Introduction
The most important people in meetings undoubtedly are the participants; the organiser has called the meeting to harvest their combined knowledge, experience and ideas, with the aim of achieving a successful outcome for the organisation. Yet frustratingly, most books that offer advice on meetings gloss over the presence of the participants, instead choosing to focus their content too heavily on the roles of the meeting organiser and leader.
How often have you heard or uttered any of the following immortal phrases, or sat passively in a meeting thinking:
- ‘Yet another meeting about meetings.’
- ‘What a waste of my time.’
- ‘That did not achieve anything.’
- ‘Now I can get back to my real job.’
- ‘Death by PowerPoint™.’
Brilliant Meetings will equip participants with the knowledge and mindset to make real and valuable contributions to the meetings they attend. The ideas and inspiration necessary to transform participation in to a positive and motivational experience are presented in a format that is:
- easy to read;
- quick to reference for specific information;
- full of real-life examples;
- practical to implement.
Furthermore, the advice given is pertinent to everyday working life and, importantly, Brilliant Meetings illustrates how these skills can positively influence career opportunities.
A Brilliant Meeting requires participants with the right ‘can-do’ attitude. This will result in the collective efforts of the group being targeted correctly on producing the right decisions, which in turn positively drives the organisation forward, and makes working there more rewarding and motivating.
Let us now begin with item one on our agenda, with the ultimate goal of transforming your attendance into fulfilling participation.