Meetings during COVID-19

If you are like most people, then you're at the stage of approaching burn out from all the meetings on the various platforms, accommodating people in all the time zones, or just those within your time zone who are inconsiderate of your need to shut down during the day to have personal time. 

Meetings have become intrusive - weekdays, evenings, nights, weekends; it just doesn't seem to stop. They also come in a variety of formats - meetings, webinars, huddles, and whatever other names people come up with depending on their country/culture. 

These intrusions into your household require the other members of your home to be quiet while you meet, having to put up with your discussions for which they have no interest, and after the meeting is completed; you may not be better off financially. 

Have we really identified the reason/benefits of all these meetings. Sure the topics are interesting, but what is the real benefit to participants. 

Recently, one of my colleagues showed me their calendar, and when I thought I was busy. My schedule paled in comparison and my days are packed. 

How do we get back control of our time? Do we have times allocated for when we will participate in meetings and when we won't. Though it may not be so easy for an employee, what if you are employed where you have greater flexibility. We need to implement mechanisms for coping with the plethora of meetings and become better at priority setting. 

A short while ago, I was having a conversation with another friend who has been getting request from their work place outside of working hours. Now their employer expects full compliance regarding work times from the employees. Yet, they do not honor the personal time of their employees. In short they are in boss mode rather than functioning as a leader. 

I have a friend who studied with me, got first class honors; and their approach was "the work has to be done and will be done". They never functioned on the mental commute, but was always fully engaged in the present. When they were working, that fully consumed them, and it was similar when they were playing. Never were they in one place worrying about what they should be doing in the next. The result? Success in their relatively active lifestyles - all around. 

To keep things on track here are some recommendations:

• Have an agenda for meetings before they are set. 
• Allocate enough time to each area and have a timekeeper. 
• Avoid distractions where possible. 
• Respect everyone's time; be on time. Cute stories of getting stuck in traffic don't cut it in a virtual environment. 
• Ensure the minutes of the meeting are completed and distributed within 48 hours after the meeting so that decisions can be acted upon prior to the next meeting. Reading minutes at the next meeting for the first time since the last one is totally useless. Nothing is ever accomplished and participants quickly become disinterested in actually meeting. 
• Keep records accessible to everyone, as necessary, in a central location. 
• Don't micromanage. If you have to do so, then you need a different team member who doesn't require this "disservice". 
• I function with dynamic teams who follow the aforementioned practices and these suggestions come from a true and tested environment. They are NOT theory. 

A tip for workers/trade unions, ensure that the rights of workers are protected in a virtual environment but be fair to ensure that the employees function from a standpoint of fairness and commitment rather than entitlement. 

iLuv WoRk

There's something about work that excites and intrigues me; especially when it is exciting work. Sometimes when groups of us discuss business, invariably someone would ask, "What makes you want to get out of bed every morning?"

On the surface, it seems like a relatively easy question to address until you really look a little deeper. Many people go through life unhappy and unfulfilled since they never took the time to question themselves in this manner.

Here are ten (10) reasons why I love work:

1. I love the challenges that are presented to me daily within various situations, especially when I'm able to solve what others couldn't. 
2. The money isn't bad either, I can live if I plan carefully. 
3. It's my contribution to poverty alleviation, since I help others empower themselves economically and see them get on purpose about their lives. 
4. It's enjoyable to see people develop an idea and have it emerge into a thriving business from which they can support themselves and others. 
5. It's gratifying to negotiate successful deals for business ventures. 
6. Giving back through charitable serving is always a plus. 
7. It's great to be able to use technology to speed up the processes with which solutions can be provided.
8. Work is not limited to current geographic location. 
9. Effective planning within your work can make it easier to realize accomplishment. 
10. Helping businesses make profits so that they can successfully help more people through the expansion of their operations. 

Customer Service used to be just Service

On occasion I have the opportunity to wonder about a few things that years of experience have granted me the privilege. One that comes to mind was Service; where did it go? Why was it so lacking nowadays, and who's this new Customer Service that though qualified academically does little when compared to the natural capabilities of Service? Here are a few thoughts about what I mean:

• Nowadays we get hospitality degrees and designations of varying sorts, yet seem unable remember encounters of those we've met in the last week. Despite the various devices, communication and other sorts, we seem incapable of remembering little details of our customers. How come that those of the older era who didn't have the tech aids and were able to remember the names of people, families, their likes, and some favorite activities? The older era didn't count the time they were with a client. Service was not given in exchange for something, only as a means of helping another feel more comfortable in a more inviting atmosphere. The result was higher value in the minds of the customer. 
• Attitudes that have developed by the work force that they only seem to seek support when their jobs are threatened are archaic; we have a responsibility to people! Regardless if whether they are seen as customers or fellow workers just to name a few. People are important! 
• Have we forgotten the "magic" words? [good morning, good evening, please, thank you] 
• There's also the rising trend of people having to refer to their sexual preference to determine their ability to work. I mean who really cares who you sleep with? The real question is can you do your job?! This coming out business, is really no one else's business but your own. Keep it there! It's not a badge of honor about your level of competency on your job. 
• Pay attention to detail - serving beverages and food in a sloppy manner in a huge NO! A lot of marketing dollars can be saved when you take the opportunity to serve people that you have in your presence well. If you're superior, they will return for a repeat experience. 
• A sour face, with the attitude of people accepting you as you are is tantamount to suicide. You really can't seriously expect to be mean, rude, and all the other adjectives that I can't publish; and then expect people to want to do business with you. 8 hours per day is a third of a lifetime, shouldn't it be enjoyable? Man has but a short time to live. 
• Let's look at no only enhancing customer service, but enhancing service. We would find that not only do we please others, but we can be quite pleasant to be around. The result can be in more people wanting to be in your company and doing business with you. 

Have a wonderful day folks! Let's look at the totality of the service we offer - regardless of where we work and live.