Here’s a quick way to help your teams catch themselves when they’re mired in the past.

1) In the next team meeting, ask someone on the team to keep track of the number of times they hear statements that fall into the realm of the “past” versus those that fall into the realm of the “future.”

Signs a Discussion is bogged down in the “Past”
You hear a lot of opinions (“If you ask me, the problem is that we’ve over-produced.  Installation can’t keep up with sales.”)
You hear assessments (“Last time we tried that we lost money.”)
Your hear interpretations (“I’ve been saying for months now that the marketing team is under-staffed.”)
You hear analyses (“Maybe we should revisit the recommendations the research firm gave us last year–we might have missed something.”)
You hear judgments (“If we change our policy now, we’ll lose our old customers.”)

Statements that reveal a discussion is more “Future-Based”
“What if….”
“I think it’s possible to…”
“We can do….”
“This team is capable of….”

For example:
If anything were possible, what would this place look like in a year?
Seems to me, there’s got to be away to decrease this process by half…
Something like this would certainly make things easier for customers and I can see how it might be possible.

2) Bring the findings to the group’s attention and attempt to gain agreement around the concept of moving discussions from the past into the future.  The best way to break out of business as usual is by first envisioning the possibilities the future can hold.

3) After the team identifies and agrees to pursue a future-based idea, explain that they are now ready to move into the “Present.” This is where requests are issued (such as what needs to be done, by when and by whom) and employee commitments are made.

Excerpted from the Leader’s Guide to The Power of Future Conversation training program.

Recommended Training Resource: The Power of Future Conversation. Your teams can use the principles in this program to immediately refocus their communication in a way that will help them, and your organization, achieve positive change and growth. It’s all about getting out of the past, focusing on the future and acting in the present. This program shows how to reframe day-to-day conversations so that breakthroughs can occur.

Making assumptions is bad, right? The standard answer is ‘yes,’ because most of us have had those moments when we made a decision based on a certain assumption, and then discovered the decision turned out to be wrong because our assumption was wrong. Not good. And to make matters worse, the person pointing out our mistaken assumption probably also felt the need to become a linguist and write out “assume” as a three syllable word on a nearby white board. (Unfortunately, we know the punch line to that one.)

As leaders, it’s considered bad practice to take business matters for granted. We know that when someone is called out for making a bad assumption, he or she is being accused of not asking critical questions to get important information in service of the organization’s goals.   

But are all assumptions bad? In other words, to prevent more unsolicited linguistic lessons on how to break down the word “assume,” should we question everything we encounter and take nothing for granted?

Consider this example.
A few years ago during a morning car-pool commute with a colleague, I was drinking a cup of coffee from a drive-thru. I never actually saw the coffee itself because it was in a paper cup with a lid on it. As I’ve done hundreds times before (actually, perhaps thousands), I drank the cup dry, but this time my last sip contained some coffee grounds. I don’t particularly enjoy the taste of coffee grounds, so I was vocal in letting my colleague know what had just happened.

“That’s what you get for assuming the coffee was fine,” he said with that certain smugness of a person who doesn’t drink coffee.

Of course, that’s not the response I was looking for. My initial, unvocalized retort was a “Yeah, I should have poured the coffee into a clear beaker and checked for sediments and then have run a toxicology test.” Instead, I kept my mouth shut and drove on. After all, I had done what any reasonable person would do: I observed nothing out of the ordinary in the coffee place (as usual, it was clean and the server was courteous), and the cup and lid looked pristine.  Nothing appeared wrong, so I assumed everything was okay. 

As we drove on, I continued pondering these matters about making assumptions. I noticed that my colleague wasn’t concerned at all when I drove through green-light intersections without slowing down to make absolutely sure that the cross-traffic would not run their red lights and crash into us. We approached the intersections, saw nothing was amiss, and drove through with the relative confidence that our assumptions about the way people obey the traffic laws were valid.

It struck me that if we didn’t make hundreds of assumptions a day about navigating through our everyday world, we’d be stopping at all green light events and never get anywhere.

In light of the sheer volume of things we need to accomplish in a given day, making assumptions can be useful. At a fundamental level, almost all of our assumptions work almost all of the time. 

Unfortunately, since we make so many correct assumptions every day based on “nothing seems wrong,” it’s easy to get into the habit of not asking probing questions when we should—especially when our business goals seem to be cruising along on auto-pilot. In those cases when a project seems to be going well, during a meeting we might ask, “Does anyone have any problems or concerns?” Quite often—and for a variety of reasons— the answer will be a “no,” and we’ll move on because we’ve reinforced an assumption that since nothing was wrong then everything must be okay. 

But then comes the kicker a few days, weeks, or even months later: A serious problem within the project, seemingly out of the blue, but painfully obvious in hindsight, blindsides us. And then we get into some “what ifs” that come down to “If only I had asked the right questions back then.” 

In the case of an organizational initiative where nothing is overtly wrong, one way we  leaders can challenge our assumptions is to ask questions like: “Is there any chance people are reluctant to say what’s really going on?”  Or, “do I encourage the people on my team to challenge things they have doubts about?”.  Depending on the answers, we may need to create a safe atmosphere where assumptions are identified and, if need be, tested.

So, to get back to the issue of whether or not people are correct when they spell “assume” as a three-syllable word, we’ve got to think about the consequences of the assumptions we’re making.  When is it time to see that nothing is wrong and move on through the intersection, and when is it time to see that nothing is wrong and slow down and ask questions? It’s okay to get a sip of coffee grounds every 6 months or so, but it’s not okay to let your team fail.

Training Resource: The Abilene Paradox. Instead of assuming everyone is on-board with a decision, leaders must make it safe for people to speak up if they think the team is headed in the wrong direction. This all-time bestseller drives home a powerful message about the importance of getting everyone’s honest opinion.

During this process, participants sometimes reveal that they already KNOW how to do much of what we’re there to teach.  But if that’s the case, why doesn’t the organization see them applying that knowledge?

Consider this example:  Some managers and service providers seem to be able to provide good leadership and/or service when they are being observed by an executive who can affect their continued employment or advancement. Yet, that manager or service provider fails to give the same level of care and consideration on a consistent basis.

That’s when the role of a trainer is to come up with ways to remind or inspire people to use the knowledge they already have.  I call this having a “know focus.” It requires innovative techniques, not just new information, to improve the long-term effectiveness of an organization’s leadership and staff development.

As you may have guessed from this article’s title, I believe music is one of those innovative techniques. Research done by a number of organizations, including the American Medical Association and Harvard University, shows that music can provide both an anchor and an emotional connection to improve the retention of information.

Instead of relying solely on traditional methods of closing the gap between what participants learn and what they actually use (such as setting a goal that people look at every morning)…try using music as a fun and inspirational reminder of the things you want participants to improve upon.

Here are a few examples of how you can build a training message around a familiar song!
Good Vibrations from The Beach Boys can be used to remind service providers that their jobs are all about sending “good vibes” to customers.
Put a Little Love in Your Heart by Jackie DeShannon can be used to reinforce a lesson about servant leadership.
Little Bit O’ Soul by The Music Explosion can be used to inspire people to keep a positive attitude.

So go ahead.  Listen to your IPod for a few hours and see what useful, inspirational messages you might stumble upon.  Or, make the selection of a “memory anchor” song an assignment for participants—allowing them to think of a song that will always remind them of the day’s lesson.   You’ll be amazed at what a great retention device this is because your participants will remember your messages “Eight Days a Week!”

Over the past 20 years, Donna Long has helped hundreds of organizations improve their leadership, communication and customer service effectiveness. Visit www.LearningJourneyInc.com to learn more.

Need help in this area? CRM Learning’s Jukebox Journey Meeting Opener Series contains three short animated videos that feature the songs and messages described in the above article.  These videos can help you teach unforgettable lessons in leadership, customer service and a positive workplace.

Mistake 1) For the sake of speed and efficiency, you take the “I’ll do it myself” approach to identifying a solution.  (Here’s where you tell yourself that involving a lot of people will just cause confusion and/or create a scenario where people will get hurt because their input isn’t acted upon.)

Yes, when facilitated improperly, problem solving sessions can end in chaos and hurt feelings — but when you don’t involve others, you are missing an opportunity to engage your team, collect ideas from those closest to the problem and present team members with an opportunity to align themselves with organizational objectives. The key is to learn how to properly facilitate a collaborative session.  Remember, as a leader, it’s not your job to have all the answers, but it IS your job to develop and utilize the knowledge and talent of your team.

Mistake 2) Focus on who or what caused the problem so you can get to the root of it.  (This is when you act from the belief that the best way to make progress on solving a problem is to first go backward.)

Identifying the root-cause of a problem is sometimes necessary to solving it.  But most of the time it’s best not to stay mired in the past looking for who/what to blame.  Switching to a future focus can instantly change the environment from cautious to cooperative.  As much as you can, avoid fixating on the things that aren’t working and use the group’s energy to identify things that are going well (…there is always something positive to build off of, if you look hard enough).

Mistake 3) Assume that everyone shares the same understanding of what needs to be accomplished.  (Sad but true…group members often think they have the same destination in mind, but they end up arriving at different places.)

It is critically important to clarify the group’s goal by asking “what is our objective?”. Your team likely has people in different positions with vastly different perspectives on the situation. (For example, finance may think the objective is to reduce expenses while procurement thinks it is to acquire resources more efficiently.)  The diverse opinions and experiences of your team will work to your advantage only if you make sure everyone is using the same definition of success when it comes to the desired outcome.  

Mistake 4) Get buy-in to the solution by reminding people what will happen if the problem isn’t solved.  (Okay, this isn’t a bad thing in and of itself; it’s only a mistake if you don’t ALSO cover the myriad benefits of solving the problem.)

When people don’t connect value to the achievement of a goal, motivation and execution suffer.  For maximum buy-in, have the group consider the benefits that will be realized by all stakeholders—customers, ownership, the organization as a whole, internal teams and departments and, lastly, the individuals themselves. 

Mistake 5) Leave out the “accountability” piece.  (Don’t bother figuring out who’s doing what …just wing it!)

The best way to make sure people are truly part of the solution is to make sure they leave the meeting having committed to doing something. Detailed discussions should be had around questions like these: What steps must we take to reach the objective? Who will be doing what, and by when? How will we measure our progress?

For more on this topic: Preview 5 Questions Every Leader Must Ask, a video-based training program from CRM Learning. Based on the book “Leadership Made Simple” by Ed Oakley and Doug Krug, the program teaches a simple framework for facilitating a collaborative session and successfully engaging your team to address any workplace challenge (be it a problem or a new project). For more information on “Leadership Made Simple”, visit Enlightened Leadership Solutions.

Instructions: Write the following letter combination on the flip chart:

BSAINXLEATNTEARS

Ask participants to copy down this row of letters. Then ask them to cross out six letters from the line so that all the remaining letters in the sequence form one common English word. Allow 5 minutes for them to do this brain teaser. Now ask for their answers. If some came up with banana, they are right! Ask them how they arrived at their answer. They should have crossed out the phrase, six letters, so that the remaining letters spell out banana. Explain to the group that although the clue is huge, many of us do not hear it because we are caught up in the details and take it literally to mean eliminate six letters. We see ears and tears which obscures the obvious. It’s analogous to getting caught up in the details of life and missing the big picture. So often we see the trees, but not the forest, and it’s easier to lose our way and our perspective.

2) Popsicle Sticks

Break participants into groups of 3-4 people. Give each team a bundle of nine Popsicle sticks (coffee stirrer sticks or short cocktail straws will work just fine, too). Ask participants to stand up around their tables. Draw this figure on your flip chart:

 (three triangles in a row, composed of three Popsicle sticks each, with the bottom corners of each pyramid touching)

Have participants arrange their sticks in the same configuration. Give the group their challenge.

The group’s job is to make as many triangles as they can with the sticks, moving only three of them. The minimum number of triangles they must make is seven. That means they have to leave six sticks in place, and can move only three—any three they like. This is a timed exercise. They will have just two minutes to create as many triangles as they can.

Timing the exercise will add tension and excitement, encouraging the groups to work quickly. If they ask you questions while they are working, like “Can we break the sticks?”—do not answer the question. Simply repeat your directions: “Your job is to make as many triangles as you can, a minimum of seven, moving only three sticks.” Let them figure it out.

At the end of the two minutes, ask how many tables made seven triangles.

Acknowledge their accomplishment. Ask someone from one of the teams to come to the front of the room and draw their solution on a flip chart. Ask if any other teams got seven, but did it differently. If so, then ask them to come up and draw their solution on the flip chart. Give each person who comes to the flip chart a round of applause when they are done. This will reinforce participation.

Then ask if any teams made more. Eight? Nine? Ten? More? Ask the team that made the most to send a representative to the front of the room to draw their solution on the flip chart. See how many they made. Ask them how they did it. Give them a round of applause.

Icebreaker Debrief

• Did any of the groups break the sticks?

• And how did the rest of you feel when you saw that someone broke their sticks?

• What does this have to do with how we solve problems at work?

• Do you think you would have had the same results if you had worked on the problem alone?

• Did working in a team make your more creative or less creative?

• If you could do the exercise over again, do you think you would make more triangles this time?

• There is usually more than one good solution to any problem. You want to explore lots of different possible solutions before you decide on the one you think is best.

• Groups of people are usually more successful at solving a problem and being creative than individuals working alone.

• We often make assumptions about what’s possible/permissible without ever checking to see if those assumptions are accurate or real. Our assumptions can limit our creativity.

• People learn with experience. Watching others and learning from their experience can help us be more creative in the future.

3) Communication Art

Break participants into pairs. Have the participants stand back to back, each with a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Have one participant be the communicator and the other the listener. The communicator will begin to draw on the paper and describe what they are drawing to the listener, who must then draw what is being described to them. Give the participants a time limit with which to complete the exercise. At the end of the allotted time, have participants compare drawings. Give prizes to the drawings that most resemble one another.

4) Diversity Scavenger Hunt

Instructions to the Trainer: Put the following questions on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper. Make enough copies for everyone. Tell the group they have 10 minutes to complete this exercise.

Group Instructions: Attempt to fill in your sheet by finding a person who can say “yes” or can respond appropriately to each question. Write their first name in the space provided. You may use each person’s name only once.

1. _______________________speaks English as a 2nd language. What is their primary language?_________________________________________

2. _______________________speaks Spanish.

3. _______________________speaks an Asian language. Which? ________________________

4. _______________________has traveled abroad in the last year.

5. ________________________lived in another country for a significant period of time.

6. ________________________has experienced acupuncture.

7. ________________________ was born in a country other than the U.S.

8. ________________________ has parents that moved here from another country.

9. ________________________ grandparents come from the same country as one of your grandparents. Which country? ____________________________________________

10. _______________________comes from a family of 4 or more children.

11. __________________ _____ attended parochial (religious) school as a child.

12. ________________________reads one or more books a month.

13. ________________________still owns vinyl (LP) records.

14. ________________________has more than 2 children.

15. ________________________ attended college in a country other than the one in which they were born.

5) Who Started It?

In this exercise, one volunteer will leave the room and another volunteer will be picked to lead the group (the second should be picked after the first has left the room). Participants in the room will stand in a circle and the “leader” will begin a sound and a motion (i.e. swinging arms back and forth and clapping once). All of the participants in the circle must watch what the “leader” is doing and copy the motion and sound.

The volunteer outside the room is then asked to come in and stands in the center of the circle. The “outsider” must observe the group and discover who the “leader” of the group is. The “leader” must change the motion and sound at least two times during the exercise, and all participants must copy the motion and sound. The trick for the participants is to change their motions and sounds without giving away who the “leader” is. A common tactic is to not look at the “leader,” but rather the person directly across the circle from them. This exercise can be repeated several times to give multiple participants the opportunity to be the “leader” and the “outsider.”

This material excerpted from various CRM Learning videos’ Leader’s Guides.

Thomas Edison had a very simple way of conducting job interviews. He’d invite prospective employees to join him for soup in the company cafeteria. If they salted their soup before tasting it, the interview was over. Plain and simple. Given the nature of his work – where even a single stone unturned could mean the difference between the failure or success of a costly product – Edison could not afford to surround himself with people ruled by faulty assumptions.

Of all the roadblocks to innovation, assumptions are the worst. Invisible, insidious and habitual, they stop us before we even start – the default position for those of us too consumed by our past to consider the future the way it really is: pure potentiality.

Definition of an assumption
What is an assumption? Simply put, it’s “taking something for granted”. A “supposition.” We do it all the time – although not always to our detriment. For example, if you leave your toothbrush in the bathroom at night, it’s safe to assume that it will be there in the morning. Your assumption saves you lots of time searching for it in the kitchen or garage. Other assumptions, however, don’t work out quite as well – despite the seeming evidence for their veracity. Many of our ancestors, for example, assumed the earth was flat. They had “proof.” They saw it with their own eyes. But their so-called proof – their inaccurate interpretation of existing phenomena – was a far cry from reality. And it was precisely because of their faulty assumptions, that many of our ancestors missed out on the New World and all the fabulous beachfront property that came with it.

Think about it. If every ten years half of what scientists believe to be true is proven to be false, how much of what your decisions are based on is anything more than just a temporary – and not very elegant – arrangement of half-baked perceptions, flaky factoids, and loosely interpreted statistics?
Take a minute now to consider what you may be assuming falsely. What conclusions have you drawn that prevent you from sailing new oceans? What beliefs are you bound by that are likely to be laughable three years from now? Are you absolutely sure you know what your customers want? Are you positive your manager won’t free up the money to fund your latest idea? Can you say, without a shadow of a doubt, that your current strategy to accomplish your “stretch goal” is based on anything more than hearsay and hot talk?

Famous assumptions
But hey, you’re not alone in your tendency to jump to conclusions. Join the club as you consider some of these (now famous) limiting assumptions throughout history:

“I think there is a world market for about five computers.” (Thomas Watson, founder of IBM)

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” (Charles Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899)

“There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” (Albert Einstein)

“The phonograph is not of any commercial value.” ( Thomas Edison)

“I don’t need body guards.” (Jimmy Hoffa)

“Man will not fly for 50 years.” (Wilbur Wright, 1903)

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” (Bill Gates)

“With over 50 foreign cars on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market for itself.” (Business Week, 1968)

Conclusion
What is your biggest assumption about your hottest new idea? What is your company’s most pervasive, collective assumption? What can you do today to identify the one assumption most likely to sabotage your future success? What can you do to go beyond it?

Mitchell Ditkoff is president of Idea Champions, www.ideachampions.com
Reprinted from innovationtools.com

Training Solution: Pigeonholed in The Land of Penguins This video shows your employees how to see their co-workers in a new and different way; and helps them tap into the creativity of every team member.

The scene is repeated in meeting rooms around the world every day. A problem has been identified and a group has gathered to solve the problem. When ideas are needed, the group decides to brainstorm. And all too often this exercise leads to a short list of not-that-creative ideas.

We know that if we generate more ideas we have a better chance of finding better ideas. This leads us to the logical conclusion that if we can find techniques to create more ideas, we will find better ones. No one technique however will guarantee the perfect solution. Instead your goals should be to have a variety of approaches to help stimulate idea creation in your repertoire. By doing this you will improve the overall quality of ideas by virtue of having more to choose from.

Whether you are unhappy with the current creativity of your group or are having good success with brainstorming sessions, but would like them to be even better, any of the eight suggestions below can help.

Look at problems in different ways. Get the group to change their perspective on the problem. Once people “lock into” one way of looking at things the idea flow will slow to a trickle. Have people take a new persona. Ask them to look at the issue from the perspective of another group – accounting, HR, or sales for example. Ask them to think about how their grandmother or an 8 year old would solve the problem. These are simple ways to force people into a new perspective and the new perspectives will generate more ideas.

Make novel combinations. The ideas that land on the flip chart or whiteboard in a brainstorming session are typically considered individually. Have the group look at the initial list and look for ways to combine the ideas into new ones.

Force relationships. Once a group is finished with their initial list, provide them with words, pictures or objects. The objects can be random items, the words can come from a randomly generated list or from pictures in magazines or newspapers. When people have their random word, picture or item, have them create connections between the problem and their item. Use questions like, “How could this item solve our problem?” What attributes of this item could help us solve our problem?”

Make their thoughts visible. Have people draw! Too often the brainstorming session has everyone sitting except the person capturing the ideas. Let people doodle and draw and you never know what ideas may be spurred.

Think in opposites. Rather than asking your direct problem question, ask the opposite. “How could we ensure no one bought this new product?” could be one example. Capturing the ideas on “the opposite,” will illuminate ideas for solving the actual problem.

Think metaphorically. This approach is similar to forcing relationships (and is another way to use your words, pictures or items). Pick a random idea/item and ask the group, “How is this item like our problem?” Metaphors can be a very powerful way to create new ideas where none existed before.

Prepare. Too often people are asked to brainstorm a problem with no previous thinking time. If people have time to think about a topic, and let their brains work on it for awhile, they will create more and better ideas. Allow people to be better prepared mentally by sharing the challenges you will be brainstorming some time before the meeting whenever possible.

Set a Goal. Research shows and my experience definitely confirms that the simple act of giving people a quantity goal before starting the brainstorming session will lead to a longer list of ideas to consider. Set your goal at least a little higher than you think you can get – and higher than this group typically achieves. Set the goal and watch the group reach it!

While these suggestions have all been written from the perspective of a group generating ideas, they all work very well for individuals too. The next time you need to solve a problem by yourself, use these techniques and you will be astounded by the quantity of ideas you will generate!

Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. www.kevineikenberry.com Reprinted from innovationtools.com

Training Solution: Free Radicals of Innovation: Everyone wants to be creative, but most people fear change. This program shows the nine principles of innovation and how to make them work for your team.

Nothing is more energizing than having great ideas fly around a meeting room and everyone is engaged in solving problems and getting things done. In tough economic times, seeing employees express ideas about how to keep the business booming is especially rewarding. “We should put this on the website!” “We can get advertising to highlight this feature in the next marketing campaign!” “Customers will love the ability to download this information!”

You want to keep these great expectations moving from one meeting to the next and ensure that the best ideas are not allowed to stall. It’s important that the great ideas “we” need to act on are not lost. Those ideas are gold and the miners of that gold are in the room.

The Problem with “We”
To get to the gold, you must eliminate the Nothing Has Been Done with the Great Ideas We Had in the Last Meeting syndrome. And why does nothing get done? Because “we” were going to do it.

To harness the power of every employee you must remember that the pronoun “we” doesn’t do anything or get anything done. When a person says “we” should do something, that’s great! What’s even greater, though, is when everyone is led to move a “we” to an “I”… with an accompanying “by-when”.

Imagine how the results of your team will skyrocket when individuals begin saying things like…“We have come up with some great stuff! I am especially excited about customers downloading this information. I’ll own that, and by the next meeting I will have an outline for you.”

Grab and Go
Full-out brainstorming is fun and productive so long as “we” know that each “I” will have an opportunity to grab onto something they can be enthusiastic about and follow through on. This requires leaders who possess an ownership mindset and take responsibility for a successful end result before the meeting begins. They must encourage employees to listen for things they can “own” and ensure that the best ideas (the ones that generate enthusiasm, energy and a winning set of strategies) are snatched up.

The skill is to recognize the potential in the room and not shut people down with a You Say It, You Own It approach. Employees are much more likely to emerge with their best thinking when they know they’re not going to get stuck doing something they don’t want to do. (And, you can always circle back to address any un-owned “we” or missing “by-when”.) A meeting becomes a gold mine when employees can pick the idea they see the most potential in, grab it and say the three golden words: “I’ll own that!”

Versera offers a top-down consultative approach to building accountability within organizations through a powerful assessment process, one-on-one coaching and facilitated accountability workshops.

Training Solution: Accountability That Works! The accountability model in this video will help you create a workplace where employees take ownership and achieve results.

The latest example involved a simple truth about why adults hate business meetings, and it inspired me to share some thoughts on how to take the pain out of corporate get-togethers, including training sessions, and turn them into gatherings people leave saying, “That was a fabulous use of our time, money and energy.”

When my daughter started high school, she came down heavy on one of her teachers in critiquing one of her classes for me: “All he does is talk. He never lets us do anything.” Keep in mind this is a course she wanted to take and a subject she wants to master. The pain is complicated by disappointment.
I’ve felt the same way when leaving many seminars and training sessions – well-intentioned affairs with too much talk and too little do.

So I developed a process I call LOOP Learning (Linkage, Obstacles, Opportunities, Plans) because it helps create sessions designed with real-world business issues in mind, and because it actively involves people learning about and dealing with those issues.

First, I abide by the need for good meetings and training sessions to be built around a well-developed agenda, an agreed-upon schedule and a group commitment to keep on track. But I’ve discovered four things more fundamental that, if accomplished, create high-energy, highly productive meetings:

Linkage. A vital early step is to make sure the session creates a sense of ownership in the participants about why they are together, and to assure the agenda connects to a specific business issue. Help people answer the question, “Why is this important – to me, to our team and to the company?” Linkage lifts responsibility for the challenge off the shoulders of “the boss” or the trainer who called the session and shares it with everyone in the room.

Obstacles. Sometimes the most important thing you can do in a meeting or training session is identifying what´s blocking your goals. Acknowledge there are barriers, and examine the risk in not overcoming them and of not challenging the status quo.

Opportunities. Once people understand the challenge and the barriers, turn them loose on generating ideas for improving, changing and innovating current successes and creating new possibilities for growth and success. An important element of identifying opportunities is to challenge the mindset that there is only one right way to do things. It’s critical to keep asking questions, knowing that solutions always will be a moving target.

Plans. The final step is to clarify priorities and to make plans and commitments for what must be done to achieve the desired business results. Determine who will do what and by when, to move toward the goal. Commitment and accountability built into the learning process help to achieve sustainable results.

The length of a session influences what can be accomplished and how, but in almost all sessions this model allows for a blend of interactive exercises, stories, activities, video vignettes, music, metaphors and illustrations related to the business objective. Perhaps the only “rule” for using LOOP Learning gets back to my daughter’s lesson: Give people plenty of chances to talk to each other and share ideas about how to deal with the challenge.

The objective in designing worthwhile meetings is to create an environment that encourages people to think differently, build on each other’s ideas and develop high levels of communication, commitment and collaboration. Think about a classroom full of teenagers. Energy and intelligence abound, as in every work team. When we bring people together, the challenge is to tap them, not to turn them off.

Reprinted with permissions from effectivemeetings.com

1. Be Very Clear on the Purpose of the Meeting
Before your meeting, set goals and decide upon the specific objective for the upcoming meeting. Identify the desired outcome for each agenda item to be discussed. Doing this will clarify what needs to be accomplished during the meeting.

2. Begin Small Meetings with Introductions
First introduce yourself and thank people for coming to the meeting. Review the proposed agenda for the attendees. Briefly explain each item, so people understand what the agenda topics mean and point out the time limit. Ask if there are any questions. Doing this provides structure to the meeting and communicates to the attendees that the meeting has a schedule and a defined set of goals that must be accomplished.

3. Involve As Many People As Possible During the Meeting
Ask silent people for their opinions, call on a variety of people, and don’t allow nonstop talkers to monopolize the discussion – everyone will appreciate it. Having a variety of people contributing not only creates an interesting discussion but also promotes a more in-depth discussion. The more perspectives that are involved, the better your group’s decisions. Making an effort to involve all participants also moves people from a passive to an active role.

4. Make Sure Everyone Understands What’s Going On
Throughout the discussion, it’s a good idea to clarify and summarize what’s happening. This shows consideration for all of your meeting participants and helps maintain focus during the meeting.

5. Remember That Time Is Important
Disorganized and unexpectedly long meetings can demoralize people. Try to put time limits on each agenda item and select a timekeeper. Keep the meeting moving and adhere to the schedule dictated by the agenda. Otherwise, your meeting will go overtime and the attendees will become frustrated.

6. Assign Action Items
When action items arise from the meeting discussion, assign them immediately. Select an individual, a priority level and a due date for the action item. This way, no items will be forgotten or left unassigned. You’ll likely get some volunteers to help fulfill any remaining action items. Naturally, everyone wants to be helpful and cooperative in front of their peers!

7. End the Meeting with a Summary of Decisions and Assignments
Take five minutes to review the outcome of each agenda item, as well as the action items list. Doing this ends the meeting on a note of accomplishment and also reminds the attendees who’s responsible for what after the meeting adjourns. It’s also a good idea to review the meeting process. Ask the group what went well during the meeting and which areas need improvement. Take note of the comments and try to improve on them the next time you lead your group’s meeting.

Reprinted with permission from Better Business Meetings by Robert B. Nelson and Peter Economy © 1995 by RICHARD D. IRWIN, INC.

Training Solution- Meeting Robbers: Stop those dominating, time-sucking, overbearing, idea-stealing people from derailing your next meeting! This video shows you the secrets to shutting them down, and getting everyone at the table to contribute.