Page 188 - Becoming a Successful Manager

Mastering Productive Meetings Is as Easy as PIE 179

nology, that might be needed during the meeting. For exam-
ple, if they cannot see the materials through the Net meeting,
make sure they have their own copies of required materials.

Interactive

No matter how you choose to dispense information, allow and
encourage participation as frequently as possible. Regularly seek
out new and fresh ideas from your employees. When you have all
the possible information available, you can avoid mistakes that
might hinder your progress as a manager.
A recent survey of managers asked: What are the biggest mis-
takes managers make? As you read through this sampling of their
responses, consider how you can avoid these errors in meetings
you conduct. They cited these attributes of a poor manager:

• Assumes he or she knows what the problem is
• Assumes employees are as enthusiastic as he or she is
• Has all the answers
• Doesn’t know what else is going on in employees’ lives
• Frequently doesn’t know what the real problems are
• Talks too much and frequently doesn’t listen
• Doesn’t seem to care what employees think or feel
• Doesn’t encourage feedback
• Corrects more than praises

Have you or other managers you know ever made these mistakes?
By avoiding these pitfalls, you will demonstrate to your employees
how to conduct themselves in a meeting. Modeling professional
behavior is much stronger and clearer than words.