Meetings

Transforming Meetings� (1 day plus coaching)

Leading a thinking team

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  Do your people look forward to your meetings because they know they will be productive and their contributions will be valued?
  
• Do you know how to treat people you are working with so they can do their best thinking, individually and collectively?
  
• Do your meetings make the best possible use of the intelligence, talents and time of each group member?
   

Typically, business meetings in many organisations are characterised by:

Teams are the driving force in organisations. Their effectiveness is wholly dependent upon the quality of their thinking because thinking comes before action.

Decisions made in meetings are only as good as the thinking done by the group members. The way those group members treat each other during the meeting has a profound affect on the quality of their thinking and their output. 

The more components of a Thinking Environment that are present when the group meet, the more productive the meeting will be, in less time, at less cost.

What can I expect from this training?

As the chair:

•  You will learn how to conduct your meetings in a Thinking Environment using a systematic process that will engage and focus all group members, generate ideas, encourage discussion and decision making, leading to results
  
• You will discover how to use a combination of simple techniques to lead and coach the group to sustain the right conditions for clear thinking, quality interaction and timely action

   

  As a participant in the meeting:

  • You will be asked to listen without interrupting, keep to boundaries re: time and equal turns, share the truth about a situation as you see it, encourage and respect other group members
    
  • The training for the chair will be scheduled in preparation for a real business meeting. Learning will continue, for both the chair and the group, in the form of coaching, during the meeting.
    
  • Further coaching sessions (up to 3 more meetings) will be arranged to suit needs and budget.

    This inclusive approach ensures learning is practical and results orientated.

   

   

  What are the basic principles and actions required to transform a meeting? Everyone�s thinking matters ~ Everyone takes a turn to speak, several times, on every agenda item whilst others listen People think best in a 5:1 ratio of appreciation to criticism ~ The meeting opens with a positive reflection of what�s going well in your work Knowing you won�t be interrupted allows you to think for yourself ~ Everyone agrees to give attention and not to interrupt each other Exploring one�s own ideas in depth can liberate the group�s thinking ~ Each person is given time to think in boundaried, uninterrupted turns Unexplored assumptions can limit thinking ~ Occasionally group members ask Incisive Questions to help unblock their thinking and encourage ideas to flourish.

  What results are likely?     Better quality ideas and decisions from meetings in less time, at less cost Increased team spirit Better exchange of ideas and sharing of information Greater buy-in and co-operation to decisions Faster thinking, fewer words More action, not just debate Enhanced rapport, trust and respect amongst group members Feel good factor � individuals leave meetings feeling energised and fresh High performance Greater success in moving through conflict and disagreement

   

   

  What investment is required?

   

   

  • Confidence in the value of the contribution of everyone's thinking
  • A true desire for the best possible results in your meeting
  • Some courage and a mildly adventurous spirit to run meetings this way! 

   

   

  If you and your team knew your meetings could be consistently productive and energising if you used the Thinking Environment, what would change for your, your team and your organisation?

   

   

   

   
  
  

  Contact us now to learn how to transform your meetings, ask us a question or simply tell us what you think �

   

   

   Click here for our recommendations for further reading.

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