Creating Great Meetings (Scene Two)

    In last month's issue we started giving you tips and techniques to change those boring meetings that go nowhere into powerful meetings that unleash the hidden talents of everyone.

    We equated the running of a successful meeting to directing a finely crafted play. Scene One involved being a visionary leader who works from respect, authenticity and integrity and gets everyone involved in solving the problem of the day. Attitudes shape the true visionary leader guiding others to the vision or the goal.

    A visionary leader must also be willing to explore uncharted territory and discover the talents of the group to help everyone reach the leader's vision. As humans, we're unique in that we can actually observe our behavior before we take action or react. We have the ability to manage and control our reactions. It's the task of a true leader to be responsible for observing behavior and help others learn to observe behavior. Scene Two is developing the skills of the explorer in your business meetings.

    So how can we do this and master the skill of an explorer?

• Leaders must always check assumptions, go to the source and verify details and look at what's prompting a co-worker to make specific comments. Due to patterns of behavior that play out at work, we all come into meetings with attitudes instilled in us since childhood.
• Check intentions--notice when you choose to talk and if you are speaking from ego or to truly add to the collaborative process. Grandstanding leads to poor decisions.
• An explorer must be present, physically, emotionally and mentally to be a true observer of the patterns playing out in the meeting.
• Be open to outcomes, even if it's not the outcome you wanted. Allow yourself to use each situation as a stepping stone for great success rather than to win your specific point. The power of the group decision is more effective than the decision of one person.
• Generate full participation. Acknowledge all participants and ask questions to generate all individuals feeling comfortable to join in.
• Allow "multiversity", i.e., more than diversity. Appreciate the uniqueness of each individual and how the various perceptions and ideas form a synergistic picture.

    In a nutshell, the explorer side of leadership is able to resolve conflicts that cause stagnation and poor morale. The explorer is able to facilitate a meeting around truth telling and acknowledgement, it also helps to sit with chairs in a circle with open space in between. The explorer has a commitment to improve communication and improve collaboration.

    These skills are not developed in one meeting, but like any good play, it takes practice, practice, practice, rehearsing the scene over and over again. Keep practicing!

Next month we'll look at Scene Three-the Integrator.