Archives For Meetings

How to run effective meetings.

Force Field Analysis as a Teambuilding Exercise

April 24, 2013 — 9 Comments

lightside 150x100 Force Field Analysis as a Teambuilding ExerciseWhen you’re trying to fix a team… there are always factors working for you… and against you.  Secret force fields undermine your efforts.   Make the hidden forces known.  Make the force be with you.

Force Field Analysis is a well-tested change management technique developed by Kurt Lewin in the 1950s.  It’s brilliant in its simplicity.  Define a problem (or change) and a desired state.  Identify all the forces for and against your efforts.  Develop plans to maximize the good and minimize the bad. The technique works best in small groups (less than 12) and can be applied to any decision or change effort.

Force Field Analysis as Teambuilder

I use Force Field Analysis to build teams.  It gets people talking about specific issues.  Tangible actions emerge quickly.  Warning, it can get deep fast, so be sure your team is ready to talk.   You may want to use someone from HR or an outside facilitator to help.  For added fun, add light sabers.

Here’s how

  1. Define a problem your team is facing (i.e. we don’t help one another)
  2. Determine your ideal state (i.e. we would proactively support one another)
  3. Identify Driving Forces (i.e. we “want” to help, we have a common vision, some people help… oh boy…)
  4. Identify Restraining Forces (i.e. we’re all so busy, we aren’t co-located, I can’t trust that others will reciprocate… )
  5. Prioritize the issues in terms of magnitude (i.e. trust is the fundamental problem, made worse by being a remote team).
    Sometimes it’s good to stop here… and then take each issue one-by-one in shorter follow-up sessions
  6. Talk about the salient issues (this may take multiple sessions, that’s just fine)
  7. Identify your action plan with measures of success
  8. Follow-up to assess progress

Give it a try.  Let me and the LGL community know how it goes.

Additional Force Field Analysis Resources

Force Field Analysis:  Managing the Forces For and Against Change
Force Field Analysis Explained

In Communication, Meetings, Teamwork, Trust , ,
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3 Reasons Your Meeting is a Waste of Time

March 27, 2013 — 15 Comments

iStock 000021483842XSmall 300x199 3 Reasons Your Meeting is a Waste of Time

“Okay, we need everyone’s full attention… so here are the meeting rules.  No texting.  No sidebars.  Full participation…”

If you have to start your meeting with ultimatums, something is wrong.  Sure you could scold the team into paying attention.  Better yet, figure out why they don’t want to.

Continue Reading…

In Meetings , ,
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Powerful Presentations: Teaching Your Team To Talk Strategy

March 18, 2013 — 10 Comments

iStock 000022885869XSmall 300x270 Powerful Presentations: Teaching Your Team To Talk StrategyA “stand and deliver” presentation on your results is always nerve-wracking.  But– watching your team do one is down right scary.

Remember when you…

  • couldn’t sleep the night before
  • were so stressed, you missed the main idea
  • failed to anticipate the political dynamics
  • used the wrong words, which took the entire conversation downhill
  • didn’t have supporting documentation
  • couldn’t answer obvious questions
  • left them with the wrong impression?

What didn’t kill you can make them stronger. Continue Reading…

In confidence, Empowerment, Execution, Help People to Grow, Meetings , , ,
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How To Build a Strong Team Vision

December 11, 2012 — 7 Comments

iStock 000017763891 ExtraSmall 300x199 How To Build a Strong Team VisionWhenever I take over a channel or team, one of the first questions I ask is “what is the vision?”  Most of the time, this is tough to answer.  There is usually strong alignment and attachment to the greater organization’s vision and values, which is vital.

However, what I find frequently missing is a sense of team vision.  What is this team really about?

Sure there are goals.  There may even be big important goals (see How to Pick the Right Big Goal).  To build results that last, people want a connection to something bigger.  The more localized you can make the vision, the more likely that it will stick.

In her post, “A Big Goal is Not the Same as a Vision, “Jesse Lynn Stoner shares:

One way to distinguish between a vision and a goal is to ask, “What’s next?” A vision provides clear ongoing direction—it is clear what you should do next. As you take each step, the next one becomes clear. A vision continues to act as a beacon, guiding you in setting new goals once current ones have been achieved.” Continue Reading…

In Culture, Empowerment, Meetings, Questions, Results, Vision , , ,
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Are Your Meetings Effective? Measure Your Meeting “Net Promoter Score”

November 8, 2012 — 10 Comments

iStock 000018026591XSmall 300x223 Are Your Meetings Effective? Measure Your Meeting Net Promoter ScoreDo you run effective meetings?

When was the last time someone left one of your meetings and told everyone, “that was a GREAT meeting.  You’ve really got to come next time.”

Do you have a good sense of what they are saying?

Would they come if they had a choice? Continue Reading…

In Culture, Execution, Meetings, Planning , , , , , , ,
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