TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TIME
ALLOW EXCEPTIONS There’s no surer way to make an attendee anxious than pulling them away from an important task. Nobody should skip out on a meeting simply because they don’t want to go. If, however, their time could be more wisely spent, you shouldn’t force them to attend. Prioritize who needs to be at the meeting and whose time could be better used elsewhere. START WITH BIG IDEAS A meeting should be a forum for hashing out concerns and tackling big-picture concepts. If you’re listing off a slew of granular changes, those aren’t the ingredients for a productive meeting. Information like that can be disseminated in other forms. As you discuss a larger concern, details relating to it will arise during your discussion. Ask yourself if the meeting has a larger topic that merits discussion.
Ask yourself, “What are the biggest time wasters in my office?” If your workplace is like most, it’s a safe guess that social media and meetings are on your list. Maybe there’s a way you can eliminate social media from your office or, at least, curtail its use. However, meetings are an essential part of effective workplace communication. The question, then, isn’t how to get rid of meetings, but rather how to make them more efficient. With that in mind, here are a few tips for getting the most out of your meetings. HAVE A GAME PLAN If you don’t have a reason for a meeting, don’t have a meeting. Weekly meetings can be a great way to catch your staff up on the latest news and issues at the office, but there’s no need to make them the same length of time every week. You should never feel like you need to fill a certain number of minutes. Instead, get to the heart of what you’re talking about, allow the staff to ask questions, and then get back to work.
What happens when an internet personality complains about your company? If you’re Amazon, you make sure the next time they talk about you, they’re singing your praises. ScreenJunkies News is a popular YouTube channel dedicated to media and pop culture. In early November of 2017, the channel streamed a panel discussion that focused on comments from Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, who said he wanted to pursue video content that would appeal to a broader audience. One of the panelists, Dan Murrell, quipped that he’d rather Bezos make sure the DVD racks he ordered from Amazon arrived on time. This off-the-cuff complaint garnered laughter from the other panelists. They chimed in with their own comments on Amazon’s delivery practices, and one panelist brought up third-party couriers’ inability to find Murrell’s leasing office.
When the panel moved on to other topics, Murrell’s Amazon comments were seemingly forgotten — that is, until two days later when ScreenJunkies News streamed another video, during which Murrell shared his experience with a customer service representative who reached out to him. After seeing the first video, the representative said they wanted to rectify the situation. They personally checked that Murrell’s most recent order, a bookshelf, was scheduled to be delivered on time, and they gave Murrell the opportunity to air his grievances about third-party couriers. During the panel discussion, Murrell mentioned that he’d never seen the movie “Lawrence of Arabia,” and the representative told him that Amazon had sent him a Blu-ray copy of the film, free of change. Also, $100 was added to Murrell’s Amazon account.
This response may seem over the top for a YouTube joke, but Amazon’s model works. Last year, Jeff Bezos became the richest person in the world, surpassing Bill Gates. The key to Amazon’s success? Don’t wait for complaints. If a package is late, Amazon sends the client a new delivery date. Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet includes a Mayday Button, which encourages customers to contact around- the-clock support the moment they feel frustrated. And, by reaching out after seeing Murrell’s complaints, Amazon is no longer the company that can’t deliver a DVD rack on time. Now, to Murrell, the other panelists, and the channel’s 1.5 million subscribers, Amazon is the company that makes things right. Who wouldn’t want to do business with a company that takes care of them?
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