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All great movements start with a meeting … well actually they start with an idea, but the idea is communicated by meetings.

The meetings mount as the movement grows, then the movement becomes meetings…

I’d like to start a new movement—a movement for Valuable Meetings.

All Great Movements...

All great movements have a code, an ethic, a series of agreements by which the group members abide. This helps them get along and get more done. When followed, a mutual code creates harmony.

As structured and killjoy as that sounds, you will find it to be true. What's the difference between a bunch of individuals and a true group?

A True Group

A true group has a series of common agreements amongst the members. They get way more done than any individual could ever accomplish alone.

It doesn’t matter how brilliant you are. A coordinated and organised group of average people will always win against a brilliant individual.

Rebels Unite!

I'm an entrepreneur,...

Time is not a renewable resource. Time is the one thing you can’t get back. Money, sales and even trees can be replenished.

So when it comes to the biggest time-burner in business, prevention is the best policy!

Yes, you can get a poorly planned meeting back on the rails, but why even expose yourself in the first place?

In my article “Sick of Wasting Time on Meetings? Try this” I outlined some simple points to hold effective meetings. The hugely popular and controversial flowchart WAIT (Why Am I Talking?) is a humorous guide and reminder for all to respect each other in meetings.

But you need to answer this question first:

Why Are We Meeting?

Use the following tips:

1. Before accepting a meeting invite

2. When inviting others to a meeting.

3. When planning a meeting.

Note: These do apply to business owners and entrepreneurs!

Are we meeting to plan a meeting?

I know we humans are social beings (most of us) and like gathering...

A friend of mine says people hate meetings because:

1. They don’t start on time.
2. They don’t finish on time.
3. What’s in the middle is a waste of time!

It’s true a lot of meetings are a waste of time. Unproductive meetings can cost your business big time. 5 people times 1 hour = 5 hours. Multiply that by everyone’s hourly value. You better be increasing production or don’t hold the meeting.

Not only is it the wasted hours, it’s the lost production time. So unnecessary meetings are a double loss when they are not effective.

Here’s a few tips on how to have shorter and more effective meetings:

• Define the purpose of the meeting.
• Define the outcome of the meeting.
• Have a timed agenda and someone in charge.
• Facts—not opinions!
• Keep people on-point. (Only talk about matters relating to their job)

Let’s take each point:

1. Define the purpose of the meeting.

Why are we holding this meeting? If you can’t answer...