| Have gone to any meetings lately? You know, | | | | you are part of, right? |
| staff meetings, association meetings, user | | | | What I challenge you to do is this: look at where |
| meetings, network meetings, lunch meetings, | | | | you are spending time with other people in |
| planning meetings, meetings with vendors, | | | | meetings, whether it is staff, vendors, associates, |
| meetings with employees, one on one meetings, | | | | networkers...whoever. And ask yourself, "Does |
| group meetings, committee meetings...for a | | | | this boat (meeting) have a straight course, with |
| business leader sometimes it can feel like your | | | | velocity and purpose, that can advance my |
| business is the last place you spend time and that | | | | business goals?" If the answer is no or you aren't |
| all of your time is "in a meeting." | | | | sure, the meeting is probably wasting your time |
| You are probably hoping I will say this so I will: | | | | and begin eliminating those meetings from your |
| you don't need all of those meetings to have a | | | | calendar. |
| successful business. In fact, I'll even go so far as | | | | Now, there may be meetings that you have that, |
| to suggest that you are probably not even | | | | if restructured and had more purpose (like an |
| actually having the meetings you need. | | | | agenda) are with the right people (rowing team) |
| Let me introduce you to the concept of Purposed | | | | and could turn into a more productive |
| Collaboration. | | | | collaboration. Consider what needs to be said to |
| At the risk of being too elementary, collaboration | | | | whom in order to set these meetings on a better |
| is where two or more people come together to | | | | course for you and your business. You might |
| share ideas, challenge one another and create | | | | need to change out a few people that come to |
| something more than any one party could do by | | | | those meetings, you might need to take a more |
| themselves. Think of collaboration as where you | | | | assertive role in leading the meetings or you |
| invite a rowing team into your boat and everyone | | | | might need to do the meetings standing up so |
| begins to row all in a powerful synch versus just | | | | that you don't all get too comfortable lounging in |
| you all alone in a canoe paddling you and your | | | | those big, fat conference room chairs. |
| cooler across the lake. When you ad "purposed" | | | | Finally, there might be meetings that are missing. |
| to the concept - purposed collaboration - now the | | | | Who do you need to be collaborating with that |
| rowing team has a very clear target or finish line | | | | could launch your business forward with a big |
| and a very straight line between where they | | | | leap? What stated purpose might you introduce |
| start and where they end. Everyone knows when | | | | to a person or two or three that you could invite |
| they are off course and the whole, unified goal is | | | | into your boat once a month? And speaking of |
| to get to the finish as fast as possible by | | | | once a month - how often is really necessary to |
| maximizing every collective stroke of the oars. | | | | make the collaboration truly purposeful and agree |
| I bet I'm not describing very many meetings that | | | | on that. |