Dealing with Deceptive Coworkers
by Dera DeRoche-Jolet

You hired your employees because they are good at what they do and can provide valuable information to help you run your business and increase sales. You need their input and expertise, so you call a meeting. As you stand there talking, you notice, some are doodling, some are glancing at their watch and some are fidgeting. If you could read minds you’d hear them wondering "What are we doing here?" Some are imagining the work piled up on their desks that must be done before the end of the day.

The problem is that the meeting lacks any kind of direction. You’ve got to know where you want to go. Without a sense of direction, a map and plan, you won’t reach your destination. Here are a few suggestions to get you there.

Know what you hope to accomplish. The first and most important step in running a meeting that works is knowing your purpose for calling the meeting and make that clear from the outset. Knowing your purpose will help you organize your thoughts. If you can’t express your thoughts so that others can understand them, it’s a good bet that you don’t know what your thoughts are. If that’s the case, your meeting will be like a ship, sure to drift among the waves and never reach port.

Asking a question may help you discover the purpose of the meeting. If your boss comes to you and says, "We need to have a meeting to discuss the new marketing plan," ask why. What does your boss want to accomplish?

Phrasing your thoughts in the right way will give the meeting focus. For instance, don’t say "The purpose of the meeting is to discuss implementing two-way voice in our sales calls." Instead, say, "The purpose of the meeting is for me to tell you a few things about the company implementing two-way voice in our sales calls."

Again, don’t say, "I called the meeting because we need to come up with ideas to boost sales." Instead, say, "I called the meeting because I have some ideas about ways to boost sales and I want your opinions."

Decide Your Purpose. The purpose of your meeting isn’t the same as the subject of your meeting. Suppose you call your staff together to plan a marketing strategy because you are introducing two-way voice to your customers. The subject is the introduction of two way voice to your customers. The purpose is what you hope to accomplish -- the give and take of ideas and information needed to create a marketing plan.

Meetings have two basic purposes -- to give information or to get information. Meetings may also be a combination of both. So your next step is to ask yourself, "What information do I want to give, get or exchange?"

As you plan, keep in mind that your expectations should be realistic. Can you accomplish your purpose, and is a meeting the best option? Depending on the situation, a memo, e-mail, fax, or phone call might be a better choice.
A meeting might be a better choice, but what’s the point of scheduling a meeting if there is little likelihood for success. Ask yourself:

* Do I have time to prepare for the meeting?
* Do others who will be attending the meeting have time to prepare?
* Is everybody available to attend?

If you can’t answer yes to the above questions, a meeting will be a waste of time.
Of course, meetings are ripe for disagreement, confusion and lack of productivity. Human beings run meetings, and humans are full of opinions, ideas and emotions. Not every need is best met in a meeting. If you:

* have a simple message to present,
* need a simple answer,
* have information to give that requires no immediate response,
* don’t have time to consider every side of the question or debate every issue,

then it may be better for you to use another method of communicating. Assuming that you have the time to prepare, and all the necessary people are available, then a meeting is the best way to go if:

* The interplay of opinions is key ingredient to create a plan, idea or project.
* Sometimes a creative session will take undeveloped ideas and give birth to a wonderful new concept. Team spirit is essential to accomplishing the purpose.
* If done right, meetings can be excellent ways of generating team spirit. Time restrictions limit other options.
* Sometimes general agreement is required, but there is no time to distribute reports and wait for responses. The subject is sufficiently complex to require interaction and explanation.

If you need a meeting, have one. At the right kind of meeting, no one will be doodling or wondering when it will be over. The meeting may only take a few minutes. It may take more than an hour. Whatever the time, if a meeting accomplishes its purpose, it’s always time well spent.