No longer having to attend the frequent meetings imposed on you at work is undoubtedly one of the advantages of working from home, but sometimes a face-toface meeting is still the best way of communicating.
A very successful businessman once told me his secret for effective meetings – don't let anyone sit down! I assume he was joking, however much he might have wanted to do it, so short of taking the chairs out of the room, what can you do to expedite proceedings?
If possible, avoid late afternoon and just after lunch, as these are the worst times for concentration.
Circulate an agenda to everyone at least a day before so they can come prepared. Also agree beforehand who will be the chairman (someone who is tactful but firm and can stop people going off at a tangent) and who will take and write up the minutes (someone who can grasp the key points and write them up concisely).
Have a finishing time as well as a start time. Start the meeting punctually, check the clock periodically to keep on track and finish on time. Don't interrupt proceedings to recap for latecomers or you will end up overrunning.
Summarise action points at the end to make sure everyone knows what they need to achieve.
Do you ever get invited to meetings and wonder why your presence is required? If you have nothing to contribute, and nothing to learn, don't feel obliged to attend; make your excuses and ask for the minutes to be sent to you afterwards.
Talking on the phone can be a real time-waster. My personal pet hate is people who ramble on and on, repeating themselves and not taking their cue when you attempt you wind up the conversation. You can't do much about them, but you can watch your own telephone use. These are my rules to stop calls eating up my day.
Only switch on your mobile when you want to use it. I am completely opposed to the expectation that we should all be available 24 hours a day. I find it intrusive and unnecessary. As far as I am concerned, my mobile phone is for my convenience and no-one else's.
Don't hesitate to put on the answerphone if you want to concentrate on a piece of work (or have a nap!) Nobody expects you to be instantly available all day, every day, and people are accustomed to leaving a message. Just make sure you listen to your messages at the earliest opportunity and remember to ring back quickly.
Make sure you have all the information to hand before you dial the number. It's exasperating for the person you're talking to, and embarrassing for you, if you don't have obvious details like account numbers when you make a call. Similarly, try to keep paper and a pen by the phone – it's always the person you want to impress who catches you without them.
Are you in the right frame of mind to make this particular call? Your mood is conveyed by your tone of voice and will be picked up by the person you speak to. If you are feeling out of sorts, or have to make a sales call and don't feel up to it, then it might be better to wait until you are feeling more positive. But don't let it turn into procrastination. If you find making calls hard, practice will improve them.
Watch out for spending time chatting after you have resolved your business query. Time can just disappear by doing this.
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05292010
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