Jana Kemp :: Facilitator, Author, Speaker, Time Architect

Better Meetings for Everyone™

Volume 14, Issue 1
Publisher Jana M. Kemp

Newsletter_contents

When is it over?
Seen Elsewhere: Motivating Reminders
Meeting Quote – virtual worlds
Tools & Tips - NEW book
Meetings@Work

Newsletter_todays_agenda

When is it over?

By Jana M. Kemp

When a project or task is complete, celebrate it and move on. Too often activities stay on to-do lists even after the activities are no longer needed. And too many committees stay alive longer than they are needed. Two things kick in when individuals and teams fail to determine an answer to the question “when is it over.”

First, emotionally we get drained because of the lack of completion in our lives. We each have a longer to-do list than we’ll likely get done. So rather than feeling overwhelmed, review the list to determine what needs to come off of the list because you’ve done it or because it is no longer important to do. Also, review the list for things that are done well-enough and drop them from your list.

If you have to-do items and projects that still need to be completed, then by all means keep going. Take a look at whether you’ve done all you can do and then determine who needs to see the activity to completion. Also, determine whether you are the only one who can finish the task. If it is all up to you, plan now for how you’ll get it done this year.

The second thing that kicks in is that feeling of “sitting and spinning” where everyone senses that nothing is getting done at all. Once this attitude sets in, yet again emotional drains begin and now time is lost at the same time as productivity falls. When teams and committees get stuck in “sit and spin” mode, it is time to ask “are we done yet!”

If the group can’t even answer this question, try asking “What needs to happen to show us that we are done?” This question should move the team toward a definition or description that indicates what a finished project looks like. With that picture in mind, the team can work to finish the project and move on.

Celebrating accomplishment is as important as putting an action item onto a to-do list. With the multi-tasking demands of today’s workplace, having a sense of completion is critical to being productive and creative. Spend the next week reviewing and revising your to-do list.

Action Item: Review your project to-do lists. If something is done, celebrate it, check it off your list, and move on. If something is undone, first ask “does it still need to be done.” Then, if the task still needs doing, get it done.

Newsletter_seen_elsewhere

Motivating Reminders

Heard at a January 2007 Teen Summit in Boise, Idaho
from Dr. Vincent Kituku – of Africa and Idaho www.kituku.com

People are remembered for what they did while alive.
Poverty is the lack of dreams.

To be a leader, you must:
Meet new people.
Read one book a month.
Know that you don’t have to ask for permission to do something good.
Do things you love to do.
Be open to all the opportunities in your life.

Don’t put your past in front of you – it becomes an obstacle. And dragging
the past behind you drains energy. Learn from it and move on.
What you need to succeed is within you.

List five things that changed your life.
List five experiences you don’t want to go through in life.
And remember, “We are more alike than we are unlike.”

Newsletter_meeting_quotes

“Virtual Worlds, Real Meetings – next-generation e-learning, e-meetings, and global networking are evolving now ... ” – on the cover of the February 2007 Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine. For more information: www.meetingsnet.com

Newsletter_tools_tips

NEW BOOK NEW BOOK NEW BOOK

Building Community in Buildings

By Jana M. Kemp and Ken Baker

If your organization is building or remodeling office space, this book provides the HRD2 Model for creating productive and creative workspaces that encourage employees to shine. Released in late 2006, this book includes models, surveys, good-example photos of buildings and resources to help human resource and training professionals positively impact the architecting and design of built spaces. To Buy – visit: www.amazon.com

Are you in need of training modules – already prepared or custom-designed for your workplace?

Susan Otto documents and designs Instructor and Participant Guides – both “off-the-shelf” and customized. Her niche is creating training with an adult learning focus, including games and activities to augment the content. Her emphasis is on performance outcomes that “stick.” In fact, she designed the decision-making module based on the book NO! How One Simple Word Can Transform Your Life (AMACOM, 2005).

Please tell Susan that I sent you for a 5% discount on any “off-the-shelf” module purchase. Check it out at http://training-modules.com/

Newsletter_meetings_work

www.JanaKemp.com
Looking for a meeting facilitator, a conference speaker or a workshop presenter on the subjects of meetings, time management or decision-making?
Then, visit www.JanaKemp.com for information on these services and conference presentations.

Newsletter_janakempphoto