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We call on the savvy of meeting pros everywhere to go forth and uphold the essentials of effective and productive meetings for all.
Sure you can plan an effective sales conference or client event for hundreds, but it’s the everyday, get-stuff-done work meetings that can sap resources and time, so inspire others and spread the word:
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Ask if it’s even needed. Is a meeting being called just because you’ve “always” met, or have a recurring event in place? Whether you meet in person, connect by phone or work via Webex, insist on a clear purpose and goal - or else don’t meet at all. |
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Put it on the agenda. Even last-minute meetings benefit from having an agenda, which also helps meeting leaders map out ideas and better manage the flow of discussion. Even just a few words listed on a flipchart or whiteboard increases the odds of getting through whatever you need to get done. |
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Shorter is sweeter. We are such slaves to scheduling software like Outlook that we automatically meet in half-hour increments “like a TV show,” complains Jason Fried, co-author of the bestseller Rework, and a tough critic of what he calls toxic meetings (for why, read an excerpt here). If you can cover everything in 10 or 12 or 15 minutes, why schedule 30? |
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Pare your invite list. For a dramatization of how time is money in meetings, salary tracker PayScale has a free web app called Meeting Miser that uses estimated salaries of meeting participants to time the cost of a gathering to the second. Moral of the story: invite attendees on a need-to-be-there basis. |
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Share the conclusion. Make sure everyone leaves the meeting knowing who has to do what, and when. Recap any decisions or actions planned so everyone leaves with the same outcome and objectives in mind. |
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Swing into spring - breakfast and golf clinic
When: May 11, 2011
Where: Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville, Ont.
Why go: Where else could you combine a morning of networking with some of Canada’s top corporate incentive and motivation experts with a golf clinic from the pros at the famous Glen Abbey?
What’s in it for you: Catch up on what industry peers have been up to, plus dust-off your golf skills to start a new season. Register here.
More industry events at Ignitemag.ca
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INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
13 snacks that count as brain food
Mmm.... broccoli? When you’re scheduling your next meeting break, before you go for coffee and muffins, consider these foods research suggests help keep brains active and alert:
1. Granola
2. Nuts
3. Blueberries
4. Yogurt
5. Mangos
6. Bananas |
7. Spinach
8. Broccoli
9. Whole grain breads
10. Hard-boiled eggs
11. Peanut butter
12. Dark chocolate
13. Energy bars |
The list comes from a paper produced by The National Conference Center in Virginia, The Science of Food for Thought, on how food affects meeting performance, memory and mood.
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CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Why your road warriors deserve healthy perks
Frequent business travel could be harming the health of your employees, as research confirms what we’ve already guessed: life on the road takes a toll when it comes to heart health and obesity. Findings in the April edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggest that, among people who travelled, health risks increased corresponding to the amount of time spent travelling. Extensive travellers were 260% more likely than light travellers to say their health is fair to poor. Obesity was 92% more common in the extensive travelers, and they also had higher cholesterol and high blood pressure. Click through to read the full study. |
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CORPORATE GIFTS + REWARDS
Keep it personal to motivate
Many corporate recognition programs may be falling short of their motivational mark, suggests a recent survey of Canadian employers. A poll of 166 mid- to large-size organizations by the Conference Board of Canada found less than half believed employees are satisfied with their organization's rewards and recognition practices. One way to get more from your investment is to keep it personal, suggest authors of the study. “Organizations that take into account the preferences of their employees will see a greater impact from their investment in rewards and recognition programs.” To learn more, see the full study. |
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| Share your event news, case studies or story ideas with us here at ignitemag.ca. |
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Make a buzz in the corporate travel biz
Canada’s largest specialty travel company continues to expand its MeritBiz corporate travel services, and is now looking to fill several positions, including a sales & marketing coordinator for communication activities from websites to trade shows. Click through for details and more jobs on the Merit website. |
Manage travel for people who build the web
In an Internet technology company serving customers in more than 80 countries, the role of travel expense coordinator is about more than just accounting skills, at corporate headquarters of Waterloo-based Sandvine Inc. See job details on the Sandvine careers site. |
This job is at the hub of wealth management
Arranging logistics for roadshows, client events and conferences is just part of the role of program & event coordinator at Manulife Financial in Toronto – you’d be the communications "hub" for all event, conference and trade show attendees and speakers. For more details, search for job i.d. 1101643 on the Manulife career site. |
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