6 Ways to Kill it at Your Next Meeting

How do you react when you receive a meeting invite? One of the first questions that comes to mind is most likely, "Why do I need to go to this?" You're not alone.

There is good news, however: Meetings don't have to be this way. So how can entrepreneurs run better meetings to not only ensure that team members are engaged, but that they are actually getting something out of the meeting and find them valuable? ...Which can be the most frustrating part.  

1. It's not always the WHAT, it's the HOW. Regardless of what you are trying to accomplish or get across in a meeting, it's the how that’s important. Each topic you wish to go over should be tailored to each learning style attending and participating in the meeting. For example, it's a good idea to present visual aids, be them hard copies or electronic documents, and share them with the group. This approach will engage your visual learners.

Furthermore, having an open-ended conversation, Q&A session, or other lecture will appeal to your auditory learners. Remember, these are the folks that are likely going to ask a lot of questions or leave them until the very last second of the meeting. Annoying? Maybe a little...but keep in mind they aren't trying to be.

Finally, your tactile learners are going to be the fidgety bunch that won't be able to sit still. Asking them to participate in a hands-on activity will cure the "fidgety-ness". If there isn't enough time allotted for an activity, then having pens or pads of paper available on a conference room table will be enough to keep them busy. 

2. Interpersonalize. Yeah, I just made up that word right there. Interpersonal communication skills are one of the most important entrepreneurial or project management skills. Paying attention to words, emotions, and body language can have a huge impact on how you direct your message to your team, as well as each individual member. Not only is important to pay attention to your team member's communication style and behavior when he or she asks you a question, but it's also important to keep in mind how YOU react to them, with your own communication style and behavior. This can also help you when resolving conflict or having a difficult conversation with a team member. Again, same as above applies here: "It's not always about WHAT you say, it's HOW you say it."

3. Set an agenda...and stick to it. One of the most annoying things we encounter in a meeting is when conversations veer off course and even open up into other topics. Then, suddenly we are out of time, and not only did we not address what we called the meeting for, but team members leave or get off the phone thinking: "Well THAT was pointless", or worse, with the same unanswered questions as before. Avoid this viral spiral by allotting a time limit for each topic you would like to cover. If more time is needed on a certain topic, then schedule a follow up session for later on or leave room for some flexibility in your schedule or agenda for an open-ended or informal discussion. 

4. Lights, Camera...Action! So how do you know if anyone really got anything out of a meeting? Assign tasks for each member before closing. And, no, this isn't micromanaging...as long as you keep that in check. The key here is motivation, not micromanagement.

Be sure to also assign yourself your own action items. This will make team members feel like you are on the same playing field with them and that you are a true leader. Each team member should be fully aware and have a clear understanding of their tasks and responsibilities before the next meeting. 

5. What have I worked on since the last meeting? Prior to meeting again, whether that is in a few days or a week depending on the project or availability, each team member should discuss with the team what they worked on since the last meeting or what they accomplished. This will help keep goals and tasks focused and centered, and will also avoid veering off topic and running out of time...indubitably everyone's favorite thing. It will also keep the air positive throughout the meeting.

6. Informal Communication is REALLY Okay... Many entrepreneurs or project managers are worried about keeping their communication style professional. While this is a great course of measure, sometimes keeping things formal ALL the time can do more harm than good. Allowing informal communication among your team is okay too. This will allow you to be approachable, trustworthy, and dependable to your team. You want team members to be open with you, talk to you about concerns, and feel comfortable opening up to you. Team members stick around, feel productive and happy, and sometimes even enjoy work if they have a manager they are comfortable with and can trust.

So that wasn't so bad, was it? The moral of the story here is that with a little planning, organization, time management, communication, and a little extra emphasis on appealing to the various learning styles, a meeting doesn't have to be a horrible experience.


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Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2012 J. H. Language Solutions  

3 Small and Easy Ways to Find Job Purpose

Everyone has a job. Well, unless you are blessed with not having to work, or maybe you choose to do volunteer work, or maybe you are a stay-at-home parent (which is probably the hardest job of all!) it is true that most of us have a job. We need a source of income. We need that paycheck. And we probably even need benefits. But at what point does a person settle for just any job and feels okay with it just being, well, that? How many people do you know have actually found not only a job that they like, but one that also has meaningful job purpose?

Passion is Fashion. Project managers, for example, are proactive go-getters that have an innate ability and personality to plan, organize, set goals, and just get things done. I can say this here because I am one. However, each and every individual has a burning passion within them. It's that fire that allows them to achieve what they want to. However, passion needs to come from inspiration and motivation. Each individual needs to find what heir "fire" is, what gets them excited to set goals, make things happen, and strive for success. In order to keep that fire burning, there needs to be fuel. The fuel, in this case, is job purpose.

It's really easy to get caught up in the day-to-day minutiae and boring details of any job, but it's important to remember what and who is it that you are working for. Of course, as we mentioned above, your "purpose" could be a paycheck, going on a dream vacation, or buying a new car, maybe you have children to raise, or maybe you just can't survive without an income. We all have our reasons for working, but are those reasons enough? Maybe. But wouldn't it be great to work for something greater? Now you can, with finding job purpose. Find that purpose, give it fuel, and make it happen for yourself…because you are worth it.

Make it Personal. One of the unwritten rules of working for a living is that we should never take things personally. It's just a job, it's not your life. While this can be true, sometimes giving projects or areas of your job your own personal touch can be quite rewarding. Each individual's personality plays a huge role how they work, of course. Each job requires a certain level of creativity, whether that's how you provide customer service and speak to clients, how you organize yourself, how you relate to coworkers, or even how you get your job done. The psychology behind how we work is both an art and a science. That level of creativity is an individual's own personal touch, which is also what makes you successful and helps you find job purpose.

Make an Impact Every Day. Even if you have the most boring ob known to man (and woman!), I'd bet money that you could still find a way to changes lives with what you do, and how you do it. Approach is key here. The point is also to find how you can help and impact another's life (regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem) and keep that goal in the front of your mind each day you go into work. 

What if your job doesn't involve working with people or the public? What if you work in a warehouse or stock shelves? Even if your job or area of expertise doesn’t change lives directly, you can focus your energy towards a coworker or supplier you may have a great working relationship with. A "hello, how are you?" and a smile in the hallway can make a bigger and more positive impact than what you might think. It will make getting up and going to work each day that much more rewarding.

But at the end of the day (literally), work is work. Working for a living is tough, and I bet most of us would choose to not do it. It's true that some jobs are more challenging than others, some are enjoyable, but at the end of the day, it's all still work. However, your willingness and effort to seek out and find job purpose really can make all the difference. Analyze your job as it is now, and find out how you can add your own personal touch, fuel your passion, and really strive to do something great each day.


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Written content: © 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 J. H. Language Solutions 

3 Facts about Women in Business and Business Growth

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It’s no secret that the number of successful and professional women grabbing hold and empowering the entrepreneurial world has grown exponentially not only in the last decade, but even more so in the last several years. More and more women are working in executive roles such as CEOs, VPs, other various high level or managerial positions, and even becoming business owners.

Regardless of the position or level, women all over the world are developing new networking skills and strategies and even experimenting with their entrepreneurial skills and abilities. Interestingly enough, women were stereotyped in working secretarial, educational, or nursing roles not thirty years ago. While these positions are still predominantly held by women, they are also branching out into other roles and industries that are commonly stereotyped as “male roles”, such as doctors and physicians, scientists, lawyers, and even military service members and law enforcers.

In fact, here are some renown facts related to women in business that prove that exceptional females are working out of the homes, out of the secretarial pools, and up the corporate ladders:

Trust the facts, Jack:

• In the last decade (approximately between 1997 and 2006), women-owned and operated businesses grew more than any other business in the U.S. As of 2011, it was estimated that at least ten million businesses had ownership of 50% or more women.
  
• In 2012, approximately 6,000 companies in the world have at least one female director working at an executive level.
  
• As of 2008, women hold approximately 46.3% of the labor force in the U.S. Approximately 15% of Fortune 500 companies in the U.S. have female corporate officers.
  

While some of this data was from several years to almost a decade ago, it is almost certain that these numbers have increased at the rate that small businesses and start ups are growing in the U.S.

So this now begs the question: Why the gradual and astonishing increase in the number of female business owners, directors, and CEOs? This could be due to economic changes and pressure for women to survive in the work force, the desire for women to be successful as men, or even in an attempt to help close the pay gap between men and women.

Regardless of the reason why more and more women are pouring into business, the statistics are still surprising. On the flip side, however, it's also true that women still have a long way to go to catch up with men in the work force. But look on the bright side, ladies, there are even organizations and foundations established to help women in business succeed. In fact, there are also grants available to those women who are looking to start up small businesses. It's out there and it's possible. You've just got to know where to look.

So hats off to the ladies who have been busy networking, consulting, solution-ing, and just rocking it in the world of the business in the last few months, the last year, and in the last decade. 

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A Basic Overview of FMEA

Most professional project managers have at least heard of the basic FMEA principles. For those who haven’t heard of them, or aren’t sure of what they are, or need a refresher on them, here is a basic overview of the FMEA principles for project management.

So what is FMEA?

So what is FMEA exactly? FMEA stands for Failure Mode and Effect Analysis. These techniques help project managers in analyzing and identifying risk in projects. The reason why FMEA is so successful is because these tactics help prevent problems, issues, and defects in projects and even enhance customer safety and satisfaction.

FMEAs are universal because they can relate to any area of project management in any industry. They can be utilized for technical and nontechnical project managers and in such industries. According to FMEA, its important for project managers to remember that even some of the simplest and least complex projects and products can fail.

What are the three factors FMEA risk factors?

There are three factors the FMEA principles use to determine risk. These factors include:

Severity – the consequence of the failure, should it occur. This basically outlines the severity of a failure. If the product or service fails, what happens? What is the worst possible outcome? A perfect example of this would be a product or even service that causes a customer physical harm or even death such as a faulty car part, medical device, or even a medical device manual.

Occurrence – the occurrence is the probability or the frequency of the problem occurring. How likely is the problem to occur in a particular project? And ultimately, what is the impact? So let’s revisit the example mentioned in the previous factor. If a mechanic or manufacturer is putting together a car, and let’s say he or she is using a new part, what is the probability that, that part will fail?

Detection – this refers to the probability that the issue will be detected or recognized before failure occurs. What is the detection plan for the particular project? What is the likelihood that the issue will be spotted before production is complete? Are there any QA steps involved in the process that would likely detect the issue? Again, going back to the example with the car assembly. Once a product is tested, manufactured, and assembled to the vehicle, what is the detection method to be sure of the functionality and safety of this particular part? Is there a manufacturing or production QA step that would test the parts before delivery?

What are the best ways to identify FMEA?

So how do project managers go about identifying and addressing the FMEA principles in their projects? Most project managers will develop or design a flow chart or some form of assessment sheet. These methods can help determine each of the FMEA steps and risk factors and how to respond to each of them.

Most commonly, each of the risk factors are identified and later addressed in team meetings and regular planning meetings for each project. This effectively communicates the risks involved and helps make sure everyone is on the same page.

Upon new project assignments, project managers can sometimes feel overwhelmed when trying to schedule, budget, and even identify, plan, and respond to risks. The FMEA principles can really help project managers identify, analyze, and determine risks in any project. Once risks are properly identified and documented, managing them, with the help of team members, is that much easier.

Written content: © 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions

*This topic was written by J.H. Language Solutions for a third party. This article has been altered to fit this blog accordingly.  J.H. Language Solutions in no way assumes ownership of the content above. Topic posted by third party permission. 

Fun Outdoor Team Building Activities and Exercises

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Regardless of whether you are working with organizations in a professional environment, colleagues, or even a team of kids, everyone can benefit from team building activities. Some of the best and most fun team building activities and exercises are done outside. This gives colleagues and teams, particularly those who work or go to school indoors most of the time, a chance to get out and experience the fresh air, have some fun, and learn something new and valuable.

So what are some of these activities that you can do for your team? Some activities include simple games that involve all team members while others may be more brainteasers. All in all, it’s up to the project manager or team supervisor or manager to determine which games would be best suited for teams. You can even include team involvement to see which would be the most popular or which would be the most fun for teams.

Ultimately, teambuilding activities and exercises should reach at least several of the following common goals and outcomes, according to Out of the Square Experience:

·      Teamwork and team spirit

·      Communication

·      Leadership

·      Problem solving skills

·      Planning and goal setting

·      Cooperation

·      Team introductions

·      Establish team relationships

Why outdoors?

First off, who doesn’t like to be outside? Especially when the weather is beautiful. Human beings thrive off sunlight, which gives us Vitamin D, which is a crucial vitamin to our health. So aside from the health benefits of being outside, teambuilding activities are best held outside because they also place everyone on a solid, common ground. Outside or unpredictable events or unfamiliar territories can also resemble or relate to different business environments or structures, particularly those situations that may have decreased morale in a business or organizational setting, or that may have made team members and coworkers uncomfortable. This is why being outside also helps those involved and participating to let loose and feel more comfortable.

While most of these sound like a lot of fun, especially the “playing outside” part, the fact is, most people, regardless of age or gender, dislike teambuilding activities initially. They are one of those “ice breaking” moments that most people dread and roll their eyes at. However, prior to breaking out the activities, perhaps spend some time with teams and explain why and how teambuilding can be so effective. It’s not solely about meeting others or even playing games, it also can be a learning experience. If you were to interview or survey teams prior to engaging in a particular teambuilding activity, most would claim they are uncomfortable or dread them. However, if you were to survey the same team afterwards, nine times out of ten team members would admit to at least one thing they learned during the exercises.

All in all, when people relax and loosen up and are having fun and are engaging in activities and exercises, they are learning, developing, and utilizing new skills that can be used in the work place, in their teams, and even when working on projects or in their day to day tasks. Most of all, teambuilding teaches attitude and helps break negative attitude trends and promotes healthy communication. 

HOCKEY PLAYER IN ACTION
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© 2010, 2011, 2012, J.H. Language Solutions

*This topic was written and posted by J.H. Language Solutions on behalf of a third party.  J.H. Language Solutions in no way assumes ownership of the content above.

Powerful Women

This is something our society is beginning to see more of: powerful women. And with good reason. More and more women are assuming professional managerial and leadership roles, becoming business owners and entrepreneurs, CEOs, and becoming really powerful, influential women. And I'm not talking in just the stereotypical industries (teaching, nursing, administration, etc.), I'm talking about scientific, medical, and technical fields as well. Things sure have come a long way!

So why after almost fifty years are women finally stepping up to the plate in business and really taking a "run for their money?" There could be a few reasons to this theory:

1.) The Economy.  Today you see less housewives staying home with the housework, running errands, and shuffling the kids to soccer practice. This could be because single income families just can't survive anymore. Most middle to upper middle class families require at least two incomes to survive. That's just the way things are now...MUCH different from the 50s.

2.) Better Lifestyle. No offense to those women who are still housewives, and the housewife way of life isn't quite dead yet, but many women have entered the work force for a better lifestyle. Over the years, as more and more women were forced to enter the work force, being a "housewife" became more of a luxury. But is it really?

3.) More Educated. It is possible that more and more women (or human beings as a whole) are more educated. In the last twenty or thirty years, more than half of the women in the country acquired at least a Bachelor's degree, with the majority in 2008-2009. While it is extremely difficult to find a job today, let alone jump start a career or start a business, the odds are still in favor of those with degrees.

So the moral of this story? Women are becoming more powerful.You don't have to be a feminist to appreciate that, or a woman for that matter. I'm not sure what we are in store for as this country slips deeper and deeper into corruption and debt, but I bet the solution begins with a women. That's a post for another time.

Interesting Article From "Time Management"...

Oh how I'm SERIOUSLY considering this, this morning...

Although a GREAT article about how Friday morning meetings are typically unproductive, and how meeting members could be doing something more useful with their time.

Happy Friday...and skip that meeting!

http://timemanagementninja.com/2010/05/7-reasons-why-you-should-skip-that-meeting/

Friends vs. Coworkers

Let's start simple. What IS a friend? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a friend is described and classified as "1a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b: acquaintance, 2a : one that is not hostile b: one that is of the same nation, party, or group, 3: one that favors or promotes something (as a charity), 4: a favored companion."  If you ask me, this is rather vague. For instance "one attached to another by affection or esteem" is MUCH different than an "acquaintance". Also, is a "friend" from a particular nation, party, or group mean a group of people who are "acquaintances" that are joined together for a specific reason, organization, or interest? Therefore, can coworkers truly be classified as "friends"?

Some say 'yes', others say 'no'. It is true that a great deal of friendships have blossomed from the workplace. I know people who have been friends inside and outside of work, through life and job changes and what not, for over thirty years! I, myself even have previous coworkers that I still converse with. As mentioned above, the workplace is a group of people that do the same job and have the same interests/personality to perform a particular job. So, it's only natural that coworkers will comingle. I know there are those coworkers that everyone dreads working with. It's like the family member that you avoid seeing or that you just plain don't get along with. But overall, where we spend 7 to 8 hours per day, 5 days a week, 35-40 hours per week, until retirement, where we spend 80% of our lives, we are naturally going to find a coworker with the same interests and the same things in common.

On the flip side, those that say 'no' are at work for one reason and one reason only. Work. A paycheck. Supporting the families. Some people aren't interested in conversing with others for any other reason other than to get a job done. Totally understandable. But it's definitely much more enjoyable to have someone to talk to, to eat lunch with, or to vent to.

So that begs the question, are your friends friends? or just coworkers? It can be difficult to decide that sometimes. Some people are nervous to ask the other out for lunch or perhaps a weekend outing because it's difficult to know the other's intentions. Going out for happy hour is one thing, but visiting another in their personal home on the weekends is another. Sometimes it's difficult to know whether or not you've crossed that line or if that is something you are comfortable with. It's also a great risk to befriend a coworker and then put trust in him or her. You may think by venting to one of your coworkers it is okay, especially when your coworker is being friendly, supportive, you know, a FRIEND. The next thing you find out, that person is trashing you behind your back, complaining about you to a supervisor, and turning other coworkers against you. That is when you know it's time to cut the ties and that you really aren't "friends". I know what you are thinking...what is this, high school? Seriously. It's sad to say that some adults NEVER grow up. They have personal, childish issues that keep them from maintaining professional and plutonic relationships with others.

The line between friends and coworkers can also depend heavily upon the work environment. I've worked in environments where EVERYONE is friends. Yeah, of course, there's the drama...but people stuck together, were friendly, and sometimes even treated you like family. However, I've also worked in environments where you'd walk in in the morning and not ONE person would look up, or even say "good morning" to you and can't be bothered with mindless conversations that weren't 100% involved with work. Those environments are often cold, tense, and unenjoyable. A work enviornment also greatly depends on culture. Work environments that carry different ethnic cultures can directly affect the work environment, both positively and negatively. It also depends on the work environment's policies with exchanging personal information, interacting outside of work, or even exchanging personal emails with one another. However, it's safe to say that is varies with different industries.

All in all, it's difficult to determine what is more approrpriate: friends or coworkers. It depends on the person, the overall work cultural, environment, ethnicities, and the organization of a workplace. It's true that some work places and environments are more friendlier than others. I find that the younger the work environment, the more coworkers act like children -- in their professionalism, or lack thereof, their communication ability, and the way they mingle and interact with coworkers. So who's really to say? Most importantly, it depends on your own comfort level. You may be a social person, a people lover, or you may be more of an introvert, focused on your work only. Either way, tread lightly.