Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 3, Drifting From the Topic



Learn Management Articles on management-info.biz. Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 3, Drifting From the Topic article will help answer your questions on Management Articles.We at management-info.biz specialize in Management Articles. Management Articles at management-info.biz provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Although new ideas lead to creative solutions, they can be a challenge when they interrupt or distract the work on an issue.

Approach 1: Question the relationship to topic

When new ideas seem inappropriate, say:

'That's an interesting point (or question). And how does it relate to our topic?'

'Excuse me. We started talking about our budget and now we seem to be discussing payroll administration. Is this what we want to work on?'

'We seem to be working on a new issue. I'm sure this is important, and I wonder what you want to work on with the time we have left?'

These statements greet the ideas with compliments and requests for clarification. This recognizes that the other person could believe the idea relates to the topic, which it may.

Approach 2: Place in the Idea Bin

Use an Idea Bin to manage unrelated ideas. This powerful tool is a blank chart page posted on the wall with the title: Idea Bin. Some groups call it an Issue Bin or Parking Lot. The scribe writes new ideas on this chart page or the participants write their ideas on Post-it(™) Notes that they place on the page.

Direct new ideas to the Idea Bin by saying:

'That's a great idea. Could you put it in the Idea Bin?'

When you plan the agenda, leave time at the end of the meeting to check the Idea Bin. You will find that many of the new ideas were resolved during the meeting. If possible, deal with the remaining ideas that have merit or place them on future agendas.

Use these techniques to bring your meeting back to the issue on your agenda.

This is the third of a seven part article on Managing Monsters in Meetings.



Penny Stock Secrets Revealed. - High Converstion Rates! Hot Topic! Little Known Insider Secrets to Trading Penny Stocks!
Arielis Web Directory. - A web site directory featuring reviewed sites organized by topic.


Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81



More Articles:


1. Leadership Development And Jumping Out of Airships
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.comWord count: 885===========================================Summary: The Leadership Development function in many a corporation has often been viewed as a sideline when compared to su…
Degree in Information Assurance

2. Rescuing Projects in Crisis
A project is in serious trouble having overrun its budget, and deliveries are far behind schedule. The previous project manager has been fired, team morale is low, sponsors are hopping mad, and senior management is fuming. You are brought in to take over the project and turn it around. What should you do? Well, before getting into the thick of action, consider the following reasons why projects generally run into trouble: 1: Insufficient commitment from project sponsors. 2: Unclear requirements…

3. How to Command the Respect of Your Team
When I was a child my father would take me ice fishing withhim and his buddies. I remember very clearly the firsttime he took me out on the ice. I was so excited to beincluded in his fishing trip that I couldn’t sleep theentire night prior.So at 4:00am when my father came into the room to wake me,he was a little surprised to find me wide eyed and full ofenergy. When we got out onto the frozen lake I rememberhearing the ice creak beneath the wheels of the truck as weslowly approached the small w…

4. Be Proactive - Covey Habit #1 -part a
The first Covey Habit is to 'be proactive'.Now when I first heard this I thought this basically meant 'do stuff'. Proactive people to me were people who simply did things rather than sit and watch, they took the initiative. So to me this was going to be an easy one, and being the first I thought it should be.WRONG!Proactivity here is about choice. It's about taking the initiative to stop - think - choose. The biggest hurdle for most of us is realising we have choice. Covey separates what happen…