Have You Ever Tried...Just Listening?

Do you ever get the impression that people are just sitting in meetings waiting for a chance to talk or trying to pretend they aren't multitasking? Do you ever say something just to remind people why it's important that you're in the room? Or worse, do you say nothing, because you often don't know why you're there at all?

According to Gallup, more than half of American employees are disengaged at work. There are lots of reasons for this. One of them is the meeting culture.

People are bombarded from all angles with so much information that they can't possibly process it all. The business landscape is changing faster than ever. Companies are doing more with less. The architecture of enterprises is in a state of transformation. People are busy, busy, busy, but are they working on the right things? Too often, the answer is no. This is a recipe for disengagement.

So try it. Next time you're in a meeting, instead of waiting for a turn to say something, or wondering why you're there at all, do an experiment. Listen. And ask yourself if the comments being made are truly steering your organization in the direction of the future. What is the most important thing you heard someone say? Did it get lost in the shuffle, or did people take a moment and think about it?

Atwe help our clients fix meetings and put the focus back on the reason people are meeting at all: to achieve a shared goal. If you want more information about how to bring more clarity, focus and purpose to your meetings, or if you're looking to save money while doing more with less and even doing it better than ever, email me at rita@sciencehouse.com.

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