MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convetion, Exhibition)

Perhaps you have wondered why anyone would hold a meeting that wastes everyone’s time and produces nothing.

There are easy answers to this question, such as 1) they don’t know that their meetings could be effective, 2) they don’t know what an effective meeting is like, or 3) they don’t know how to hold an effective meeting.

But what about all of the executives who know how to plan and organize and run an effective business, but still hold bad meetings?

So, let’s dig deeper. These executives actually want to hold bad meetings because they prove to be useful. Here’s how.

1) They provide refuge.

Bad meetings provide a sophisticated form of executive busyness. Some people find this useful because it keeps them from having to work on difficult tasks such as planning, coaching, learning, and communicating. Compared to these difficult tasks, sitting in a conference room is easy. In fact, it is so easy that a six-year old could do it, assuming you could convince the child to stay inside for such a pointless activity.

Better: An effective meeting is business activity where people work together.

2) They avoid responsibility.

Bad meetings never end with decisions, which means that no one ends up being held responsible for doing anything. Some people find this useful because responsibility implies accountability and accountability requires results. Thus, without responsibility there is no failure and everyone appears to perform well. This masks poor performance so that everyone continues to receive raises and promotions, even when they accomplish nothing because (you guessed it) they spent all of their time sitting in meetings.

Better: Effective meetings produce decisions that someone is responsible for implementing.

3) They provide excitement.

Bad meetings feature all of the elements of a good drama, such as conflict, tension, and pain. For example, the participants deliver self-aggrandizing reports, denigrate their colleagues, and engage in politics. Some really terrible meetings play out like pathetic battlegrounds with verbal gladiators battling for favors while the boss watches.

Better: Effective meetings occur in a safe environment of respect.

4) They serve food.

Bad meetings become an enviable executive perk when they provide snacks, coffee, and (sometimes) meals. The attendees then use eating to offset the boredom of having to hear meaningless discussions. It also saves them the expense of having to buy food.

Better: Meals should be a separate activity used to build relationships and (sometimes) rest.

5) They entertain.

Bad meetings resemble a party. People tell stories, trade jokes, and argue over trivia. Some meetings feature comedy performances by the office fool. Others feature humorous belittlements by the office bully. And if neither of these occurs, the absolutely unbelievable discussions amaze and entertain everyone.

Better: Effective meetings use process tools to make methodical progress toward results.

About The Author
Steve Kaye helps leaders hold meetings that produce results – fast and with everyone’s participation. He is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator, author, and speaker. His facilitation and workshops create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for details. Visit http://www.stevekaye.com for a free report.

Many individuals are experiencing difficulties meeting their financial obligations from month to month and the monthly payments are overwhelming and creating unnecessary stress and frustration. However, it is imperative that you find a way to meet your monthly obligations in order to maintain a positive credit rating and eliminate problems with credit collectors and losing your good credit standing. Of course, when you find yourself in this situation you have several options from managing your debt yourself to debt consolidation loans or debt consolidation services. However, before you take the route of applying for a loan or debt consolidation help there are a few things you should do.

First and foremost you need to sit down with your bills, your monthly income, and a calculator. Run the numbers and see how much money you have coming in and how much money is going out. If your bills outweigh your income then you may need outside help. However, you are most likely in the same boat as most and have enough income to meet your obligations but are spending money in places you don’t realize which causes financial hardship. For example, if you earn $2500 per month after taxes and your rent or mortgage is $800, your car $350, power $120, credit cards $200, groceries $300 and gasoline $200 then you are spending $1970 each month. Of course, you may have other expenses that need to be included like childcare, cable TV and Internet, and the like or you may have less expenses. The point is to sit down and evaluate exactly how much money you have coming in and going out and to pinpoint exactly where money is being spent.

If you buy a flavored coffee every day on your way to work then you are basically spending an extra $100 per month on coffee that could easily be redirected to your monthly bills. Or, perhaps you like to eat out for every meal. Stop this and you will save significantly as well. Always make a list of things you need when you go to the grocery store and clip coupons. This will likely save you $50-$100 per month as well. Another tip is to save on electricity bills by keeping the thermostat at a conservative temperature. If it is too hot then open some windows, if it is too cold then put an extra comforter on the bed.

As far as gas expenditures go you can always car pool and save a lot of money by doing this. If your mortgage/rent or car payment is too expensive and you can’t seem to make the payments then consider refinancing, or downgrading to a smaller home or less expensive car. All of these options will help you save a significant amount of money in a hurry as well as help you eliminate your debt by meeting your monthly obligations. However, if you find yourself with your monthly bills significantly outweighing your monthly income then there are options. You may consider a consolidation loan or else you might prefer to use the services of debt consolidation services or credit counselors.

A debt consolidation loan will help you because you can receive the loan and immediately pay off all of your monthly obligations. Of course, you will still have to make a monthly payment for the debt consolidation loan although it should be considerably lower than the sum of all of the other debts you were paying. The major benefit of this option is you decrease your stress and anxiety of feeling gobbled up by debt by taking care of all of your obligations and leaving only one monthly payment. However, the drawbacks are that you must have good credit to qualify for one of these loans; you may risk losing your home if you cannot pay your monthly mortgage, and you may become overextended again because you have a false sense of security that your debt is taken care of. Before choosing this option be sure you are fully educated on the benefits and drawbacks and any risks you may experience because of it.

Another option available to you when you cannot meet your monthly obligations includes using debt consolidation services or else credit counseling services. These services have considerable benefits because they allow you to immediately reduce your monthly payments which results in some serious financial relief for you. Also, these services frequently are able to obtain lower interest rates and fees associated with your credit accounts as well, which is realized in a smaller amount of debt you are required to pay. The drawback to debt consolidation services is only about 33% of people actually qualify for these services. Another drawback is you are not able to use your credit while you are working with a debt consolidation agency and your credit rating may be negatively impacted as well.

When faced with a credit situation where you are completely over your head and feel as if you have nowhere to turn then you should consider a debt consolidation loan or debt consolidation services. You may or may not qualify for these services, but if you do it is a great way to help you pay off your debts immediately and realize relief while restructuring your debt and disciplining yourself to pay it off. Of course, these options should only be considered once you have evaluated your true financial standing by evaluating your income and monthly bills. Most likely you will be able to manage your bills on your own with some good old fashioned discipline and budgeting and simply cutting back and avoiding those consumer items that are simply unnecessary. You should not live beyond your means and definitely should not seek a debt consolidation loan or use debt consolidation services to help you do so.

Help and advice on how to get out of debt. Cut your expenses or look at a debt consolidation service. For more information visit http://www.getcreditconsolidation.com

One central argument between car enthusiasts and on Internet car forums alike is what oil is better for your car, synthetic or conventional. Before synthetic oils became available for regular automobiles, the argument centered solely on brand types and weight. But now, with the advent of these synthetics all over the market, what is truly the best choice for your engine? Let’s explore both of these worlds to find out.

Conventional oil is rated according to a SAE system. This scale is used so that you know what type of oil is best for your car given the environmental conditions (temperature, city driving, etc.) of where you live. The first number, for example on 10W30 motor oil, is 10 followed by a “W”. This “W” indicates that the number before it is the viscosity rating of the oil. The lower this number, the better the oil is for colder climates. The higher the number, the better it is for hotter driving conditions.

Synthetic oils, on the other hand (before their commercial release) were used in many military vehicles and fighter jets. Airlines also use synthetics in their engines. The synthetic oil has been designed not to break down as quickly and can tolerate extremities in temperature and weather (hot to cold).

One of the major differences between conventional and synthetic oils is that synthetics are treated with more additives that protect your engine for a longer amount of time before you have to change it. And, while we don’t want to get into all the molecular chemistry involved in the making of these oils, we should mention that they also last longer in hotter conditions and won’t “gel” in colder ones, like conventional oil. In other words, synthetics have more additives, which greatly protect the car from viscosity breakdown. They are designed to withstand temperature extremes. It may be safe to say that extreme driving conditions call for the use of synthetics.

On the financial side of the matter, synthetics cost a whole lot more; up to three or four times as much as regular conventional oil. But, the wonderful thing is that you don’t have to change your oil every 3,000 miles; recommended with conventional oil use. In fact, you may not have to change it until well after 25,000 and up to 50,000 miles as long as the oil filter is changed every 10,000 miles. So, the cost at first might scare consumers away, but the long-term benefits of synthetic oil use are substantial.

However, you will still have to be responsible for your car’s maintenance check-up every 3,000 miles or so. With regular oil-changes, you are automatically checking over the car for other problems (or if you don’t an inspection mechanic does). It might help you find a problem that could be dealt with, that could’ve gone unchecked. Also, you’ll want to check the synthetic oil every now and then to be sure that it isn’t contaminated and/or that there isn’t any moisture build-up.

With normal everyday driving, perhaps conventional oils work best for you. You aren’t driving in extreme conditions and you swear allegiance to regular oil. That may be fine. Synthetic oil cannot really offer you anything that conventional oil cannot under normal operating conditions. However, the definition of extreme driving states that if you do a lot of short driving (two to twenty miles) daily, it’s hard on your car. And, specialists agree that this constitutes extreme driving due to the faster breakdown of the structure of conventional oil.

Another major reason that many are choosing the synthetic route is that it contains fewer impurities; impurities that can cause your engine harm, perhaps to the point of premature engine wear. With conventional oil, there’s no way to totally rid, filter or clean the impurities from the natural elements. That’s another reason why synthetic oils do not have to be changed as much even in extreme driving conditions.

You’ll want to be careful; however, if you do decide that you want to give synthetic oils a try. If you’ve been driving your 1983 Ford Thunderbird for years using 10W30, you may not want to switch using your conventional oil brand.

Conventional oils have solvents that stick to gaskets and seals and often cause them to swell a certain way. These gaskets and seals have been used to the same oil for years and the switch to any other type of oil (whether it is to a different conventional oil brand, or an upgrade to a synthetic) may be harmful. The oil you change (or upgrade to) will also have solvents and additives, different from the original. So in other terms, the changing of oils could result in oil leaks and/or a once small oil leak becoming bigger due to the reaction the seals and gaskets will have to the change (not because of the oil itself). If you think that this might be the case for you (i.e. if you have an older car using conventional oil), it’s recommended that you not try synthetic oil until you have an engine (or new car) with relatively virgin gaskets and seals that will be able to acclimate much more easily to the chemical changes of the newer type of oil.

It’s easy to see that that fanfare for one or the other is an argument that has really been explored. It’s best for you to decide what will fit your personal needs. If you have an older car, you may want to wait until you upgrade. However, if you have a newer car, the benefits of synthetic oils are easily seen. Again, it’s solely dependent upon you and the conditions where you drive. Synthetics are shown to provide their best protection above 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Most people do not drive their cars this hot. However, many do drive in cities, where driving times are considered to be more of a “stop-and-go” nature, which may be considered “extreme” in many circumstances. When the time comes for you to make a decision, at least you’ll be informed of the differences of each. And, until that time, no matter what, keep up that automotive pride!

Michael Walker is a freelance author providing tips and hints on engine related topics such as JDM motors, used import engines and engine swaps. His articles are a valuable source of information for the auto enthusiast.

Most leaders want to improve their business. After all, these improvements lead to increased profits through greater productivity and efficiency.

Sometimes clues to important improvements lay hidden in events that everyone takes for granted.

For example, how well do you score on the following quiz about your meetings?

* How much time do you spend in meetings?

0% – - | – - 25% – - | – - 50% – - | – - 75% – - | – - 100%

* How productive are your meetings?

0% (terrible) – - | – - 25% – - | – - 50% – - | – - 75% – - | – - 100% (effective)

* What do meetings cost your business?

* How much do meetings earn for your business?

* What would you work on if you spent less time in meetings?

My surveys show that (on average) people spend 40% of their time in meetings that they rate 50% effective. That translates to wasting 20% of their time in meetings.

This is equivalent to spending a full day each week doing nothing. It also represents a monstrous lost opportunity because that day could be spent working on things that make money for the business.

But most executives dismiss meetings as just another business activity. They say, “It’s okay, I’ve learned to live with it.”

In fact however, fixing their meetings represents the most significant improvement that they could make on their business. Call if you want to improve your meetings.

- – -

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.