Every great off-site meeting should have well crafted objectives that the top leadership team is committed to achieving. The off-site objectives should drive every other decision about the off-site meeting. They will influence the location, how many days, who will attend, and how much preparation time and resources you will need. So get started early, ideally 3-4 months before the meeting. Keep in mind your venue site; some companies book their venues 1+ years in advance.
Leaders sometimes underestimate what an important, and potentially defining, leadership moment such off-site meetings can be – for better or for worse! Invited participants assume that everything that happens, everything on the agenda, is there because the most senior leaders wanted it there. They expect to hear from the senior leaders, and they often are interested in the senior leaders’ reactions to what happens and what is discussed at the meeting. Be sure your senior leaders appreciate both the opportunities and risks that such meetings present. And be sure to design the meeting in such a way as to help them make the most of their leadership moments.
Meetings that have impact engage people - their minds and their hearts. Think of the few off-sites you’ve been to that really made a difference, off-sites that truly accelerated lasting, positive changes in your company or organization. What happened? Chances are that these meetings demonstrated a few important meeting design principles.
Get Creative, there are dozens of effective and engaging ways to accomplish off-site objectives - clustering people in smaller discussion groups, electronic “secret ballot” surveying, hands-on projects that help drive home key points and build relationships, panel discussion formats, customer speakers, and so on. Of course, the choice of methods is guided by your specific off-site meeting objectives and the design principles above. No matter how “cool” the method is, it has to be a “best choice” to serve off-site objectives and design principles. Splashy methods can make a meeting memorable; they are only worthwhile if they are created to delivering on the meeting objectives. Charisma Productions Network can help you develop what it takes in order to get your meeting objectives met and exceeding all of your expectations.
Off-site Meeting Design Principles
Connection before Content: People are encouraged to “connect” with each other, informally and personally. This happens early and often. If the meeting participants are to do any “real work” with each other at the off-site (e.g. make new organizational arrangements, commit resources, etc.), this foundation of personal connection is essential.
Conversations, not lectures: There is lots of conversation, and little lecture. The core principle here is that people typically learn more, and change more, when they have to formulate and express their ideas, not just listen to the ideas of others.
The right people: The “right” people are in the room. Building and paring the invite list for most off-sites is a challenge, and invariably additional people get added for political reasons. But be sure that enough of the right people are there – the ones with the knowledge, the power, and the influence to accomplish the meeting objectives - and the ability to bring the rest of the organization along with the new direction when they return to work. Be careful not to dilute the meeting with too many who are not well positioned to help.
An off-site is more than a list of agenda items: There is a coherent arc to the meeting, an overall story line. Each step of the meeting builds toward the next step, serving the overall objectives and deliverables. You get the sense that it is well choreographed, that there is a good reason for everything that is on the agenda.
The “how” says volumes about the “what”: How the meeting is conducted is in sync with the messages delivered at the meeting. For instance, if the message is that senior management wants ideas and input from the next levels of management, then lots of time at the meeting must be devoted to eliciting ideas, and demonstrating that (at least some of) the ideas will be acted upon. It isn’t, “55 minutes of slides with 5 minutes of Q&A.” Careful design helps the meeting itself “walk the talk.”
The off-site began before it started, and finished well after it ended: There is pre-work and communication that prepares you to be most effective in your time together and there is follow-up after the off-site that helps assure that things committed to at the off-site are accomplished and integrated into your on-going work.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
What Kind of Business Traveler are You?
In our many years of travel, we've come across our fair share of completely obnoxious travelers. The kind of traveler that flies mainly for business, people that are busy and need to get to their destinations on time for a meeting or a sales presentation. They usually have a ton of status, but because they never pay for these tickets themselves, they have earned themselves a false sense of entitlement.
You'll laugh at these things - but they are all from real people we've encountered.
Type A: The God Complex - Use this phrase a lot. Do You Know Who I Am is one of the most important tools of the obnoxious business traveler. The gate agent or flight attendant may know your name, but without your constant reminding of your importance, they'll never know just what a big shot you actually are.
Type B: The VIP - Don't settle for knowing you are an elite "platinum global services 1K member" - buy a lanyard and wear your elite status card around your neck. This way people can see how important you are. Wave the card at anyone that gets in your way.
Type C: The Snob - Once you are settled in your first class seat, pay close attention to people who don't look like they belong in your cabin. Feel free to tell them that the economy class cabin is in the back of the plane. Apply the same logic in the elite boarding line at the gate, or the elite check-in desk. Bonus points for using the phrase "shoo" in your rant.
Type D: The Empowered - If an airline employee gives you a hard time, remind them that you are more important, that you make more money, and that you pay their salary. It is important to make sure these people know their place. The phrase "I pay your salary" is a sure way to remind them that they need to help you.
Type E: The Over Indulgent - Don't settle for checking bags, that is for tourists and people with floral pattern luggage. All your bags belong in the main cabin. Ignore the gate agents talking about how many pieces of luggage you are allowed as those rules don't apply to you.
Type F: The Privileged - Being in "group one" is a bit of an insult to you - the airline needs to invent a secret "group zero" for people with your status. So, when you arrive at the gate, be sure to walk up towards the boarding doors and make it obvious that you will be boarding first. The objective here is to prevent being blocked by the status-less riff-raff.
Type G: The All Important One - Remember that your loud and obnoxious phone calls are another way to show people how important you are. Use lots of big words to confuse the uneducated people listening in on your call.
Also, don't forget to keep talking when you approach a customer service desk. Your call is always more important than their time. Walk up to the desk, hand them your ticket, and use hand movements to explain what you want them to do - but don't stop talking, no matter how unimportant the call may be.
Type H: The Demander - When requesting changes from the airline, always tell them, don't ask them. The commoners "ask" for an earlier flight - you tell the airline what you want, and demand that it happens.
Type I: The Degrader - Forget the whole "we are here for your safety" mantra - the flight attendant is actually a stewardess. Think of them as your personal servant. Don't settle for "a coke" - make insane demands. Ask for two and a half slices of lime with your coke. Or a coke with 4 ice cubes. Anything to make their lives just a little more miserable is going to make you feel a little happier with yourself.
Type J: The “Wait Until I’m Ready” Syndrome - Never let anyone rush you. If you are blocking the aisle when everyone wants to disembark, relax for a moment. Take your time to put your jacket on, turn on your phone and check your messages, and don't worry about the 140 people standing behind you. They are nowhere near as important as you.
If you have not been able to identify yourself with any of these types, consider yourself one of the few considerate business travelers who understand and value the importance of each person’s role in getting you to your meeting destination on time, relaxed and safely.
We’d like to continue with this topic, please send us your travel experiences so that we can share them in an upcoming article. Please send them to comments@cpnevents.com
You'll laugh at these things - but they are all from real people we've encountered.
Type A: The God Complex - Use this phrase a lot. Do You Know Who I Am is one of the most important tools of the obnoxious business traveler. The gate agent or flight attendant may know your name, but without your constant reminding of your importance, they'll never know just what a big shot you actually are.
Type B: The VIP - Don't settle for knowing you are an elite "platinum global services 1K member" - buy a lanyard and wear your elite status card around your neck. This way people can see how important you are. Wave the card at anyone that gets in your way.
Type C: The Snob - Once you are settled in your first class seat, pay close attention to people who don't look like they belong in your cabin. Feel free to tell them that the economy class cabin is in the back of the plane. Apply the same logic in the elite boarding line at the gate, or the elite check-in desk. Bonus points for using the phrase "shoo" in your rant.
Type D: The Empowered - If an airline employee gives you a hard time, remind them that you are more important, that you make more money, and that you pay their salary. It is important to make sure these people know their place. The phrase "I pay your salary" is a sure way to remind them that they need to help you.
Type E: The Over Indulgent - Don't settle for checking bags, that is for tourists and people with floral pattern luggage. All your bags belong in the main cabin. Ignore the gate agents talking about how many pieces of luggage you are allowed as those rules don't apply to you.
Type F: The Privileged - Being in "group one" is a bit of an insult to you - the airline needs to invent a secret "group zero" for people with your status. So, when you arrive at the gate, be sure to walk up towards the boarding doors and make it obvious that you will be boarding first. The objective here is to prevent being blocked by the status-less riff-raff.
Type G: The All Important One - Remember that your loud and obnoxious phone calls are another way to show people how important you are. Use lots of big words to confuse the uneducated people listening in on your call.
Also, don't forget to keep talking when you approach a customer service desk. Your call is always more important than their time. Walk up to the desk, hand them your ticket, and use hand movements to explain what you want them to do - but don't stop talking, no matter how unimportant the call may be.
Type H: The Demander - When requesting changes from the airline, always tell them, don't ask them. The commoners "ask" for an earlier flight - you tell the airline what you want, and demand that it happens.
Type I: The Degrader - Forget the whole "we are here for your safety" mantra - the flight attendant is actually a stewardess. Think of them as your personal servant. Don't settle for "a coke" - make insane demands. Ask for two and a half slices of lime with your coke. Or a coke with 4 ice cubes. Anything to make their lives just a little more miserable is going to make you feel a little happier with yourself.
Type J: The “Wait Until I’m Ready” Syndrome - Never let anyone rush you. If you are blocking the aisle when everyone wants to disembark, relax for a moment. Take your time to put your jacket on, turn on your phone and check your messages, and don't worry about the 140 people standing behind you. They are nowhere near as important as you.
If you have not been able to identify yourself with any of these types, consider yourself one of the few considerate business travelers who understand and value the importance of each person’s role in getting you to your meeting destination on time, relaxed and safely.
We’d like to continue with this topic, please send us your travel experiences so that we can share them in an upcoming article. Please send them to comments@cpnevents.com
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