Well Met – Boaz

I recently heard one of my favourite TEC (an international CEO organization) speakers.  Boaz Rauchwerger talks about many positive things.  Let me share some of his thoughts on meetings.

1.  In well lit rooms, please.  Sometimes meetings are hard enough to stay awake through.  And if the lights are dim, well…  Daylight is preferable, although not always possible.
2. No empty chairs.  They can subliminally suggest that the meeting was not sufficiently important to attend.  If someone comes late, welcome him or her and get another chair.
3. Make room for everyone around the table.  People sitting at the back or by the walls become observers instead of participants.
4. Communicate the time allotted for the agenda, then end on time.  Keep the meeting on track and carry matters over to the next meeting when necessary.  Be respectful of others’ time.
5. Get up every half hour.  It can be difficult and not particularly healthy to sit for long periods of time. Standing up and moving doesn’t have to take more than 30 or 40 seconds; a small price to pay to stay awake and keep everyone engaged.

At our last team meeting we applied these methods.  I think we had one of our best meetings ever.