Have your meetings run more rocky than smooth lately? One expert on the subject says there are an array of mishaps to beware of before your next corporate gathering.
"Events/meetings are, for most companies, a hidden asset they rarely take full advantage of," says Joe Calloway, Chuck Feltz, and Kris Young, authors of the new book, "Never By Chance: Aligning People and Strategy Through Intentional Leadership." Meetings usually are a waste of time, they say. Before designing an effective strategy, the authors say business leaders need to know the top ten meeting mistakes; focus their objectives, and then execute a meeting plan.
Here are the 10 top meeting mistakes, according to "Never by Chance:"
1.) Having a meeting just because you "always have a meeting."
2.) Going into the meeting without stated objectives and a clearly defined outcome.
3.) Putting more focus on what executives want to say than on what the audience needs to hear.
4.) Overloading the schedule without giving participants time to network, process, and just catch their breath.
5.) Focusing on only one mode of communicating (i.e. a podium parade of talking heads) as opposed to looking at multiple ways to communicate with and engage the audience.
6.) Poor coordination and communication between/among speakers, resulting in conflicting messages or unnecessary repetition.
7.) Making no provision for building on the meeting's objectives and goals after the event.
8.) Structuring the event so the audience is completely passive, not allowing them to interact and affect the meeting and its content.
9.) Not updating the meeting's structure to reflect changes in the company, the audience, or the culture at large.
10.) Not utilizing a production company that understands how to help you design and produce an effective, strategic event and make the most of your investment.
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