Death By Meetings

Ali Glemser

Yes. It’s a real thing. Meetings can kill… your productivity, that is.

Meetings can be absolutely necessary. I’m willing to be optimistic and say that almost all meetings are scheduled with the best intentions. BUT, somewhere between the beginning of a meeting and adjourning one, an abyss can form where the transfer of valuable information and expected deliverables disappear. The good news is there are conscious practices we can all implement to stop this workday crime of robbing each other’s time.

First, define the objective of the meeting.

Do you need a group discussion to make a decision? Are you addressing a topic that is better discussed in person so points are not lost in translation over email? Are you just trying to give someone face time so they don’t feel neglected? Whatever the purpose, clearly define an objective before calling a meeting.

Come prepared with a meeting outline.

Whether you are the meeting organizer or only an attendee, come with a written list of topics you want to cover during the meeting. This will not only ensure you hit all of your priority items, but it will also give your meeting notes (yes, you should take those, too) more context when you refer back to them. Also, this is a great way to gauge the amount of necessary time spent on a subject. Say you have a list of five topics to cover. If half way through your meeting you haven’t moved past the second topic, you can redirect the meeting, citing time and the outline, and get back on track.

When adjourning the meeting, repeat the main points that were covered or resolved.

No matter how long or short your meeting, always repeat the main points that were covered to make sure everyone exits on the same page. This allows time to answer lingering questions or clarify points that were not wrapped up earlier in the conversation.

Lastly, follow up with a written document of items covered and next steps.

While everyone should be taking notes in a meeting, not everyone does. Sending a written follow-up ensures that everyone has record of what was decided and what is still to be determined. This correspondence should also include any tasks to be completed and the assigned person for those tasks. Putting a name next to a task is crucial in giving it ownership and moving it forward toward completion.

Boiled down, efficient meetings require planning, effective execution and follow up. As simple as that recipe sounds, the demands of a busy schedule can throw it off in the blink of an eye. Conscious effort to implement each of these steps will lead to good use of time during the meetings, so fewer (or none) need to be scheduled in the future, opening your schedule for more productivity.

You Are Thinking Too Small

Daniel Wade

How big are your dreams? Do you think we ever unknowingly limit ourselves regarding our own potential, or the heights we can reach? When considering that new product, strategy or external launch, do we borderline on the “big hairy audacious goals” proposed by James Collins and Jerry Porras or settle for the “11 percent year-over-year increase” type of thinking?

It’s not often that I get my mind truly blown, but it happened recently. You wouldn’t know it from the make, model or mileage of what I have sitting in the parking lot, but I’m sort of a closet car guy. My perspective was recently redefined courtesy of a generous client who took a colleague and I for a spin in his new wheels. Those new wheels were propelled not by a roaring, supercharged engine, but by two smaller, much more efficient electric motors that sit on top of the front and rear chassis of the car. It’s a car that silently and effortlessly launches passengers from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds – faster than your neighbor’s Corvette or the newest Porsche on the lot. (And that’s not even the top model.)

Yes, I’m talking about a Tesla – the 100 percent electric car seeking to change the face of the auto industry. I’m not sure if that’s Tesla’s BHAG, but it might just as well be. (Side note: Watch this Tesla S coolly wipe a Dodge Viper SRT-10 off the track in the quarter-mile race. You’re welcome.) 

An Actual Tesla Key

The innovations and efficiencies of this automaker seem to know no bounds. A Tesla boasts a 17-inch touchscreen on the center dash that pretty much controls the car (think drag and drop to open the sunroof). The door handles retract into the body of the car until the car’s key – a Hot Wheels-type replica of the actual car – is in close enough proximity to automatically extend. It would take multiple blog posts to cover the soon-to-be released auto-steering feature and to brainstorm ideas for what to put in the “fronk” (remember the car has no engine) – all wrapped up in a six-figure package that is rated five stars by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

But how did we get here? Incredible amounts of science, technology and innovation, yes; but weren’t there also initial “out-of-the-box” or BHAG-types of ideas and goals that drove Tesla’s founders to this place? These guys weren’t simply thinking of how to design a prettier, faster car; they channeled a revolutionary concept and went after it. Feasible for you and me? Answer that question the way you always have, and you’ll continue to get the same result. Elevate your dreams and goals to levels not yet considered. and you might just reach them.

5 Fast Ways to Get Your News Every Day

Lauren Hannaford

Thankfully, the world of digital media is evolving and making the user experience more fun and accessible. If you’re a news hound and need to stay on top of what’s going on around the world throughout the day, there are some new and efficient digital news platforms (as well as a couple of old tricks) I’d like to tell you about.

• Snapchat Discover – I know, I know; it’s Snapchat. But come on! Isn’t it a fun way to get the news? 
• The Skimm – This is a daily e-newsletter that you need to sign up for right this second. It packs humor into a breakdown of important world news.
• Flipboard – Branded as “your personal magazine,” the Flipboard app allows you to flip through news articles by category. You can select topics and people to follow.
• NPR Hourly News Podcast – You can sit back, close your eyes and listen to five-minute news clips every hour right from your computer or smart phone.
• Facebook Interests and Twitter Lists – These are oldies but goodies. Create an interest list on Facebook and add your favorite news pages or create a list on Twitter and add your favorite news Twitter handles. Now you don’t have to scroll through posts about what kind of muffin Becky is eating just to find the news!

Don’t get me wrong, I still love picking up the newspaper and flipping through magazines, but if you’re pressed for time and need some on-the-go options, these should do the trick.

‘One size’ doesn’t always fit when it comes to social media

Chelsey Ross

At some point or another, almost every company wonders whether they should jump on the social media bandwagon. The answer is that you absolutely need to, but in our current digital age, the many forms of social media can be overwhelming. If you don’t have a strategy, social media efforts can be a waste of time, effort and sometimes money. There are many different social media platforms that all serve different functions and will show off your brand image differently. You don’t need to have every platform to have social media success, so choose which one best suits your company needs. 

1. Facebook: Facebook has 1 billion users and gives your company the ability to connect with customers through posting about your product or service; answering consumer questions; giving customers the ability to like and share your posts; and tagging you when they buy or use your product or service. You can also use Facebook to advertise. Side ads and sponsored posts can help your company increase sales and recognition of your brand while growing your audience. You can target ads to reach certain demographics, ensuring you reach the right audience for your brand. Facebook also offers businesses analytics to give companies a better understanding of their customers and advertising/marketing choices on the site. Facebook is beneficial for almost any type of business seeing as the demographics of Facebook range from young to older generation. However, organic visibility has greatly diminished for businesses; higher levels of exposure will only come in a paid format through this platform. 

2. Twitter: Twitter has 232 million users and allows your company to communicate with your audience with short messages of 140 characters or less. The more followers you have, the wider audience you will reach. Retweets are a beneficial feature of the site because even if people don’t follow you, they can see your tweets if their followers retweet your posts. Tweet information your audience wants to hear and are interested in, whether that be your website, blog or tips and tricks of your industry. Use relevant hashtags to also attract a bigger audience to your page. Similar to Facebook, you can target a specific audience through advertising using keywords, interests, geographic areas and more. You can also use analytics to measure your Twitter performance. 

3. Instagram: With more than 300 million users, Instagram offers a unique opportunity very different from that of Facebook and Twitter. Images are necessary for Instagram posts and can only be shared from the smart phone app. Tell your company’s story through imagery and connect the image with a post related to the picture. This platform works better for industries that are visual and can tell about their brand through compelling and visually pleasing images. Instagram also uses hashtags and can draw in a larger audience when you use them in your posts. It also gives an option to advertise through the platform. As users are scrolling through their feed, sponsored posts will appear between posts by the people they are following. Advertising through Instagram though is growing, but hasn’t been utilized by as many companies yet when compared to Facebook and Twitter. 

4. Pinterest: With 70 million users, Pinterest is a more unique platform. Pinterest allows you to connect links to images. Users then ‘pin’ the pictures and links that they have interest in, which are then shared with their followers. This is particularly useful for companies that engage their audiences with blog posts, product pages, reviews or specific engaging areas of the website. Pinterest is also visual, requiring images to get users to click on the links. Rather than posts, Pinterest has short sentence blurbs to describe each picture/link combination. When it comes to advertising, your company sponsors a post and Pinterest charges you only when people go to your website through the pin. You can also use analytics to track user engagement. 

5. Snapchat: A newer platform that businesses are starting to use is Snapchat. About 100 million users snap pictures monthly. Snapchat allows you to “snap” a picture or video and share it for three to 10 seconds. Then, it disappears after a user views it. This is a good platform to use if you have a very visual industry that will attract users who want to view your posts. Include the picture or video in your story, which allows all followers to see what is going on. Snapchat is a great way to increase brand recognition, particularly among a younger audience. It offers advertising, which appears as stories in your audiences’ feed. Snapchat is a way to show your brand’s personality, so take advantage of it!  

6. LinkedIn: With 230 million users, LinkedIn in is “Facebook for professionals.” LinkedIn is a way to share your professional development and achievements. Connect with your industry contacts on the site, as well as friends and family that can help you network. The site also offers job opportunities and areas to post things about your brand. There are also groups you can join, which can attract more professionals to link with you company and learn more about your brand. Similar to Facebook, LinkedIn also offers side advertisements and sponsored posts to help get more visibility for your company. 

7. YouTube: Although YouTube doesn’t immediately strike many as a way to promote your brand, videos increase a person’s knowledge of a product by 74 percent. Additionally, YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google! Videos can range from how-to tutorials to staff interviews to informative videos about your product or service. YouTube also offers advertisements as commercials that appear between videos when people are watching. Creating your own YouTube channel allows you to tap into the site’s ever-growing audience while putting your videos to work in other ways (like embedding into e-newsletters and cross-posting on other social media platforms). Analytics are available that can help you track views and demographics, as well.