DISPELLING SOME MEETING MYTHS

Myth #1: Meetings Can Never Be Timely

·         Start your meeting when it is scheduled to begin. Don’t penalize people for being on time by starting late.

·         Always have an agenda for your meetings and stick to it

·         Schedule the most important topics at the top of your agenda. Items that can be postponed or that can be discussed outside the general meeting should be scheduled for the end.

·         End your meeting at the time scheduled. Any items left on the agenda should be tabled until another time.

·         Stay on target. Do not allow other people to dominate the conversation or take the meeting in a different direction.

Myth #2: Meetings Are Always Dull and Boring

·         Provide attendees with action items to complete before the meeting that can be incorporated in the discussion.  People are less likely to feel bored when they are contributing.

·         The use of technology such as PowerPoint can help hold the attention of visual learners.

·         Your audience will mirror your energy. If your delivery of information is monotone and lifeless your audience will tune you out quickly.

·         Be creative. That two minute YouTube clip of last week’s episode of The Office might be the perfect intro to lighten the mood before delving into the next agenda item.

Myth #3: Meetings Cost Too Much

Not having meetings may cost you more. Research has shown that face to face meetings:

·         Build stronger business relationships

·         Are more effective when discussing items that require persuasion or consensus

·         More successful than conference calls at keeping participants engaged and not distracted

The Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Is it just me or does it seem like our society is becoming a little less selfish?  There has been a growing trend of service over the last few years and it seems that the movement is gaining steam.  Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the phrase that is sweeping the corporate world.  More and more corporations are finding it beneficial to implement policies geared toward being of service to society, ethical in business practices and becoming as eco-friendly as possible. 

What are the Benefits of a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy?

According to the results of a global survey in 2002 by Ernst & Young, 94% of companies believe the development of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy can deliver real business benefits.

·     Triple Bottom Line: The gage for measuring a company’s success has been expanded. The Triple Bottom Line is an accounting system that measures performance against social and environmental performance as well as financial. 

Many companies are finding out that if they don’t keep track of their performance in social and environmental areas it will cost them financially.  On February 4^th the Los Angeles Times reported that Target was going to pay $22.5 million dollars to settle a hazardous waste dumping case.

·     Customer Perception Is Important: Edelman is a PR firm that released their 11^th annual Edelman Trust Barometer. This survey gauges attitudes about the state of trust in business, government, NGOs and media across 23 countries.  According to the survey…

For the first time, this year’s survey shows that trust and transparency are as important to corporate reputation as the quality of products and services. In the U.S. and in much of Western Europe, those two attributes rank higher than product quality-and far outrank financial returns, which sits at or near the bottom of 10 criteria in all regions.

·     Stand Out From the Competition: In 2010 Disney Corp. launched its “Give a day, get a Disney Day” program.  The program offered a free ticket to a Disney park in exchange for a day of service to one of their selected non-profit organizations.  This program was a huge success and brought Disney tons of positive press. 

Start thinking about the steps that your organization can take towards implementing a CSR program.  You can start by evaluating your meeting and event portfolio. Consult with a meeting planner about how to go green. You can also receive great ideas on activities your company can do to serve the community.

For a free 1-hour consultation send us an email at info@wynningtouch.com

or give us a call at 323.691.2005.

Dining with a Conscious

Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine and Cocktails is a shining example that business and service can mix really well together.  Natalia Olenicoff opened the restaurant in 2005 with her father Igor.  Natalia wanted to honor the memory of her brother Andrei, who died in a tragic automobile accident.  Naming the restaurant after Andrei was not enough to pay homage to their loved one.  Instead they decided that 100% of the restaurants profits would go to charity.  Yes, you read it correctly, 100% of the profits. 

The charity of choice is the Andrei Foundation. Andrei suffered from Retinitis Pigmentosa(RP), a degenerative eye disease. According to the restaurant’s website, RP and similar diseases affect 1 in 28 people in the United States causing life-altering vision impairment or loss. The Foundation’s goal is to help find a cure for these diseases, and to help people who currently are affected.

Not only does all of the profit from the restaurant go to helping improve the lives of others, but Andrei’s is also an advocate for the environment. They call their food Conscious Cuisine because they use locally grown and organic produce, naturally raised meats and sustainable seafood on their menu. They even strive to use only organic ingredients in their cocktails.

The restaurant is located in Irvine, California. Go to their website to learn more about them: http://andreisrestaurant.com

STARTING THE YEAR OFF RIGHT!

Everyone has heard the phrase, “If you fail to plan then plan to fail.” Well, if your company wants to have successful events throughout 2011 now is the time to start planning.  There are some crucial elements that you and your organization need to consider before you start adding dates to the calendar.

•       We’ve always done it, is not a reason to do it again –Many organizations get into the habit of adding things to the calendar solely because they were able to pull it off the year before. Your company’s entire meeting and event portfolio should be evaluated for its effectiveness.  Every event should have a well defined goal, a clear direction and purposefully thought out objectives.  In order for an event to be successful the desired outcome needs to be clearly communicated to all who are involved.  It is also extremely important to evaluate if the event goals are in line with the overall mission of the organization.
•       Just because you plan it, doesn’t mean they’ll come –When is the last time you conducted a needs assessment? Planning an event that does not meet the needs of those who you are targeting is not a good use of your company’s resources. Each of the event’s stakeholders needs to be identified. Examples of possible stakeholders are attendees, staff and sponsors. A needs assessment will help you understand what the stakeholder expectations are.
•       Some bubbles need to be busted – Now is the time to take an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to bring your event to fruition. Does your company really have the money, resources and personnel necessary to meet the defined goals and objectives?  Don’t make the mistake of getting so caught up in the vision of the event that you lose sight of the overall vision of your company.  It is ok to say that this is not the right time to move forward with an idea. Or maybe you and your colleagues can identify ways to streamline the idea to fit within your resources.

With today’s economy companies are looking for ways to be more efficient. Efficiency does not mean eliminating all of your meetings and events from the calendar.  Instead it requires you to become more strategic in your planning. So don’t delay…it’s time to start planning!!!

If your company or organization would like to schedule a free one-hour consultation, please feel free to email us at info@wynningtouch.com.