Table of Contents
Introduction
Section 1: The Idea Harvest
- Chapter 1: Process Tools
- Chapter 2: Brainstorms
- Chapter 3: Balanced Dialogue
- Chapter 4: Force Field Analysis
- Chapter 5: Cause and Effect Diagrams
- Chapter 6: Nominal Group Technique
- Chapter 7: Affinity Diagram
- Chapter 8: Plus/Delta
- Chapter 9: Discussion
Section 2: Sort the Harvest
- Chapter 10: Standard Voting
- Chapter 11: Dot Voting
- Chapter 12: Weighted Dot Voting
- Chapter 13: Fail Safe Voting
- Chapter 14: Ranking
Section 3: Results
- Chapter 15: Action Items
Section 4: Leadership
- Chapter 16: The Agenda
- Chapter 17: Encourage Success
- Chapter 18: Rise Above Challenges
- Chapter 19: Facilitation
- Chapter 20: Uh Oh!
- Chapter 21: Escaping Dead Ends
- Chapter 22: Difficult Behaviors
- Chapter 23: Effective Meetings
Resources
Glossary
Suggested Reading
Index
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Introduction
Most executives feel they spend too much time in meetings. They resent this because they know the success of their future depends upon leadership, not endurance. They know that planning, communicating, and learning are essential activities. And yet, meetings get in the way.
People tell me meetings fail for the following reasons.It's business as usual. People are caught in a whirlwind schedule of marathon meetings. They go to meetings because everyone goes to meetings. That's business, they shrug. We have to go.
People are fooled by short cuts. Preparing an agenda, for example, takes time. It's much easier to assume the participants will arrive with a consistent vision of the issues supported by a common plan. Of course, we know from experience that this results in a long unproductive meeting.
People lack modern tools. Many meetings are conducted with the old-fashioned communication process of chit chat. This serves well at informal gatherings where the purpose is to socialize without making progress on anything in particular. Occasionally this can prove useful in a meeting, such as when people need to relax.
This book shows you how to fix these problems. Now, you can maximize the value of the time you spend in meetings.
The easy, practical techniques in this book are designed to help you gather information, reach consensus, and control problems. I have successfully applied these techniques in different types of meetings (with executives, workers, and citizens) and the results have always been the same: people accomplished more in less time.
So, congratulations. You are about to change your meetings forever. By applying the techniques in this book, you will distinguish yourself as an exceptional leader. You will help others work as a team, while you maintain control and produce results fast.
The results are so dramatic, your associates will notice the difference.
It all starts with Chapter 1. |
