Personal Efficiency and Managing Meetings Training Course

Understanding Ourselves and Others

• Recognizing that inviting others to a meeting imposes our priorities on them
• Examining the factors that influence our behavior
• Assessing whether we are aware of how our behavior impacts others and whether it elicits the desired response

The Process for Managing Meetings

• Evaluating the necessity of a meeting and considering alternative approaches
• Mastering the process for calling, managing, and preparing for meetings:
  • Developing a meaningful agenda that outlines objectives, topics, and suggested timings
  • Inviting only the necessary participants
  • Conducting the meeting by facilitating relevant contributions, staying on the agenda, and adhering to time limits
  • Producing outputs, such as action points, rather than just detailed minutes
  • Scheduling follow-up meetings if needed

Attending Meetings

• Determining which meetings are essential to attend
• Deciding whether or not to participate in specific meetings
• Identifying valid reasons for declining an invitation
• Exploring permissible activities during meetings, considering attendee dynamics, subject matter, and timing

Other Personal Efficiency and Time Management Topics

• Setting and adhering to personal and professional objectives
• Work Prioritization
  • Identifying tasks that require attention
  • Establishing the order in which to address these tasks
• Managing time imposed by others: ensuring staff and colleagues support your goals rather than consuming your time
• Addressing Time Bandits: identifying what steals time and how to mitigate it
  • Emails
  • Telephone calls
  • Unplanned interruptions
  • Displacement activities, such as procrastination
  • Other distractions
• Effective Delegation
• Assertiveness: finding compromises and learning to say "no" effectively