When your company was new and it cosisted of just you and "Joe",meetings consisted of talking to each other as you drove to an install, or bumped into each  other in the hall.  Then you added people and suddenly, there was the all-important Monday Meeting.  And it was truly important, a way to get valuable info to the others.  Then, time went on and these meetings seemed to take on a life of their own.  Coffee and doughnuts were served but the meeting itself seemed intrusive, the wrong people were there, and stuff got lost anyway.  What to do?

Meetings are not written in stone and not all personnel need to be at every meeting.  As you add staff and grow both in size and in geography, you need to periodically customize who needs to be present.  Someone needs to invite those that need to be there and they or someone else needs to set up a real and valid agenda.  The point I’m trying to make is that meetings need to be valuable and effective or get rid of them or at the least, cut down on frequency.

Consider "mini-meetings" held with only two or three people off site.  A good example of this would be when your Operations Manager meets at a local fast food site with a couple of techs to review that weeks routes and special needs or the addition of a new account.  It is also the perfect time and place to hand over needed equipment or a replacement plant.  Just be sure to cover all yur bases and get the most out of the meeting. 

Then there are the Companywide Meetings.  These meetings put you right out there and if you just slough it off, you risk looking foolish, amateurish, or both.  Have a Meeting of Key people to plan this meeting.  Pick an important 10 minute topic.  It may be Safety or whatever.  Just make sure it is of import to every one attending and also have a written Key Points sheet to hand out.  You probably onlly need one meeting companywide a year.  It is more to introduce everyone and keep everyone in step.  Whatever the topics, keep them brief and to the point.  Don’t let anyone hog the stage.  And lastly, have food, recognition for employees who have achieved goals and always, always pay people for their time while attending. 

The main thing is to stop, think, and plan so that your meetings are productive.  If not, fuggedaboudit.

Well, Holiday is all put away for another 9 months and the specks of glitter are finally off all your clothes.  Time to get back to work.  The sad news is that I’m guessing that many of you came back to find a lot of pressure from clients to cut, reduce, or cancel.  In my most recent Inner Circle Newsletter I stress that hiding your head in the sand will not make this stuff go away.  Nope, you have to be proactive.  I suggest visiting existing clients and, before they ask for a huge drop in monthly fees, look at ways you can cut costs on their jobs and then offer a small, time limited reduction.  Example?  Maybe the orchid goes away and you lower their costs.  Maybe you reduce your fee by a small percent for 6 months and revisit the situation then with the hope you can go back to business as is.   And, get out of the office and start an aggressive Sales effort.  Network like crazy.  These are unusual times and everyone is in much the same boat.  Start Paddling.

Well, Holiday is all put away for another 9 months and the specks of glitter are finally off all your clothes.  Time to get back to work.  The sad news is that I’m guessing that many of you came back to find a lot of pressure from clients to cut, reduce, or cancel.  In my most recent Inner Circle Newsletter I stress that hiding your head in the sand will not make this stuff go away.  Nope, you have to be proactive.  I suggest visiting existing clients and, before they ask for a huge drop in monthly fees, look at ways you can cut costs on their jobs and then offer a small, time limited reduction.  Example?  Maybe the orchid goes away and you lower their costs.  Maybe you reduce your fee by a small percent for 6 months and revisit the situation then with the hope you can go back to business as is.   And, get out of the office and start an aggressive Sales effort.  Network like crazy.  These are unusual times and everyone is in much the same boat.  Start Paddling.

Yep, its that time of year when ’scapers head to Ft. Lauderdale to see whats new, renew friendships, and kick back a bit after all the Holiday Rush.

Attendance is expected to be down this year due to the obvious plus some companies opt to attend the Holiday Buying Shows in Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas.  I will be at TPIE and hope to see many of you there.

Before you go, it is a good idea to go prepared.  No one needs to arrive and find out they don’t have a room.  Now, before you get on a plane, check your accomodation reservations.  Are the dates covered correct?  Is the right rate confirmed?  It is also a good idea to preplan the booths and people you want to connect with.  Just walking in and roaming is a sure way to get worn out before you’ve accomplished what you want to do.  I even suggest making a list of people and their cell numbers so you can connect.  For example:  I’m staying at the Embassy, having breakfast there every morning from about 7:30 on, being in the booth as much as possible, and my cell is 513-205-8195.  If you have any interest in Joey Pouches or Green Roofs, come see me and Joe Byles, the inventor.

Otherwise, the Short Course Program is very comprehensive.  Looking forward to seeing you all there.