MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convetion, Exhibition)

1) Determine a person’s ability to plan. Does the person who called the meeting have a clear goal and a specific plan to achieve it. People who do, recognize the value of preparation and can be trusted with larger projects.

2) Measure teamwork. How are the participants working together? Are they making methodical progress toward an agreement, decision, or solution? Are the more skilled participants helping the others? Is the group working toward a result that benefits everyone? People who work as a team contribute more to productivity.

3) Demonstrate communication. How well do the participants state their ideas? Do they speak clearly? And do they pay attention when others speak? People who communicate well avoid problems such as misunderstandings and arguments.

4) Determine how people think. Are the participants offering ideas that logically follow what the last person said? How innovative, practical, or useful are the ideas? Are people focused on details or major projects? Are they focused on what happened or upon what happens next? Certainly people think differently, and this helps you observe their strengths.

5) Observe ethics. What are the participants proposing? What values are revealed by their suggestions? What type of actions do they admire? What do they support and what do they oppose? How much respect do the participants show for each other? Good ethics keep a business on the right side of good.

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Steve Kaye helps leaders hold effective meetings. He is an IAF Certified
Professional Facilitator, author, and speaker. His meeting facilitation and
leadership workshops create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for
details. Visit http://www.stevekaye.com for a free report.

If you run a small business you should be a member of the local chamber of commerce. Most cities which 50,000 people in them have 5000 small businesses. Yet these same cities only have 500-1000 people in their chambers of commerce. There are many reasons for this. Some say it is a huge expense, which is somewhat short sided because you will get a good return on your chamber membership business thru additional steady and loyal customers. Others negative comments might be, they never do anything for me. This to is an incorrect perspective in that you only get out what you put in or as JFK said, Ask not what your country can do for you. If you are a member of the chamber of commerce then you have an advantage over the 80 to 90 percent of the businesses who are not. If you participate you have another 80% advantage over other members who do not participate.

It is important to attend chamber of commerce meetings. Since most of the people at these meetings will already know you, they will typically engage you in conversation and this will prevent you from meeting new people. You should be careful to mingle and go out of your way to meet new people at mixers. It really helps to have more than one uniformed employee at a chamber of commerce meeting or mixer.

Another great idea is for you to go in and offer free certificates to your business. You can offer to do this for your fellow business person who cannot attend and ask them to do this for you on the meetings you have scheduling conflicts with. If you cannot make a meeting you can arrange to reciprocate at a later meeting. This works killer. It makes both of you look great and it permeates teamwork. It is what separates you from the competition. What competition? Huh, they are not even members of the local chamber of commerce. Think about it.

Lance Winslow

MEETING DISRUPTERS: If two participants are carrying on a personal discussion that interferes with a meeting, direct a clear and simple question to one of them. In order to avoid embarrassing them, address them by name before asking the question. An alternative is to restate a previously expressed suggestion and then ask them for an opinion.

HECKLERS: A participant with a negative viewpoint can continually undermine the flow of a meeting with snide comments or emotional tirades. Don’t argue or chastise this person. Focusing attention on emotional barriers, such as a heckler, deflects responsibility away from participants and the issue at hand. If you lose your cool, the heckler wins. Beat a heckler at his/her own game by asking the person what they would do. Ask the same questions of other participants by asking the same question. Raise questions that bring in the other sides of the issue or put responsibility on the individual by taking a positive approach to redefining the problem. If the heckler continues to be disruptive, chances are the group will take care of it, since the heckler is now heckling them.

ENEMIES: If you know two participants with conflicting viewpoints are going to attend your meeting, reduce the conflict with carefully planned seating arrangements. Discourage “dividing up sides”, which occurs when participants with opposing views line up on opposite sides of the table. Break up opposing groups since any united front will promote rigidity and entrenchment in preconceived ideas. When people are separated physically, they naturally tend to think separately and less dogmatically. When two individuals are continually at odds, a different approach may work: seat them side by side. Their physical proximity often lessens volume, intensity and verbal attacks are less likely.

SORE LOSERS: Voting is the quickest, most clear-cut method of making group decision. However, it may also be the least effective. Taking a vote may force participants to make a choice before they are prepared which divides the group into “winning” and “losing” camps. Those who lose may feel that their position did not get a fair hearing which results in their lack of motivation to help implement the winners decision. A more productive way to reach a decision is through consensus. The matter should be discussed until all of the participants are ready to accept the solution. Although everyone may not feel like a winner, they all can have greater satisfaction by contributing to the solution.

Copyright AE Schwartz & Associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ReadySetPresent and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: TrainingConsortium

CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

While dominant participants contribute significantly to the success of a meeting,
they can also overwhelm, intimidate, and exclude others. Thus, you want to control
their energy without losing their support.

Approach 1: Ask others to contribute

Asking quiet participants to contribute indirectly moderates the more dominant
participants. Say:

“Before we continue, I want to hear from the rest of the group.”

“This is great. And I wonder what else we could do.” (Look at the quiet participants
when you say this.)

Approach 2: Change the process

A balanced dialogue equalizes participation and sequential participation (a round
robin) prevents anyone from dominating the discussion.

Approach 3: Include them in the process

Ask dominant participants for their support during the meeting. Meet with the
person privately and say:

“I need your help with something. It’s clear to me that you know a great deal about
this issue and have many good ideas. I also want to hear what other people in the
meeting have to say. So, I wonder if you could hold back a little, to let others
contribute.”

You can also retain control by giving away minor tasks. For example, dominant
participants make excellent helpers. They can distribute materials, run errands,
serve as scribes, deliver messages, post chart papers, run demonstration units,
operate projectors, change overhead transparencies, act as greeters, and in general
perform any logistical task related to the meeting.

Approach 4: Create barriers

Simply move away from the more aggressive participants and make less eye contact.
If you are unable to see them, you are unable to recognize them as the next
speaker.

Use this approach with moderation and support it with complimentary requests for
assistance. Ignoring someone conveys disapproval, which could change a potential
ally into an adversary.

Approach 5: One point at a time

Sometimes dominant participants will control a discussion by listing many points in
a single statement. They cite every challenge, condition, and consideration known,
which completely clogs everyone else’s thinking. End this by asking participants to
state only one point at a time, after which someone else speaks. It is very difficult to
monopolize a discussion when this technique prevails.

Quiet participants often hope to be ignored; dominant participants want to be
noticed. A quiet person may feel overbearing after making two statements in an
hour. A dominant participant may feel left out after contributing only 95% of the
ideas. You will be most successful moderating dominant participants by building
bridges between what they want and what you need.

Approach 6: Interrupt with “excuse me”

Use the words “excuse me” as a wedge to interrupt a long monologue. It’s important
that you say “Excuse me” with polite sincerity. For example, you could say:

“Excuse me, this seems interesting and I wonder if you could tell me how it relates
to our meeting.”

“Excuse me, I’m sure this is very important and since we have only five minutes left
for this issue, I wonder if you could summarize your main point.”

Use these techniques to hold effective meetings by moderating contributions from
the more outspoken participants.

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

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IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and author Steve Kaye works with leaders who
want to hold effective meeting. His innovative workshops have informed and
inspired people nationwide. His facilitation produces results that people will
support. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.stevekaye.com. Call 714
-528-1300 or visit his web site for over 100 pages of valuable ideas.