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<td align="left" valign="top"><p>An e-newsletter published by<br>
Software Quality Consulting, Inc. </p>
</td>
<td align="right" valign="top"><p>June 2006, Vol. 3 No. 6 <br>
[<a href="/newsletter/vol3/no6/vol3no6.txt" target="_blank">Text-only Version</a>] </p>
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<td align="left" valign="top"> <p> Welcome to <em><strong>Food for Thought™</strong></em>, an e-newsletter from <strong> <a href="/index.html?Intro" target="_blank">Software Quality Consulting</a></strong>. I've created free subscriptions for my valued business contacts. If you find this newsletter informative, I encourage you to continue reading. Feel free to pass this newsletter along to colleagues by clicking this <strong><a href="http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/sa/fp.jsp?plat=i&p=f&m=sctz69n6">Forward Email</a></strong> link. If you’ve received this newsletter from a colleague and would like to subscribe, please click this <strong> <a href="/newsletter/Subscribe.htm?Newsletter" target="_blank">Enter New Subscription </a></strong>link. If you don't wish to receive this newsletter, click the <strong><a href="#bottom">SafeUnSubscribe</a></strong>™ link at the bottom of this newsletter, and you won’t be bothered again.</p>
<p>Your continued feedback on this newsletter is most welcome. Please send your comments and suggestions to <strong><a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></strong>.</p></td>
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<td align="left" valign="top"><p> In <a href="#article"><strong>This Months’ Topic</strong></a>,
I discuss how you can gain almost two full days each week by improving the effectiveness of meetings… <br>
<br>
Regular features to look for each month are:</p>
<ul>
<li> <a href="#morsel"><strong>Monthly Morsels</strong></a><br>
Hints, tips, techniques and reference info related to this month’s topic</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> <a href="#calendar"><strong>Calendar</strong></a><br>
Conferences, workshops, and meetings of interest to software engineers, QA engineers and anyone interested in software development</li>
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<td width="471" align="left" valign="top" class="BodyText"><p align="center" class="Headline">We Have to Stop Meeting Like This�</p>
<p> Software companies all have at least one common problem – they don’t seem to have enough time to get work done. Yet, every one of these companies wastes a significant amount of time as a direct result of poorly planned and managed meetings…</p>
<p> Do you find that:</p>
<ul>
<li> meetings are not productive </li>
<li> people often work on other things at meetings </li>
<li> meetings take much longer than necessary </li>
<li> most people who attend meetings are unprepared </li>
<li> people who call meetings are often not able to effectively manage the meeting </li>
</ul>
<p>If you have observed these problems, you are not alone. Last year, Microsoft conducted a survey that drew 38,000 responses from participants worldwide. The survey revealed that:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong> 71% of US respondents said that meetings are not productive </strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong>In fact, the survey found that <strong>n</strong><strong>early two of every five days</strong> workers spend on the job is<strong> wasted on pointless meetings, bad communication and unclear objectives. </strong></p>
<p> While conducting effective in-person meetings is clearly challenging, conducting meetings that include remote sites halfway ‘round the world linked via videoconference, can be an even bigger challenge and potentially, a bigger waste of time.</p>
<p> </p>
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<td align="left" valign="top" background="/newsletter/images/RedSpacer.gif" class="Reference"><p align="center"><strong>What topics<br>
would you like<br>
to see in this newsletter?
</strong>
<p align="center">Each month, this<br>
newsletter tries<br>
to provide you<br>
with useful information.<br>
This is a two-way<br>
street and your feedback is<br>
important.<br>
Please send<br>
your thoughts<br>
and comments<br>
to <strong><a href="mailto:[email protected]">steve@<br>swqual.com</a></strong></p>
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<td> </td>
<td align="left" valign="top" class="BodyText"><p>Meetings are a way of life at most companies and billions of person-hours are spent in meetings every year. Studies have shown that:</p>
<ul>
<li> 11 million meetings occur in the US each day! [2] </li>
<li> most professionals attend over 60 meetings each month [2] </li>
<li><strong> 50% of time spent in meetings is wasted</strong> [3] </li>
</ul>
<p>Think about this – half of the time spent in meetings is wasted. If you attend 60 one-hour meetings with four other people that represents a total of 300 hours. Of that, 150 hours of the group’s time is wasted! Think of what other tasks you and your colleagues could be doing with that extra time.</p>
<p> Ineffective meetings are a huge waste of time – time that could be spent in activities like design, peer reviews, bug fixing, and testing. In an economy where competition is fierce and time to market is critical, eliminating wasted effort is one way for companies to regain the competitive advantage.</p>
<p> Let’s look at the problem more closely and identify ways to improve…</p>
<p><strong> Do your meetings suffer from these symptoms?</strong></p>
<p> The following are common symptoms of ineffective meetings:</p>
<ul>
<li> Meetings have no agenda or clear objectives<br>
<br>
Have you ever arrived at a meeting wondering: “Why was I invited?” The typical meeting occurs with only 2 hours notice and often has no written agenda, or if it has an agenda, the meeting often fails to cover it… </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Meetings don’t start/end on time, people arrive late<br>
<br>
How much time has been wasted waiting for meetings to start and waiting for people to arrive? </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Too many/wrong people invited<br>
<br>
How many times have you attended a meeting only to realize that the people who needed to attend were not invited or too many people were invited and nothing gets accomplished? </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> People come with no preparation<br>
<br>
How many times have you attended meetings where people were unprepared to participate? </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Lack of meeting leadership/facilitation skills<br>
<br>
One of the most common problems – people who call meetings often lack effective meeting management skills… </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> No control over discussion<br>
<br>
Because of poor meeting management, many meetings become forums for discussions of things unrelated to the meeting objective. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Lack of respect for views of others<br>
<br>
There are always individuals who dominate the discussion. Without effective meeting management, the views of others are often not heard. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Meeting minutes not produced so results are not captured<br>
<br>
“Didn’t we agree to do something about this problem at the last meeting? I don’t remember.” </li>
</ul>
<p><strong> Steps for More Effective Meetings </strong></p>
<p>Many of the principles that have been refined over the years to improve the effectiveness of <strong>peer reviews</strong> and <strong>formal inspections</strong> can be applied to improving the effectiveness of meetings. </p>
<p>Here are <strong>three</strong> steps to make meetings more effective: </p>
<p><strong>1. Determine if a meeting is really necessary...</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> If the outcome is already known, don’t call a meeting! </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Regularly scheduled meetings are often unproductive and continue more out of habit than out of necessity</li>
</ul></td>
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<li> Before deciding to have a meeting, consider: </li>
<ul>
<li> What are the key objectives we need to achieve </li>
<li> Who needs to participate and what role should each participant play </li>
<li> What is the agenda </li>
<li> What review materials are needed for preparation </li>
<li> How much preparation time is required </li>
<li> How does having this meeting affect schedules… <strong> </strong></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p><strong> 2. Define Roles and Responsibilities of meeting participants...</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong> Sponsor<br>
<br>
</strong>The sponsor decides a meeting is necessary and has a stake in achieving an outcome. The sponsor can lead the discussion at the meeting or can delegate this responsibility to a moderator.<br>
<br>
The sponsor determines who must attend, prepares the agenda and identifies information the participants will need to prepare for the meeting.<br>
<br>
The sponsor also is responsible to make necessary logistical arrangements for the meeting - including reserving a meeting room, sending out meeting invitations, and distributing materials at least <strong>2 working days in advance of the meeting. </strong><strong> </strong></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong> Moderator<br>
<br>
</strong>Just like in a peer review, the moderator manages the meeting. Moderators are selected based on their meeting management skills. Moderators are responsible for: </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> starting and ending the meeting <strong>on-time</strong></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> ensuring that the agenda items are addressed </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> minimizing discussion not directly related to agenda </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> ensuring the meeting ends on time </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> providing “air time” for all participants </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> ensuring that action items are recorded </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> following up on action items as necessary </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong> Scribe<br>
<br>
</strong>The scribe records what occurred during meeting and prepares the minutes. Include in the minutes: </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Starting/ending time </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> List of participants </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Agenda items discussed/not discussed </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Action items assigned to specific individuals </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Issues raised for further investigation </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p> The scribe distributes minutes to the participants within one business day. </p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong> Participants<br>
<br>
</strong>Participants are selected based on interest in and knowledge of the subject of the meeting. Just like with peer reviews, participants are expected to: </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Review meeting materials prior to the meeting </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Arrive at the meeting location promptly </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Focus comments on the agenda items being discussed and avoid going off on tangents (and going off on other participants!) </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Complete action items from the meeting on time </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<p><strong> 3. Follow a Meeting Process...</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong> Planning<br>
<br>
</strong>When planning a meeting, you need a clear purpose statement, an agenda, and an invitation.<br>
<br>
The purpose statement clearly states the reason for the meeting. The agenda defines the topics that are to be discussed and the order in which they are to be discussed. The meeting invitation identifies who is invited, what role(s) they will play, and includes any material that needs to be reviewed prior to the meeting. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong> Meeting Conduct<br>
<br>
</strong>Just like a peer review, the moderator opens the meeting <strong>on time</strong> and reviews <strong>ground rules</strong>: </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> We will discuss only those items on the agenda </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Discussion of items not on the agenda will be tabled and or taken up separately </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Everyone will be given air time and is expected to behave in a professional and respectful manner </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Action items will be assigned - person is responsible for completing action item in agreed time frame </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li> Meeting minutes distributed in one working day </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Once the ground rules are discussed, the moderator asks for discussion of the agenda items. When discussion of the agenda is completed, the moderator begins with the first agenda item...<br>
<br>
After the last agenda item is discussed, the moderator asks the scribe to review the Action Items that were agreed to. The moderator then adjourns the meeting. </p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><strong> Meeting Follow-up<br>
<br>
</strong>Participants are often assigned action items during the meeting. Each action item should be specific as to its nature and include an expected completion date. The moderator is responsible for ensuring that the Action Items resulting from the meeting are in fact completed. Participants are accountable for performing the work required to close Action Items. Once completed, the Moderator may choose to distribute this information to the meeting participants. </li>
</ul>
<p>I find that companies have developed interesting ways to deal with meetings. One company has a Meetings-Free policy on certain days of the week. Another company keeps score of the cost-effectiveness of each meeting held. Scores are reviewed quarterly and changes are made based on the scores.</p>
<p><strong> Rude Behavior Shouldn’t Be Tolerated</strong></p>
<p> One aspect of meetings I find unacceptable is that we seem to tolerate rude behavior. Some examples</p>
<ul>
<li> People arrive late and interrupt the meeting when they walk in </li>
<li> People take calls on their cell phone during a meeting </li>
<li> People work on other tasks or projects during a meeting </li>
<li> People make inappropriate or personal comments to others </li>
<li> People intentionally try to get the meeting off on tangents to avoid discussing the issues at hand </li>
</ul>
<p> These are but a few examples I’ve witnessed. Management should lead by example and make sure everyone understands that these kinds of behaviors will not be tolerated.</p>
<p><strong> Summary</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> The effectiveness of an organization is directly related to the ability to run effective meetings </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Managers need to set good examples in conducting effective meetings and in setting the tone for acceptable behaviors </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Improving meeting effectiveness saves precious time and a significant amount of money </li>
</ul>
<p> If you follow the guidelines above, you will improve the effectiveness of your meetings and reduce wasted time and money.</p>
<p><strong> Summer respite…</strong></p>
I plan to take a break from writing this newsletter during July and August. Look for the next edition in September. Enjoy the summer!</td>
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<td align="left" valign="top"><p> Every month in this space you’ll find additional information related to this month’s topic.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong> References:<br>
<br>
</strong>[1] Mosvick, R. and Nelson, R., We’ve Got to Start Meeting Like This, Park Avenue Press, 1996<br>
<br>
[2] A network MCI Conferencing White Paper. <em>Meetings in America: A study of trends, costs and attitudes toward business travel, teleconferencing, and their impact on productivity</em> (Greenwich, CT: INFOCOMM, 1998), 3.<br>
<br>
[3] Nelson, R. and Economy, P., Better Business Meetings, Irwin Inc., 1995. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong> On-line Resources<br>
<br>
</strong><strong><a href="http://www.effectivemeetings.com/meetingbasics/meetstate.asp" target="_blank">EffectiveMeetings.com – Your Meeting Resource Center</a></strong> </li>
</ul>
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<td align="left" valign="top"><p> Every month you’ll find news here about local and national events that are of interest to the software community …</p>
<ul>
<li> <strong>Software Quality Calendar</strong><br>
<br>
There are many organizations that sponsor monthly meetings, workshops, and conferences of interest to software professionals. <strong><a href="/links/upcoming.html" target="_blank">Find out what’s happening…</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> <strong>Workshops Offered by Software Quality Consulting</strong><br>
<br>
Software Quality Consulting offers workshops in many topics related to software process improvement. <a href="/seminars/courses.html" target="_blank"><strong>Get more info...</strong></a> </li>
</ul>
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<td align="left" valign="top"><p> Software Quality Consulting provides consulting, training, and auditing services tailored to meet the specific needs of clients. We help clients fine-tune their software development processes and improve the quality of their software products. The overall goal is to help clients achieve Predictable Software Development™ – so that organizations can consistently deliver quality software with promised features in the promised timeframe. </p>
To learn more about how we can help your organization, <strong><a href="/index.html?AboutSQC" target="_blank">visit our web site</a></strong> or <strong><a href="mailto:[email protected]">send us an email</a></strong>.</td>
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<td align="left" valign="top"><p> I hope this newsletter has been informative and helpful. Your comments and feedback are most welcome. <a href="mailto:[email protected]"><strong>Send me your feedback…</strong></a></p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p> <img src="/newsletter/images/BusinessCard.gif" width="270" height="121" align="right"><img src="/newsletter/images/Signature.gif" width="90" height="68"><br>
Steve Rakitin<br>
<br>
<strong><a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></strong></p></td>
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