Monthly Archives: February 2010

Professional Development , Leave a comment

Let’s Call The Meeting To Order

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“Do we have to have this meeting?” How many times over the last 10 years have you made that statement? Probably countless times. You were surely justified.  Most meetings waste time and money because they are called for the wrong reasons.  They have the wrong people in the room;  too many people just want  to hear themselves talk;  they drag on forever;  and worse,  either no decisions are made or if they are, they are never enacted.  Meetings are torture!

In my corporate days,  I worked for a Fortune 100 that imposed so many meetings on the staff that they may have violated human rights treaties. Those people would call a meeting and first decide how long they wanted it to be. Then they would either expand or contract an agenda to fill the allotted time. Yikes!

Meetings were unproductive,  mind-numbingly boring,  seldom addressed relevant issues, typically brought forth no decisions,  rarely produced follow-up actions and absolutely never ended on time. They were brutal.

The money and time wasted on senseless meetings by US businesses is now being calculated by an online company called Meet or Die  meetordie.com.  They chose about a dozen industry categories,  factored the length of the meeting and the job rankings of who will attend and then estimated the cost of the meeting to the company.   If you spend a lot of time in meetings (or are a serial convener),  please check out this site.  It will give you pause.

A company with 100-500 employees that holds a day long meeting with just 5 mid-level employees present will spend an average $3000.00 to conduct that meeting in-house. Team Leader,  ask yourself—will your meeting produce results that are worth the resources expended? Are you guaranteed to accomplish what you set out to do? Will the actions and decisions that surface be implemented?

So what goes wrong? The biggest meeting killer is the lack of a clear purpose.  What does the convener aim to do in the meeting and why? The second meeting killer is the agenda. The meeting agenda should reflect the purpose.  Furthermore,  it should not overflow the time scheduled for the meeting.  The idea is to provide a framework to identify and define  key issues; discuss and analyze those issues; and resolve those issues through decisions, strategies, action plans and follow-up.

Moreover,  it is critical for the convener to bring the right people into the meeting.  Identify the stakeholders and decision makers for the issues at hand and schedule a mutually convenient date and time frame needed to carry out the meeting agenda.   Decide if any participants would be best suited to take ownership of a particular agenda topic and review with that person.  Make sure that appropriate background materials are emailed in advance for participant review.

During the meeting,  encourage participation from all attendees.  Do not let people “hog the floor” or,  heaven forbid,  behave disrespectfully by attacking,  sarcasm,  texting, interrupting or other dysfunctional behavior.

There will be room for alternative viewpoints on how to approach and manage key issues and that is healthy.  After all,  you called the meeting to get input about concerns and possible solutions.  Just remember that the meeting convener is responsible for ensuring good behavior and establishing an atmosphere of positive energy and thoughtful dialogue that will promote analysis, sound decision making and problem solving.  The convener should also keep the meeting flowing by moving through the agenda and staying on time.

Lastly,  the convener should review all decisions reached and actions planned;  review who will take ownership of implementing those;  establish an accountability follow-up schedule;  and in a timely fashion,  email meeting minutes to document it all.

There you have it,  the secrets to running an effective meeting.  Next week, we’ll talk about when it makes sense to call in a professional to plan and run a meeting for you.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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Fishing At C- Level

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Gotta be a big game hunter like Teddy Roosevelt.  Gotta find high level decision makers who can green light projects and not string you along.  Gotta bait the hook and fish for C- level execs,  so you can close some deals and pay some bills.  Oh yeah!

OK,  so how to do it? Let’s start by looking at the size of your C-level’s  organization.  If your client sweet spot is companies with fewer than 100 people,  you are likely to find the CEO, CFO, Executive Director or Development Director at a Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce event.  If you’re fishing in organizations with 100 – 1000 + employees,  you may also find C-levels at Rotary and Chamber meetings,  but you’ll have more luck at university sponsored business forums or prestigious networking association events.

In general, when looking to meet C-levels in larger organizations,  it is wise to attend marquis events:  special speaker programs,  awards luncheons and industry specific programs.  C-levels rarely attend holiday parties or networking breakfasts (except for those sponsored by their prestigious networking group and those are usually private).

What if you need contact names and titles? Sometimes,  you can find company leaders on the website.  Other times,  you can call the main number and ask to be transferred to the head of a certain department.  You can also try to meet someone from the organization at a conference or  networking event and chat them up.  Such encounters may or may not pay off.  Employees may fear pissing off a C-level by revealing the name.

You can also use  ZoomInfo, which is a resource discussed in The ROI on 2.0 posting of December 8, 2009.   For a fee,  ZoomInfo will allow you to basically access a company organization chart and find out who leads which business unit.

Once you get specific names and titles,  then internet search,  read the ZoomInfo profile,  LinkedIn profile and anything else you can locate to determine where you might find those people and what their hot buttons could be.  Where might they go to meet peers and network or stay current on industry and business issues?

When you attend programs where targeted C-levels might be found,  skillfully devise the set-up.  Arrive early.  At the check-in desk,  scan name tags to learn who will be in the house.  If you see a name tag that’s on your wish list,  prepare an ice breaker.

I’ve found that comments about the speakers and program focus are excellent conversation openers.  Also, take notes at the program.  This will allow you to 1).  pose an intelligent question during Q & A,  which is wonderful for visibility as it encourages conversation with others,  including the speaker;  and 2).  can segue into a conversation with your C-level at the break.  Oh, and try to sit with this person at lunch.  However,  I caution you to not be too obvious.  Do not appear to stalk.

Remember that your C-level is also there to network and has an agenda.  If you are lucky enough to sit at the right lunch table,  relax and join the conversation.  Everyone will introduce themselves and there will be some mild talk of business.  You will meet a few more C-levels who may be good prospects.  Think relationship building and not selling.

Now for the ask. You need follow-up with your C-level.  Follow your instincts on the flow of your interaction.  If the program is short,  you’ll have to act fast.  In a day long program,  you may want to approach at the afternoon break.  Whatever the timing,  tell  C-level that your product/service has the capability to impact specific success factors or other business concerns that he/she is likely to have.   Ask if the need is being addressed and who might your competition be?  Request an appointment in or out of their office to discuss mutual alignments.

Be calm and professional,  get your point across and don’t arm twist.   No matter what happens,  you’ll learn whether you have a chance with this person and organization or not.  If not,  well,  you’ll know and will waste no further time on pursuit.  In 6-12 months,  you may cross paths again and maybe get another chance.  If yes,  you are on your way—don’t blow it! Focus on big picture outcomes and benefits and make your best pitch.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

Business Strategy , Leave a comment

Man Up and Lead! Part II

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Now on to the opportunities.  Finding these lovely gems is often random.  We must train ourselves to recognize them,  for they are not necessarily sitting beneath a neon sign. Usually they are more like truffles,  hiding under certain trees and available only under certain conditions.

Once we figure out how to recognize opportunities,  the next step (very important!) is to learn how to maximize them.  This step will  involve both courage and creativity. You may have to take a calculated risk.  So many people mishandle or outright squander golden opportunities because they lack the vision,  the foresight and the guts to play a good hand for all it’s worth.

While you’re hanging out and doing business as usual,  it is vital to always be on the lookout for the gems.  It is likewise vital to prepare your organization to receive them, because fortune favors the prepared.   So what might that entail?

As we all know,  it usually takes money to make money.  So ideally, have at least a modest cash or credit reserve on hand that will allow you to pay an expense related to serendipitous good fortune.  As always,  network to cultivate and maintain good relationships,  since who you know (and who knows you) is essential to the process.

The arts organization of which I spoke last week will hold a big splashy event in September 2010.  They will repeat the template of an event that was done in 2005, with great success.  Despite the weakened economy, I feel confident that the September event is a good opportunity that will both make new friends for the organization and bring in $10,000 + in revenue.

Then there is the other opportunity,  one that was brought to us by our board chairwoman.  She told us of a charming documentary film made in 2008 that tells the story of a NYC postal worker and his librarian wife who built a world class art collection on their very limited budget. The board chair proposed that we show the film in Spring 2010 to act as a lead-in to our September event.  The event would be free,  to reward current supporters and attract new prospects.  The board loved it and I took the lead on finding a venue,  preferably free or cheap.

On a whim,  I emailed an acquaintance who is a former trustee at a local museum.  Would they donate space to a small nonprofit?  She agreed to make a call on my behalf and give me a contact name.  To my great delight,  I obtained donated screening space and, the sweetest gift of all,  a museum curator to both introduce the film and do a Q & A session at the end.  Hot damn,  I hit the jackpot!!

Alas,  there was a little catch.  We must pony up for a few related costs:  projectionist fee, ushers,  security,  clean-up crew, etc.  To accept this offer,  the organization must pay about $1400.

I emailed the board chair and gave her the good news / bad news scenario.  What to do,  I lamented? Perhaps I should keep looking.   She agreed.  But when the sun rose again,  I caught myself.  I emailed the board chair and told her that we must accept this game changing offer.  It was much too good to refuse.

However,  all this transpired before news of the $60,000 hole in the bankbook was revealed.   Our chairwoman went from being cautiously positive to near total opposition. I understood her fear,  but knew that we could not succumb to it.  The ED (who I feel concealed our money woes and exacerbated our problem) was totally negative—but he is always a wet blanket!

Especially in light of the cash crunch,  the organization needs to quickly raise its profile to both energize current donors and attract new and bigger check writers.  To show the film in a venue that is merely serviceable adds no value.  Our golden opportunity would be squandered due to shortsightedness and fear.

Halleluia, I am thrilled to report that the board gave the museum proposal a ringing endorsement.  One person even recommended that we go farther out on a limb, as he phrased it, and host a small pre-film reception. The board voted to spend $5000 on the event.  The board chair gave her blessing and the ED came around.  Hurrah!!

The lesson of this tale is no doubt obvious to you, dear Reader.  Practicality and caution are useful traits;  but one must not allow them to morh into fear and paralysis.  As steward of the business,  one must develop both the acumen to  recognize opportunities  worth pursuing and the courage to utilize same.  We must understand not only what we can afford to do,  but also what we cannot afford to NOT do.  We’ve got to man up and lead!

Thanks for reading,
Kim

Business Strategy , Leave a comment

Man Up and Lead! Part I

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I’ve been on the board of a small arts organization since 2006.  I love the organization and its unique mission; I really like the founder, who is a painter and 88 years young;  I appreciate that I’ve been able to lend energy and creativity to a wonderful organization;  I like my fellow board members.

The downside is, we’ve got money problems.  We’ve also got a couple of marvelous opportunities, at least one of which will be realized.  The other faces an uncertain fate.

At a committee meeting last Wednesday,  our executive director announced that the organization has a $60,000 budget shortfall.   With some creative cost-cutting,  he feels that the deficit can be reduced to $40,000.  How did that happen? In September,  his financial report was cautiously optimistic.  In November he said little about money, except to note that he expected a certain level of donations to be received.  Now,  as of January 1, we’re rather deep in the hole.  Ouch!

In truth,  the signs were there.  Examination of past balance sheets reveal distressing losses in our investments and income.  For reasons I do not understand, the full board does not view monthly P & L statements;  we receive only 6 month “condensed” statements.   There is insufficient documentation of expenses, e.g.  a couple of lump sum categories called “personnel” and “outside fees and services”.

Why the finance committee (and the executive committee) has allowed the ED to be so cavalier with the financial records, I will never know.  Why the full board sat in meetings for years with eyes glazed over while he droned on about budget projections,  expenses and donations received and expected—well,  I should have questioned it,  but I was hesitant to rock the boat.

However,  in November ’09 I questioned the “outside fees and services” listed on the P & L and I was given a flip,  off-hand answer that went something like oh that’s for accounting, insurance…and then he drifted off.  I was not pleased with the answer.  No other board member pushed the matter.  But once again my intuition was on target because here we are,  running out of money.

The ED has not spent wisely,  his budgets are a fairy tale and the board (including myself) allowed him to get away with it. The organization’s founder enabled the ED’s bad behavior by writing checks to cover previous shortfalls.  She claims that habit is over,  but I don’t know.  There is a board meeting scheduled this month and I plan to ask a few pointed questions.  I hope that others will join me.  The meeting will be very interesting.

So what is the lesson for business people?  Do not delude yourself about money.  The picture may not be pretty, but going into denial will only hurt you in the end.  Keep accurate financial records and take the time to examine and interpret them.  Use your financials to guide your business decisions.  Cash flow is the level one warning system.  Are the bills paid on time? Is making payroll a struggle? If your business has been cash strapped of late (especially with credit so tight and costly), then look to trim expenses where practical and  renegotiate payments wherever possible.  Next week,  we’ll talk about opportunities.

Thanks for reading,

Kim