| Meetings can be a time for dynamic interaction or | | | | arduous explanations. |
| a time for mundane conversation and boredom. | | | | Schedule your meeting for morning hours, before |
| Momentum is the thing that makes the difference. | | | | the after lunch time slump and the race to the |
| But how do you keep ideas flowing, bullet points | | | | door at the end of the day. Something else may |
| flying, and conversation brisk and exciting? The | | | | surprise you-don't have food or snacks at your |
| answer may surprise you. Preparation is what | | | | meeting. The time spent in setting up, eating, and |
| means the difference between good meetings | | | | cleaning up is wasted energy. Also, you don't want |
| and bad meetings. | | | | a satisfied crowd-you want the hungry in both the |
| When you schedule a meeting the first thing you | | | | literal and figurative sense of the word. It is all |
| need to do is map the meeting out in your mind. | | | | about momentum and looking carefully at your |
| Prepare your agenda carefully and with an eye to | | | | agenda and the moderator of the meeting and |
| a seamless flow of topics. Jumping around from | | | | try to anticipate vulnerable areas. |
| point to point will slow your meeting down as | | | | Approach your meetings like a driver getting |
| everyone switches gears. Just like a roadmap, | | | | ready for the Daytona 500. There is a checkered |
| plan your talking points like stops on a road to a | | | | flag at the end of the race and the first one to |
| specific destination. | | | | get there wins. You want you meeting to move |
| To avoid background or "catch up" questions, you | | | | at a pace where the ideas are heard and positions |
| should provide any forms or background | | | | are explored but at an even pace without side |
| documentation to your participants ahead of time. | | | | trips to the mundane. Much of the battle is simply |
| Don't send this material too far ahead as it will get | | | | in good planning and an energetic moderator who |
| lost in the usual glut of paper ending up on | | | | can keep control of a meeting and bring it to a |
| everyone's desks. Two to three days ahead of | | | | successful conclusion where direction and decisions |
| your meeting time is optimum. Make sure that | | | | can be achieved. So go into that meeting, keep |
| people know that they should bring these packets | | | | your eye on the prize, and get to that checkered |
| with them to the meeting. Don't forget to include | | | | flag and victory. |
| charts, Power Point slides, and visuals to avoid | | | | |