation, like reading the agenda and the background materials
sent out in advance.
2) Plan remarks. While prepping, she’d identify at least two com-
ments or questions to contribute to the discussion.
3) Focus on the purpose. She’d ask herself, “What’s the goal of
this meeting? And what can I do to help get us there?”
4) Create goals. Before arriving, she’d set a personal objective like,
“Today I’ll come across as calm and organized.”
5) Focus through writing. Once the discussion began, she’d listen
carefully to each speaker, taking notes to help her stay focused.
Sharon’s plan worked. Meeting leaders began noticing that she seemed
more engaged and was adding to the discussion. They started to count on her
active participation, and that led to her getting better project assignments.
After six months, she was appointed team leader for an exciting project.
To her surprise, once Sharon launched her five-point plan, she found
it brought other benefits beyond just looking like a more effective meeting
participant. Once she developed the habit of always being prepared, her job
started to feel more interesting and satisfying. Also, she became aware that
the growing respect for her as a participant continued after each meeting.
Soon she felt more connected to her colleagues. And she had fewer moments
of boredom and frustration. “By trying to act engaged,” she said, “I found out that it’s more fun to be engaged.”
144
Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO
The fact is that meetings represent a big part of your life as a professional.
And as long as you have to spend the time, why not get more back from it?
Here are six strategies for maximizing the return on the hours you spend
in other people’s meetings:
1) Do the homework. You won’t fool anybody when you’re search-
ing through your papers or tablet, trying to catch up with the
crowd. When you put the meeting time on the calendar, sched-
ule some time for any necessary preparation.
2) Be prompt. Even if the culture tolerates casual start times, late
arrivers show a lack of respect for their more punctual colleagues.
By typically being there at the appointed hour, you can help to
set a more productive tone. And once you’re there, you can make
use of any delay by reviewing the materials or networking with
the crew.
3) Understand the intention. It’s easy to dismiss many meetings
as poin
tless, but that doesn’t get you anywhere. Somebody had
something in mind or you wouldn’t be sitting in that room.
You’ll be able to make a bigger contribution if you have some
sense of the objective. Dig a little, and you may find several rea-
sons why you’ve all been called in, such as:
◆
Sharing information.
◆
Brainstorming and solving specific problems.
◆
Establishing goals, making plans, and keeping track of
milestones.
◆
Creating a collective sense of purpose.
◆
Encouraging collaboration by helping people get to know
each other.
4) Set your own goals. Of course, you always want to do your
part to make the meeting productive. But beyond that, you’ll get
more out of your participation if you have your own games to
play. For example, if you’re trying to broaden your brand, your
objective might be to speak knowledgeably about areas outside
your normal portfolio.
5) Listen. One reason so many sessions feel useless is that attendees just aren’t paying attention. If just one or two of you start really
make Your meeting time more Productive
145
listening, you can change the tone. And if you make a habit of
being truly engaged, chances are that when it’s your turn some-
body will hear what you have to say.
6) Follow up. Often, the success of a meeting depends on what
happens next. Do your bit. Keep track of any commitments you
make and do that work. If you’re particularly interested in aspects
of the conversation, find ways to continue the dialogue later. And
let people know if you found their remarks to be helpful.
If meetings are part of the job, complaining about them is simply a waste
of time. Instead, strategize to get as much as you can from the hours spent
around a conference table.
32
How to love
Your work Again
Author Kerry Hannon, who wrote the foreword to this book, is a noted
authority on work and career. For the last two decades, she has been cov-
ering all aspects of business and personal finance as an author, columnist, editor, and writer for leading media organizations including the New York Times, Forbes, Money, PBS, U.S. News & World Report, and the Wall Street Journal.
Although I’ve learned much from Kerry’s careful research, what has inspired
me the most is her own career path.
Kerry started as a traditional print journalist, earning a salary from major
publications. Then about 14 years ago she struck out on her own, freelancing
for some of the nation’s top magazines and newspapers. But she does so much
more. Kerry has become a prolific author, a peripatetic speaker, a frequent
radio and TV guest, and an expert panelist at conferences. This entrepreneur-
ial dynamo has become a one-woman media company. And all along the way
she has helped other writers, given generously of her time to nonprofits, pursued her love of horses, traveled with her husband, and stayed in touch with
her friends.
146
How to love Your work Again
147
In recent years, Kerry has published countless articles and several books
about how to follow your heart in order to find the work you love. Pursuing
the topic of “second acts,” she has traveled back and forth across the country, interviewing folks who have reinvented their work lives, and speaking frequently about how to navigate midcareer transitions.
Kerry says that many people dream of starting over with an entirely dif-
ferent kind of career. But what she’s been hearing is that, all too often, that kind of big shift may not be practical. So, in a 2015 book, Kerry changed gears to focus on how to make your current job more satisfying. I had the pleasure of serving as an expert for the book and loved the chance to brainstorm with
Kerry, learning from her many stories, and talking about the rapidly changing American workplace.
Kerry Hannon says you can find more fun
and meaning at your current job
Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness is Kerry’s guide for people who are looking to find or reignite purpose and joy in their work. She says,
“If you want to be happier, you have to do something, to take action.” That
doesn’t always mean a big swerve from the past. “It does, however, often call on the courage to make necessary but sometimes uncomfortable and even
painful changes.” If you are ready to take action, here are seven tips from
Kerry’s book:
1) Begin with a journal. Kerry suggests you dedicate a notebook
or computer file to your “Job Remodeling Journal.” Launch your
effort by writing for 20 minutes every day for a week. Let your-
self go as you talk about what you’d love to see in your dream
job. Perhaps you can list people who seem happy at work so you
can ask them about what they enjoy in their career. Next, try
writing about the times your professional life was most reward-
ing. Kerry recommends that you create a “budget” in which you
list the pros and cons at work. From there, start planning action
steps for building on the best parts of your job and addressing
the liabilities.
2) Know when it’s burnout. Sometimes you’re feeling miserable,
but the problem is not really that you hate your job. As you jour-
nal, you may realize that the biggest issue is you’re just too tired.
148
Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO
Job burnout can be experienced as physical, emotional, or men-
tal exhaustion combined with self-doubt and uncertainty about
the value of your work. If you’re feeling burnt out, the solution
must start with you and goes beyond what happens at the office.
Consider taking a vacation, or perhaps a series of shorter breaks.
And look closely at your health and fitness programs.
3) Stop complaining. According to Kerry, “It’s remarkably easy
to fall into the trap of whining and grumbling about a boss,
coworker, or employer, but it rarely makes things better.” Her
advice is blunt: “Do something. Get over it.” Sometimes you
can’t make progress until you “stop the looping chatter.” Kerry
suggests that you read over your journal, looking for the specific
things you can change. Start working on those aspects of your
job by identifying small steps.
4) Get in shape financially. Human resources professionals
say that personal financial challenges are a frequent cause of
employee stress, poor health, and low productivity. If money
problems keep you up at night, your work suffers. On the other
hand, Kerry says, being financially fit gives you the freedom to
make choices because “you are not trapped and held ransom by
your paycheck.” Kerry urges you to do everything possible to
eliminate debt. The relief can transform your work life.
5) Enrich your job. Kerry says that making a number of small
tweaks to your current job can help it become more interest-
ing and full of opportunity. As a start, stay informed about the
trends in your field. “Just being in the know can inspire you to
think of projects and tasks.” Al
so, find ways to do even more of
the kind of work you like best. And, at the same time, search for
additional kinds of duties. When your bosses ask you to take on
another task, “accept the invitation gratefully . . . and then figure
out how to do it,” she says. Another strategy for job enhancement
is to network more actively with colleagues. Reach out to people
you don’t know well, look your coworkers in the eye, find oppor-
tunities to smile and chat—and keep building new connections.
6) Create more flexibility. “When I ask people to name one thing
that would make them happier about their jobs, they say inde-
pendence in some way, shape, or form,” Kerry says. The option to
How to love Your work Again
149
work flexibly gives us a sense of autonomy, and that is a good way
to make your work life immensely more enjoyable. Two increas-
ingly popular ways to give you back some control are telecom-
muting and flexible work schedules. “When you feel trapped and
micromanaged in your office environment, the sense of control
of your own time and virtual freedom can do wonders to help
you get reconnected with your work again,” she says.
7) Learn new tricks. “If you’re feeling stuck in your job and don’t
know what to do next, charge up your brain cells,” Kerry says.
Even if you have only a hazy notion of what interests you, start
exploring libraries, classes, or the Web, and learn something new.
The core message from Kerry’s book, in her words, is that “you can turn it around and rebound from your malaise or grim work environment. You have to own it. You consciously choose whether to continue being unhappy or pick an alternate path and change it up, even if it’s in baby steps.”
33
make social media
work for You
my normally cheerful client Brian* was aggravated. He’d been assigned
to find productive work for Jason*, a new hire. The problem, he said, is
that “we can’t give Jason a project because he doesn’t know how to do any-
thing at all.”
Jason had polished manners, an Ivy League education, and a distant fam-
ily connection to the CEO. Brian’s boss had recruited Jason from his last job, where he’d maintained a fairly high profile as a “senior policy advisor.”