A good friend of mine was asking me how to conduct product meetings. So here is what I shared with him. I hope that you find it useful as well. 

Before calling for a meeting, please consider the following:

1. If you have something to announce that does not require interaction or feedback, consider sending an email announcement instead.

2. If you want to ask something simple from a group of people, consider using a group chat instead.

3. Carefully select the people you want to be present in the meeting. Are they all expected to contribute to the discussion? Invite only people who need to be present at the meeting.

4. If you need people to represent their departments in a forum, it would be practical to call in just one representative. 

5. If you are using presentation material, please send the deck 48 hours before the meeting. Sending it ahead will save you time. Attendees can come prepared with their builds and questions.

6. Advise the participants on the goal of the meeting and the agenda. People can best add value to a meeting if they know its purpose.

In the meeting

1. If you are the facilitator of the meeting, you are responsible for controlling the discussion. Stick to your agenda.

2. Get to the meeting venue 15 minutes before a face-to-face meeting. If it’s online, log in 5 minutes early.

3. Listen attentively.

4. If you are in an online meeting, be mindful of your background noise. Make sure your mic is on mute when you are not speaking.

5. If you are the facilitator of the meeting, start and end the session on time. People have other work to do.

6. Keep the meeting on point. When the discussion is going off-topic, call the attention of the group. Write down the off-topic item and return to it if there is a spare time at the end of the meeting.

7. If the meeting is essential, have someone take the minutes of the meeting. This discussion can be classified into two groups; agreements and actions. For actions, ensure a deadline for each item and a single accountable person.

8. End the meeting by quickly recapping the action and agreement.

After the meeting

1. Send the meeting minutes within 24 hours so people can recall what was agreed upon and what actions they are assigned.

Note: You can measure the effectiveness of the meeting using a very brief survey. The survey is advisable for people whose role (usually C-level executives) is predominantly to add value in meetings. It is good to know how effective your meetings are.

You may find the link to the survey I use for my meetings as an example:

https://bit.ly/productivemeetingsurvey

We all have our ups and downs in life. What makes one person different from another is the point of view. To most, we look at life as something happening to us. We tend to take things too personally. We view things as bad luck or unfortunate faith. However, there are a few of us that looks at life differently. We accept that events are part of living in this world. It’s neither good nor bad. We are not singled out by life. How we choose to look at life’s events makes the difference between a joyful life and an awful one. What about you? How do you take life’s ups and downs?

Leading a business can be very hard. It can be easier. Our Bizsprout community of small and medium-sized business leaders helps each other.

Join now. Let’s learn and grow our business together.
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Guys, let’s use our BizsproutPH.com community to share findings and Entrep experience. We are starting a training company. We know that many business start-ups are already competing in this industry.

Recently, we wanted to bring our ability to train into the public market. PMII has been fine-tuning its ability to train thousands of MedReps for 20 years.

I’m also an advocate of continuous adult education. Years ago, I attended a program that helped participants articulate their purpose. My purpose is ‘igniting potential.’

We wanted to bring learning one notch higher. What is one of the most significant weaknesses in training? It’s the student’s willingness and opportunity to apply what they learned. I also notice this after training hundreds of people in my career.

We decided to craft a UVP for our training services. As discussed, Startups need to differentiate themselves.

For the coming year, the focus on the in-house and external paid training we will conduct is the application of learning. Therefore, we created a follow-up process involving the student and their manager. Regular checkpoints will be established to get feedback from the student and their direct manager. In addition, we will track how the learnings are being applied.

In marketing, you need to capture your UVP into a tagine you can use in your communication plan. So we decided to use ‘Learning Beyond Training’ initially – you don’t stop learning after your training has concluded.

As we progress, we will continue to update the group and my blog on this journey for real-life learning.

Enjoy!

You cannot lead another person if you cannot lead yourself. You cannot lead others if you cannot lead one other person. The journey of successful leadership begins with leading yourself successfully. What about you? How good are you at leading yourself?

Leading a business can be very hard. It can be easier. Our Bizsprout community of small and medium-sized business leaders helps each other.

Join now. Let’s learn and grow our business together.
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You’ve probably heard the saying, “multitasking is a myth.” And it’s true – multitasking is a myth. You’re not multitasking; you’re just switching rapidly between tasks. And while that might seem like an efficient way to get things done, it’s quite the opposite.

Switching rapidly between tasks slows you down, making it difficult to focus on any job. As a result, multitasking can decrease your productivity by up to 40%.

So why is multitasking such a harmful habit? And more importantly, what can you do to break the habit?

What Is Multitasking?

You probably think you’re a productivity powerhouse because you can check your emails while watching TV. But what you’re doing is slowly sabotaging your ability to focus.

Multitasking is the process of doing two or more tasks simultaneously. And contrary to what many people believe, it is not practical. Multitasking can lead to decreased productivity and decreased attention span.

So next time you’re trying to get work done, try focusing on just one task at a time. You may find that you’re able to get more done – and feel less stressed – when you’re not constantly switching gears.

The Myth of Multitasking

You’ve probably heard that multitasking is the key to efficiency. You know, the whole “I can’t do two things at once” spiel? Yeah, well, forget all that.

Multitasking is a complete myth – it doesn’t exist. What we call multitasking is just switching between multiple tasks very quickly. And this so-called efficiency comes at a cost. Every time we switch tasks, we lose time while our brain catches up.

In other words, multitasking is making you less productive. So the next time you’re tempted to open up ten tabs and work on all of them, remember this: it’s not going to make you any more productive – it’s only going to make you more stressed and overwhelmed.

How Does Multitasking Affect Productivity?

You think you’re so bright, don’t you? You can juggle a million things at once and still be productive. But that’s where you’re wrong, my friend.

Multitasking has the opposite of the desired effect – it reduces productivity by up to 40%. That’s because when we try to do too many things at once, our brain constantly switches gears, which takes up a lot of unnecessary energy.

Multitasking makes us so inefficient that it’s less productive than doing one task at a time! So the next time you feel guilty about not being able to “multi-task” like a pro, remember – it’s not your fault. You’re not doing anything wrong.

How to Improve Productivity by Avoiding Multitasking

So what’s the solution? Simple:
Do one thing at a time.
When working on a task, give it your undivided attention, and don’t let anything distract you.
Shut off your phone, close all your other tabs, and concentrate on focusing.

It might seem like a waste of time, but it’ll make you more productive in the long run. And that’s a fact, jack.

5 Benefits of Single-Tasking

Stop multitasking. Here are 5 benefits of single-tasking:

1. You’ll be less stressed out.

2. You’ll be more focused.

3. You’ll finish tasks faster.

4. You’ll make fewer mistakes.

5. You’ll be less distracted

6 Ways to Start Practicing Single-Tasking

You may think that by multitasking, you’re getting more done. But the truth is, you’re doing worse work – and you’re more stressed out.

How can this be? Multitasking disrupts our focus and causes us to lose track of what we’re doing. It also makes us feel rushed and scattered, which leads to poorer quality work and more mistakes.

So how can you start practicing single-tasking? Here are a few tips:

1) Close all your other tabs and focus on the task.

2) Set a time limit for yourself and stick to it.

3) Take breaks every hour to move your body and clear your mind.

4) Work on one task from start to finish.

5) Write down everything you need to do for the day, and then work on them one at a time.

6) Practice mindfulness meditation or deep breathing exercises to calm your mind.

The bottom line is that multitasking is a myth. It’s impossible to do two things at once; even if it were, it wouldn’t be efficient or productive. If you want to get things done, focus on one task at a time and give it your full attention. Your brain will thank you for it.

@HypotenuseAI

When making a marketing campaign, you don’t just post content for no reason. It would help if you were clear on your marketing goal. You also need a simple process when posting; have a hook, perceived value offering, and an offer. What about your company? Is there logic behind their marketing campaigns?

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Join now. Let’s learn and grow our business together.
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Talk, talk, talk. Some leaders do nothing but talk. All this talk is useless unless put into action. People will pay more attention to what we do than what we say. Great leaders take action regardless of job title. What about you? Are you more of a talker or a doer?

Leading a business can be very hard. It can be easier. Our Bizsprout community of small and medium-sized business leaders helps each other.

Join now. Let’s learn and grow our business together.
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You may have heard the saying, “learning is like the growth of plants: it takes time, effort, and patience.” Well, that saying is especially true when learning new things.

In today’s world, there’s a lot of pressure to be good at everything. We’re constantly told that we need to succeed in our careers, relationships, and personal lives. And if we’re not good at something, we’re made to feel like failures.

But learning is a process – it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, effort, and patience to learn and succeed. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t know everything right away. Instead, keep practicing and learning, and you’ll get there in no time.

Introduction: Learning Is Like the Growth of Plants

When it comes to learning, you must think of yourself as a delicate little plant. Just like plants need time, water, and sunlight to grow and thrive, you need time, effort, and patience to learn and grow.

You can’t just expect to plop yourself in front of a textbook for a few hours and emerge as a genius. It doesn’t work that way. Instead, learning takes time, dedication, and hard work. But if you put in the effort, you will eventually see results.

So remember, don’t be discouraged if you don’t learn everything overnight. Learning is like the growth of plants – it takes time, effort, and patience.

The Process of Learning Is Similar to the Growth of Plants

Learning something new can feel like you’re stuck in the dark, wondering when the light will come on. It’s a process that takes time, effort, and patience. But, just like plants need water, light, and soil to grow, you need the same things to learn and grow.

To learn something, you need to be exposed to it repeatedly. You also need to give it time and effort – and don’t forget your patience! Sound like too much work? It is, but it’s worth it in the end. When you finally see that light turn on.

Application

Let’s look at the image again and use the analogy of driving. When you are challenged to learn something new, you will be at the first pillar, where you are unconsciously unskilled. The first pillar means that you are not skilled in driving and cannot perform the skill unconsciously. For example, you attend driving lessons for a few days.

You will now gain insight into what driving is all about and the skills needed to be a safe and sound driver. You now move to the second pillar. You are now consciously skilled. You know the skills required. However, you need to be very conscious or aware of every move you make in driving. The skills have not been burned to muscle memory at this stage.

At this point, you have a choice. You can practice the driving skill you learned or choose public transportation. You now have an option to either master what you learned or disregard it. With practice, the level of your skill improves. You are now consciously skilled.

You now have a choice. You can continue practicing the skill to achieve mastery or stay where you are. If you continue to practice the skill and reach an expert’s proficiency, you now move to the last pillar. You are now unconsciously skilled. Your skill is so high from practice that it becomes second nature to you. You no longer need to be conscious about using what you learned.

Your facilitators, like myself, are responsible for getting you to the first two pillars. It is your responsibility to reach the last two pillars. Your teachers and facilitators can teach you all the best practices in the world. However, it is purely your responsibility to use it consistently. It is you who will primarily benefit from the skill. The other beneficiary of the benefits is your team members, your department, and your management. However, that’s on you.

Summary Learning is like the growth of plants. Learning something new, like plants, takes time, effort, and patience. But unlike plants, you can’t just sit there and wait for learning to happen – you must actively seek it out. We must continuously practice what we learn.

@hypotenuseAI

I have the opportunity to teach hundreds of people. I can qualify them into two groups. First, there is the bucket of water. Second, we also have a small glass of water. Most will fall into a big bucket of people that do not apply what they learned. Essentially, the money and time they spend on training go to waste. A few will fall into a small glass. These few are dedicated to improving themselves and their lives. They want to make a difference. What about you? Which group do you belong to?

Leading a business can be very hard. It can be easier. Our Bizsprout community of small and medium-sized business leaders helps each other.

Join now. Let’s learn and grow our business together.
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It’s tough to change. It’s even harder if you are focusing on too many things simultaneously. First, focus all your effort on repetition to have a successful transformation. Once you have that going, you can focus on the quality of the skill you are developing. It takes work on both quality and repetition. What about you? Is there a skill that you are having problems developing?
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Leading a business can be very hard. It can be easier. Our Bizsprout community of small and medium-sized business leaders helps each other.
Join now. Let’s learn and grow our business together.
BizSproutPH.com
#jordan #startup #leadership #leaders #lifelonglearners #entrepreneur #lessons