We've all been there. We
attend a seminar or a class and gnash our teeth as the leader falters,
gets off track or allows other participants to waste our time. These
tips create a strategy for effective leadership. Modify for different
audiences.1.
You're the leader. Be strong! Don't abdicate your role to the
participants.
2. Get buy-in on your
agenda and goals before you begin. Think of a flight attendant's
announcement just before the doors closed: "We're going to Cleveland.
If you don't want to go to Cleveland, this would be an excellent time to
depart."
3. Keep the group on
track. Sooner or later, a participant will toss out an irrelevant
comment or (shudder) a long-winded story. Be ready with tactics: "I'm
sorry to interrupt, and I'd like to hear that story during our break."
Or, "That's a great topic for next week's class."
4. Inevitably, one
person will try to dominate the class, asking lots of questions,
interjecting frequent comments. What will you say? "Thank you, Mr. X,
and can we hear from someone on the left side of the room?" Or, "Let's
hear a question from someone who's been silent all morning."
5. Demand attention!
Cell phones off, private conversations in the hallway. Participants
will be grateful. They're usually annoyed but afraid to speak up
themselves.
6. If you're
established as a leader, make a rule: "No apologies before you speak."
Recently I attended a meeting where smart professionals prefaced their
input with, "This is probably a dumb question, but" or, "I may be way
off here, but." Participants come across as lacking in confident and
listeners say silently, "Just get on with it!"
7. Eyelids drooping?
Time for a break, even if you haven't scheduled one. Sleepy
participants lower the meeting's energy.
8. Long class?
Incorporate exercises and breakout sessions. Combine coffee breaks with
assignments. Keep everyone moving.
9. Just before class
ends, identify take-aways. What do you want participants to learn? What
should they remember?
10. End class early.
Use the last fifteen minutes -- no more-- to go around the room and ask
everyone a question. For example: "What will be different next time you
sit down to write?" "What surprised you most in today's class?" "What is
your next step?"
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., author of Making
the Big Move, helps midlife professionals navigate career and business
journeys. Complimentary Special Report: "Raise your DQ: Decision
Quotient"
http://www.cathygoodwin.com/signup.html. Contact:
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