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Electronic Newsletter���������������� Issue 2009-09

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September 2009

In this issue:� Striking Statistics, Timely Tip, Group Gathering, Computer Clue, and Quick Quotes

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This bimonthly

e-news is made available to further the mission:

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�To help organizations increase employee and system potential to produce results.�

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We encourage sending this to others so they may benefit from the information provided.�

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If you know others who would like to subscribe to this newsletter, please forward this issue so they may click here to subscribe.

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To review past newsletters, click here for archives.

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If you would like to reprint an article or have a similar article written for your newsletter, please contact the newsletter editor.

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Providing:
Classroom Delivery,�
Communication Publishing,
Consulting Services,
Instructional Design,

Keynote Addresses,
Meeting Facilitation,
Newsletter Articles,
Productivity Training,
Seminar Speaking,
System Support,
and Team Building.

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� Copyright 2009
���� Shirley Lee
All Rights Reserved

www.ShirleyFineLee.com

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2bproductive.blogspot.com

To determine your meeting productivity percentage, read article Are Meetings Producing a Loss or a Gain?� and use the FREE meeting evaluation forms at� http://www.shirleyfinelee.com/FreeForms.htm to find your numbers.� Then determine what to do to improve and keep measuring until goal is reached.

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When teaching people to hold better meetings, the meeting wizard suggests the RARA Approach.� This means planning with Roles and an Agenda.� Then following up with Records and assigned Actions.� However, change is hard for people - even when it is a good thing.� So add in new components not currently used in subsequent meetings one at a time.� If all 4 components are new, then start with the A's and add the R's in future meetings.� This way current meeting members do not feel they are being forced to change too much too soon while all will see an immediate improvement in meeting productivity.�

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For those already using the 3T's (time, topics, talker) for creating a meeting agenda,� meetings should be more efficient than they were before.� To make meetings more effective, begin assigning actions using the 3 W's (who, what, when).��� This means making sure all action items are captured and assigned to a person to do outside the meeting with a due date before the current meeting is closed.

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To make getting action items accomplished by team members seem more fun, turn it into an exciting game or friendly competition.� For instance, at the end of a specified time period such as a business quarter, the team member who volunteered for and completed the most action items would win a prize or an honorary title.�� For some project teams, action items may not be equally distributed in relation to ease of work or time required for the action.� For project teams, the project manager may want to use most hours outside of meetings to accomplish the actions as part of the prize or title requirement.� However, this will only work if all members are equally part-time assigned to the project rather than a mix of full and part-time since the full-time members would always win.

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The RARA book has a reproducible form for creating meeting actions and/or minutes in it that readers can use.� Or the author also will email the form� as a Word to document people who have read the book per instructions at

http://www.shirleyfinelee.com/FreeForms.htm.

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Another form option option for tracking meeting action items is to download the Meeting Minutes with Action Items short form Word template from the Microsoft site.� If desired, there is also a long minutes form that may be found be doing a search on the site.�

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For tracking all team tasks, including meeting action items, Excel or Project helps to keep everything in one place.� Using one of these tools makes it easy to add a "where" column as well indicating� the status of each task - like not started, in progress, completed or deleted. ��

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"Don't let your learning lead to knowledge; let your learning lead to action." - Jim Rohn

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"Speak little, do much." - Benjamin Franklin

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ORDER�

MEETING MANAGEMENT

BOOK�

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R.A!R.A!

A Meeting Wizard's Approach

ISBN# 1-4196-5367-9

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This is a a no-nonsense and much-needed self-paced guide to planning and conducting meetings so that they are as productive, effectual, and smoothly run as possible.�

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Order at:

www.Amazon.com

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ANNOUNCEMENT

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This newsletter became featured on BestEzines in 2008 where it has received multiple hits and some high ratings.

This year (2009) the 2bproductive blog became an approved� part of SuperBlog where you can rank and recommend it too.� This blog is designed to help with personal and professional productivity.

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Follow� the Meeting� Wizard on Twitter

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Holding

Tele-Seminars,

Lunch-N- Learns

Or In-House Symposiums

Are A Way To Save Training� $$$

While Increasing Employee Knowledge!

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Contact the

Meeting Wizard

for help with your

next training or

corporate event.